Aston Villa Vs Ipswich Town, Premier League: Preview, Key Players, Prediction

Morgan Rogers believes Aston Villa are targeting a spot among the Premier League's elite for years to come, following the big-name acquisitions of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio. (More Football News)

Rashford and Asensio arrived on loan frꦺom Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain, respectively, before the closure of the mid-season transfer window.

Both players made their debuts from the bench in Sunday's 2-1 FA Cup win over Tottenham and could now make their Premi🌸er League bows againstꦜ Ipswich Town on Saturday. 

Villa are eighth in the table following their derby defeat to Wolves two weeks ago, but Rogers believes their new arrivals – playing und♒er the guidance oℱf Unai Emery – can make a major impact. 

"When a clu💖b wan🀅ts you, it's one thing, but if the manager wants you, it's another thing, and that's all they ever said to me," Rogers told the club's website.

"That feeling, there's nothing better than feeling wanted. From moment one, as hard as he is on me, I feel it because he does the extra to want me to improve, to want me to get♔ better, because he sees something in me and wants me to shine."

Rogers believes the signings show the future at Villa Park is bright, saying: "ဣ;We want to get to the next level as a club and to do that we've got to play in big games, win the big games and compete in the big games.

"That's all the manager talks about;ও he doesn't just want to be content with wha꧋t we've done. 

"He didn't come here to do what we've done in the last two 🥀years and go ba𒁃ck to being a sometimes team."

Ipswich, meanwhile, are 19th in the table and sa💝w their hopes of survival take a major blow when they lost 2-1 to bottom club Southampton a fortnight ago.

"We know what this season isꦦ. We know what the challenge is,&quo🍰t; said their head coach Kieran McKenna.

"You go from being one of the top teams in the Championship – something no-one expected us to be, apart from ourselves ♔– to competing at the bottom of the toughest division in world football.

"We've improved this year,🐼 even in the Southampton game I think we showed that, but it's harder to get the wins that verify and evidence the good work that's going on."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Aston Villa – Marcus Rashford 

Each of Rashford's four Premier League goals this season have come against sides starting the day 15th in tꦇhe table or lower, including away to Ipswic꧙h for Man United in November. 

The last players to score against the same opponent for d☂ifferent clubs in a Premier League season are Alexis Sanchez (Arsenal and Man Utd v Huddersfield Town) and Olivier Giroud (Arsenal and Cheꦰlsea v Southampton), both in 2017-18.

Ipswich Town – Liam Delap 

Only Dominic Solanke (399), Nicolas Jackson (317) and Erling Haalan♛d (312) have recorded more pressures in the final third than Delap (305) in t🉐he Premier League this season.

Meanwhile, excluding own g𓄧oals, 95% of Ipswich's 21 Premier League goals this season have been scored by British or Irish players, the highest proportion by a team in a single campaign since Wolves in 2011-12 (98% - 39/40).

MATCH PREDICTION – ASTON VILLA WIN

Aston Villa have lost just one of their last 14 top-flight meetings with Ipswich (10 wins, three dr𝓡aw🏅s), a 1-0 home defeat in March 1994.

Villa have lost just one of their last 20 Premier League games against opposition in the relegation zone (13 wins, six draws), though that sole defeat did come last time out on matchday 🦂24 against Wolves (0-2).

Ipswich, meanwhile, have lost 10 of their last 12 away league games against Villa, with both exceptions being 1-0 victories (March 1994 in the Premier League, February 2017 in the Championship)💮.

The Tractor Boys have also lost each of their last four Premier League games – their longest losing run of the season. They last lost more consecutive league matches ꧂between October and December 2011 under Paul Jewell (seven in the Championship).

Making one of the toughest trips in the🌌 Premier League, they are major outsid🐓ers.

Since the start of last season, only Everton and Brentford have won a larger share of their total Premier League points at home than Aston Villa (60% - 63/105) among current sides in 🌌the divisi🍨on. 

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Aston Villa – 64.6%

Ipswich Town – 16.3%

Draw – 19.1%