Aston Villa will lock horns with Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium this Wednesday night as they look to secure a win on their travels in the EFL Cup. The Villans managed to earn a hard-fought 2-1 win over Manchester City recently, which should give them a ton of confidence going into this game.
Unai Emery will opt for the 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to make a few changes to his starting XI for this clash. Marco Bizot, Ibrahim Mbaye and Tammy Abraham could all play from the start of this game.
4-2-3-1 Aston Villa Predicted Lineup To Face Bournemouth
Defence
Marco Bizot will function in between the sticks for the Villans as he looks to secure a clean sheet in midweek. Taylor Harwood-Bellis could play alongside Tyrone Mings at the centre of Emery’s defence as they look to keep a solid shape on the defensive end of the field.
Lamare Bogarde could fill in as a makeshift right-back, while Ian Maatsen looks to catch the eye on the other side as the left-back. Both of them will have to pick and choose their moments to join in on the attack.
Victor Lindelöf and Matty Cash will be rested on the bench as they offer cover for the defensive positions.
FLEETWOOD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 16: Ibrahim Mbaye of Aston Villa reacts during the Carabao Cup Third Round match between Coventry City and Aston Villa at Highbury Stadium on September 16, 2026 in Fleetwood, England. (Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)
Midfield
Ross Barkley and Leon Goretzka will anchor the midfield for the West Midlands club as they hope to win the 50-50 battles at the centre of the park and create some decent chances going forward.
The talented trio of Alejandro Garnacho, George Hemmings and Ibrahim Mbaye will operate just ahead of them as part of Emery’s attack. All three of them need to combine well if they want to create enough chances for the Villans to win this contest.
Emiliano Buendia and John McGinn will have to settle for a spot on the bench as they wait for their chance to impress in the second half if required.
Attack
Tammy Abraham will spearhead Aston Villa’s attack up top. He would be eager to make a difference by getting his name on the scoresheet versus the Cherries this Wednesday night.
Nicolas Jackson will be named on the bench and might come on to influence the game in the latter stages if needed.