Leeds United will face one of their sternest tests of their Premier League campaign so far when they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa on Friday evening.
After narrowly escaping relegation last season, Villa have started the 2020/21 campaign at a rapid rate of knots, winning all four of the first four league games this season, including a memorable 7-2 victory over reigning title holders Liverpool.
After hammering Jurgen Klopp's side prior to the recent international break, Villa maintained their flying start to the campaign last weekend, securing a 1-0 win over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium thanks to a late strike from former Whites loanee Ross Barkley.
When the fixtures were released back in August few would have looked at the clash at Villa Park and seen it as one of one Leeds' toughest fixtures in their first crop of games, but that is what it will most certainly be in front of the Sky Sports cameras on Friday night.
Having won four out of four in the Premier League so far this term, Villa boss Dean Smith will no doubt be reluctant to alter his team too much, with consistency and continuity the key for any side looking to keep a winning streak in tact.
And as far as Smith's options go for the visit of Marcelo Bielsa's Whites, who will be looking to make up for Monday night's 1-0 home reverse to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has a very healthy-looking squad to choose from, with goalkeeper Tom Heaton, centre-back Kortney Hause and striker Wesley their only absentees.
That means that Smith, as expected, could name the exact same starting line-up for the third game in a row. Should that prove to be the case, Villa will have a very strong look to themselves, both defensively and offensively.
Here, we have taken a close look at how Villa's reporter - Ashley Preece - for our sister title - BirminghamLive - is expecting Villa to line-up against the Whites.
Summer signing from Arsenal Emiliano Martinez will line-up between the sticks once again, with the Argentine having only conceded two goals in four matches so far this season.
Ahead of him will be a back-four, from right to left, of Matty Cash, a summer recruit from Nottingham Forest, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Matt Targett.
Douglas Luiz and fellow midfielder enforcer John McGinn will operate just ahead of the back-four and offer protection.
Smith will then, most likely, opt for an attacking trio of Trezeguet on the right, skipper Jack Grealish on the left and Chelsea loanee Barkley playing just behind lone striker Ollie Watkins, who netted a hat-trick in the recent romp against Liverpool.
Should that be the line-up that Smith selects, Leeds will need to be at the very top of their game, with Liverpool and Leicester, of course, having both failed to take anything off Villa in the last two matches.
Predicted Aston Villa line-up to face Leeds: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; Luiz, McGinn; Trezeguet, Barkley, Grealish; Watkins.
