Aston Villa head face Luton Town on Saturday evening, looking to make it three Premier League wins on the spin.
Unai Emery’s side are coming off an impressive 4-2 home win over Nottingham Forest and sit five points clear on Tottenham, who occupy fifth spot.
The return of Ezri Konsa has buoyed the Villans. The 26-year-old has been sidelined with a sprained knee he sustained during the 5-0 away win over Sheffield United.
Ahead of what is a must-win game for Villa, Chris Sutton has cast his thoughts.
Chris Sutton makes Aston Villa v Luton prediction
In his BBC Sport predictions, Sutton has backed Villa to continue their excellent recent form.
“Luton have had so much praise recently – including from me. I said at the start of this month that Rob Edwards deserves to be named ‘manager of the season’ if he keeps them up,” he said.
“I still stand by that, but with Everton getting some of their points back, and Luton losing three league games in a row, they are now desperate for points again.
“This feels like an important time for Luton. We’ve seen how difficult it has been for clubs to come to Kenilworth Road all season, but it feels like their home defeat by Sheffield United on 10 February was a big setback that they have not got over yet.
“The other thing about the way they are approaching games is that, while they always look like they have got a goal in them, being that little bit more expansive means they are vulnerable.
“When you consider how dangerous Aston Villa are going forward, it feels like they are asking for trouble and it will be interesting to see if Edwards tweaks his approach again. I don’t think he will and, while I expect Luton to score, Villa will score more. 1-3.”
Konsa return a huge boost
Konsa’s return to Emery’s plans is a big boost.
With Pau Torres being forced against Forest, the former Brentford man could be thrust straight back into the starting XI alongside Clement Lenglet.
Lenglet’s performances deserve immense credit. The Frenchman has been an ever-present since the turn of the year and has deputised well.
Regarding Torres’ injury, the Spaniard was taken off as a precaution and could still be fit to play a part against the Hatters on Saturday evening.
