Parker confident Burnley can regain 'rock-solid' defensive base

Scott Parker acknowledged there is an element of learning to be done by Burnley defensively, as they look to kickstart their season against Aston Villa.

Burnley sit 18th in the Premier League with four points, having just one win out of six matches so far. They are winless in four and come into this match on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Burnley have already conceded 13 goals in the top-flight, only three fewer than they conceded throughout the entire 2024-25 Championship campaign (16).

Parker noted that the changes to his defence over the summer mean that they have to re-educate themselves, but he is confident they can improve.

"There isn't an easy game in the best and most competitive division in the world," Parker said. "We need to understand and approach every game with [the] same outlook as these past ones.

"A large element to what we do is to give ourselves a rock-solid base. It is a new squad, too, and a whole different back unit to last year. We are having to drill and educate and give ourselves that.

"The level goes up, you get more stressed in this division. It is a clinical league, and you can't lose any focus for a moment; otherwise, you get punished."

Villa have seemingly hit their stride in recent weeks. They collected their first Premier League win of the season last time out with a 3-1 victory over Fulham and sit 16th.

They have also won both of their Europa League games without conceding on either side of that match, but despite their upturn in form, Unai Emery expects a tough test against Burnley.

"Every team in the Premier League has good players, a good coach, history, and they're competitive teams," he said.

"Burnley are playing really good football, and I appreciate this coach because he's been successful with Burnley when they were performing very well in the Championship. This year in the Premier League is their challenge to keep it for a long time, like they did some years before.

"They're now our opponent, and it's so tight at the bottom of the table. We have to focus on the match, respecting everything, to try and get our best."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Aston Villa – Morgan Rogers

Morgan Rogers has the most open play assists in the Premier League in 2025 (eight).

Only three Villa players have more in a calendar year – James Milner in 2009 (12), Ashley Young in 2010 (nine) and Ollie Watkins in 2023 (10).

Burnley – Jaidon Anthony

Jaidon Anthony has been involved in five goals in six Premier League games this season (four goals, one assist), more than in his first 33 games in the competition in 2022-23 and 2023-24 (three goals, one assist).

Only Aleksandar Mitrovic in 2022-23 for Fulham (five) has scored in more of a newly promoted team's first six games of a season than Anthony's four in 2025-26.

MATCH PREDICTION: ASTON VILLA WIN

Aston Villa have won both of their last two Premier League games against Burnley, but have not won more successive league meetings with the Clarets since March 1900 (five).

But they are unbeaten in their last 16 Premier League matches against newly promoted sides (W12 D4) since losing 3-0 to Fulham in October 2022.

Villa did lose against Scott Parker the last time he faced Villa, however, suffering a 2-0 defeat to promoted Bournemouth in August 2022.

Burnley's last league visit to Villa saw them lose 3-2 in December 2023; they last lost successive away league matches away to the Villans in April 1966 (four in a row).

Burnley have picked up just four points in their first six Premier League games this season (W1 D1 L4), and they are yet to win a single point away from home (L3). The Clarets have lost their last four away Premier League games, last losing more consecutively between November 2016 and February 2017 (seven).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Aston Villa – 68.4%

Draw – 17.6%

Burnley – 14.1%