Final Score's John Acres at Villa Park: "Both teams like to play, and attack, but both have rather neglected the other end of the pitch so far, so it should be entertaining, and the result significant... the loser will be in the bottom three."

It's grey at Villa Park, where the claret and blue seats are still far from full. It's chilly, perhaps the coldest day of the season so far. A day for coats and scarves, or maybe your replica shirt over the top of a hoodie.

Mark Lawrenson thinks this match will end in a 2-1 victory for Stoke. "I see their improvement continuing at Villa Park because Mark Hughes has got quality in his squad, and he has also got some scrappers," reckons our football expert.

Take on Lawro - and football fans from across the world - by having your say in all of this weekend's fixtures in our football predictor game.

John Motson
BBC Match of the Day commentator at Villa Park

Image source, Rex Features

"These sides sit side-by-side in the bottom four but there seems to be a difference in expectation among the respective managers. 

"It appears that Villa's Tim Sherwood has resigned himself to a season of struggle, or at least consolidation. 

"Stoke boss Mark Hughes is confident they are better than results suggest. 

"Villa need to take the initiative and show the same is true of them. But their home form has been poor and Stoke will fancy their chances of a third straight win at Villa Park." 

BBC WM's Steve Hermon: "It sounds a bit too early to say this but this afternoon is must win for Aston Villa, who haven't won since the opening day of the season and find themselves 18th in the table.

"Tim Sherwood has mentioned that his young players are still settling in but they do have experienced players (and former Premier League winners) in Lescott and Richards at the heart of their defence. They need to step up to the plate today, along with the likes of Guzan and Hutton.

"Their key weapon is the head of Rudy Gestede, who has score 21 headed goals in just over two years, which is more than any other player in all four English divisions. Get the ball into the box towards Gestede and Villa could walk away with three crucial points."

Image source, .

In a week where everyone has got excited about which international team he wants to play for, Jack Grealish has to make do with a place on the bench in an Aston Villa side selected with caution in mind.  

Stoke are without Xherdan Shaqiri, who picked up a thigh injury last week, with his place going to Mame Biram Diouf.

But expectation is a funny thing. Ask Stoke, only two points and one place above Villa, yet with no sign of alarm bells ringing.

A summer of eye-catching recruitment was followed by a sluggish start, tempered by a first win at home to Bournemouth last week.

They may only be parted by the slenderest margin in the table and and a slab of M6 tarmac, but the Villains and the Potters don't share much else. 

That's when Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood sounded the alarm, with last week's 3-2 defeat at Liverpool followed by the boss saying his team face a battle to stay up.

He might have a point. Villa, no higher finish than 15th since 2012, have not won since the opening day and are in the bottom three.

Premature pessimism, or an early adjustment of expectations? 

How early is too early to decide that you're in a relegation battle?

No one wants to be in the drop zone come spring and the accepted wisdom is that bottom at Christmas isn't too clever.

But what about the end of September?