Stoke City FC

• Nickname:
• Founded:1863
• Manager:Tony Pulis

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• Capacity:NaN

Preview: Stoke v Aston Villa

11 Mar 2010 - 11:53:14

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Aston Villa must refocus their attention on the Premier League following their various cup forays in recent days when they visit Stoke City on Sunday

The Midlands club are genuine contenders for a top-four finish and a place in next season's Champions League but only if they can make the most of their games in hand.

Villa have played three games less than fellow top-four rivals Liverpool as they haven't been in league action for three weeks but manager Martin O'Neill knows this is crunch time.

Their last league outing on February 21 was a 5-2 rout of Burnley and the English quartet of goalscorers that day - Emile Heskey, Gabriel Agbonlahor, Stewart Downing and Ashley Young - will all be vital figures in the run-in.

O'Neill has a selection headache on his hands up front after John Carew returned to the starting line-up and bagged a hat-trick in last weekend's 4-2 FA Cup win over Reading.

The Norway international scored the winner in a 1-0 success over Stoke at Villa Park earlier in the season but has been forced to play second fiddle to Heskey in recent months.

Elsewhere, Nigel Reo-Coker is the Villains' only injury absence with a long-term ankle problem.

Stoke's season is in danger of petering out as they now have 35 points after the midweek draw at Burnley and are 11 points clear of the bottom three with only ten matches remaining.

Their FA Cup sixth-round exit at Chelsea last weekend ended their hopes of reaching Wembley and they have no chance of claiming a place in Europe.

Nevertheless, most Potters fans would have welcomed this position two years ago when their team was battling to win promotion from the Championship.

They were most peoples' favourites to be relegated at the start of last term but eventually finished in mid-table and Tony Pulis looks set to guide them to a second successive safe position.