Will this be Martin O’Neill’s last game as Aston Villa manager? That is the question on the lips of just about every Villa supporter although whether they will get an answer on Sunday remains to be seen. O’Neill is expected to hold talks about his future with Randy Lerner, the Villa chairman, next week and a third successive top-six finish, which a victory over Blackburn Rovers will guarantee, would strengthen his hand. The Villa manager’s body language at the final whistle promises to be much more interesting than the match itself. Stuart James

Venue Villa Park, tomorrow 4pm Tickets £19-£38 (0800 612 0960) Last season Aston Villa 3 Blackburn 2 Referee S Bennett

This season’s matches 28 Y106, R5, 3.96 cards per game

Odds Aston Villa 3-5 Blackburn 11-2 Draw 3-1

Aston Villa

Subs from Guzan, L Young, Beye, Sidwell, Heskey, Delfouneso, Reo-Coker

Doubtful None

Injured Davies (groin, Jul), Harewood (foot, Aug), Delph (knee, Jan)

Suspended None

Form guide LWWWDW

Disciplinary record Y58 R2

Leading scorer Agbonlahor 13

Blackburn Rovers

Subs from Brown, Jones, Linganzi, Emerton, Jacobsen, Chimbonda, Hoilett, Kalinic, Di Santo, Bunn, Basturk

Doubtful None

Injured N’Zonzi (teeth, Jun), Diouf (tonsils, Sep)

Suspended None

Form guide WDLDDW

Disciplinary record Y58 R2

Leading scorer Dunn 9

Match pointers

• This will be the fifth meeting between these sides this season with Villa winning three of the games but Rovers victorious in the reverse Premier League fixture

• The Aston Villa defender James Collins has made more defensive blocks this season (43) than any other Premier League player

• There have been five goals scored in the last five minutes of the last five Premier League matches between Blackburn and Villa

• Gabriel Agbonlahor has scored in his last three Premier League appearances against Blackburn

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There was a time when numerous pundits predicted that England’s 2010 World Cup campaign would be constructed around David Dunn’s vision and creativity.

Those days are long gone and such opinions quietly forgotten. Should Dunn journey to South Africa this summer, it will be as a tourist rather than a member of Fabio Capello’s squad but, as Birmingham City discovered to their cost, the Blackburn Rovers midfielder is far from a spent force.

On an evening illuminated by two of the Premier League’s more mercurial talents, Dunn and Birmingham’s James McFadden, the former scored twice and had another effort disallowed, while the Scot also struck with a venomous free kick.

Dangerous as he was though the Birmingham forward could not quite do enough to prevent his suddenly plateau-ing side slipping to another defeat as Blackburn took a major stride toward banishing any lingering relegation fears.

Sam Allardyce is a little miffed with those Rovers fans who appeal in vain for him to configure his team in a reassuringly attack-minded 4-4-2 formation. “You get this 4-4-2 rubbish,” he snorted on the eve of this match. “But it is an antiquated system. Why should we play two up front? It doesn’t work in the Premier League anymore.”

And it only took five minutes before Dunn’s scoring burst from the home midfield quintet served to vindicate his manager’s case. When a long forward punt was controlled superbly on the chest by Nikola Kalinic – who did well to hold off Birmingham’s Roger Johnson – Dunn accelerated into the area before half-volleying Kalinic’s ball beyond Joe Hart with his left foot.

For a short spell after that Dunn’s old team looked distinctly wobbly but, gradually, McLeish’s players pulled themselves together. Indeed Jason Brown, deputising for the injured Paul Robinson in Blackburn’s goal, seemed under peril from a deceptively curving, slightly deflected McFadden strike but the understudy proved equal to the challenge, saving brilliantly.

McFadden’s clever movement saw Allardyce’s centre halves – Chris Samba and the 18-year-old Phil Jones – frequently pulled all over the place. Not about to be upstaged, however, Dunn continued to exert a similar effect on Birmingham’s defence. So much so that he started celebrating a second goal after another late dash into the box, followed by another half volley which went in off the underside of the bar. This time, though, his effort was disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

Furious with his team-mate Míchel Salgado for what he clearly regarded as the totally unnecessary tug responsible for seeing a fine finish chalked off, Dunn exchanged some harsh words and displayed hostile body language with Blackburn’s right back as the teams trooped off for half-time.

Altercation over, both protagonists reappeared for the second half, only for McFadden to steal some of Dunn’s limelight. When Birmingham won a free-kick just outside the area following Morten Gamst Pedersen’s foul on Johnson it seemed ideally positioned for delivery by the forward’s left foot. And a swipe of that boot from McFadden sent the ball arcing over Blackburn’s non-existent wall before dropping perfectly into the far bottom corner. Apparently transfixed, Brown did not move, remaining rooted to his line at the near post.

A gauntlet had been thrown down and, when El Hadji Diouf whipped in a corner, Dunn threw himself forward to head beyond Joe Hart from close range.

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• Liverpool manager covering-up deficiencies, says Allardyce
• ‘I don’t like him and the feeling is probably mutual’

Sam Allardyce claims Rafa Benítez’s criticism of him is a cover-up for how bad Liverpool are and claims the Reds have all but blown their chance of finishing in the top four.

Benítez last week mocked Allardyce’s behaviour and Blackburn’s style after their match at Anfield, suggesting that the European champions Barcelona were going to model themselves on Rovers: “He is a model for football all around the world. I am sure he is a model for behaviour and for kids all around the world. I am sure Barcelona are thinking of copying this style now too.”

But the Blackburn manager has hit back by claiming he has managed to get under the skin of Benítez and that the Liverpool boss was just covering up for how badly his team played despite the Reds’ 2-1 win.

“It was a good cover-up by Rafa because he knows how bad his side were and that was repeated against Wigan on Monday night,” said Allardyce. “He’s got personal with it for many, many years now. That’s why I don’t like him and the feeling is probably mutual. I don’t get personal with him; I get into him and under his skin, yes, but that’s all part of the game.

“The tit for tat between me and Rafa will probably go on until one of us is no longer a Premier League manager. I’ve managed to psyche out one or two here and there and that’s how the Premier League has evolved over the last 20 years. But no, Pep Guardiola has not been in touch yet.”

He also believes Liverpool’s result at Wigan leaves Benítez’s side unlikely to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League.

He added: “The last time one of the big four didn’t finish in the top four it was Liverpool – Everton got that spot – and I think this time it looks pretty difficult having lost against Wigan. They are having to rely on other teams slipping up now.

“They have a wealth of experience and that may be a telling factor when the nerve ends start jangling. We saw what happened to Tottenham a few years ago with the famous ‘poisoned lasagne’ scenario – which was obviously never the case – and they let it slip.

“But I think it might be more difficult for Liverpool this time around because there are more teams involved. There’s Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham in there and if Everton keep rolling on you might be surprised to see them making a late run.”

Meanwhile, Vince Grella will miss Blackburn’s match at Tottenham on Saturday due to a calf injury picked up in training but David Dunn is available after coming through a reserve match without any problems.

Sam AllardyceBlackburn RoversRafael BenítezLiverpoolPremier Leagueguardian.co.uk