Will Aston Villa continue their upward trend?
Last week the FA Cup took centre stage in the motherland of football, now the ball is rolling again in the Premier League. On Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m., no less than five games will be played, one of which we devote ourselves to in this article.
In the case of Aston Villa against Leicester, betting on the home side seems obvious, as the form curves of the two teams point in completely opposite directions. Will this trend continue at Villa Park in Birmingham on the first weekend in February?
The home side have already made a coaching change and that decision is paying dividends so far. Since Spaniard Unai Emery took the reins, things have been outstanding for Aston Villa. The visitors from Leicester, on the other hand, continue to have Brendan Rodgers on the bench, with the air getting thinner and thinner for him.
The Foxes are in acute relegation trouble and are currently just one point clear of the first relegation spot. Moreover, the team is still without a win since the re-start after the World Cup break. Should this change, betting odds of just under 4.00 are on offer between Aston Villa and Leicester for the “away win” prediction.
Aston Villa – Statistics & current form
Great footballers do not necessarily have to be successful coaches. The English Premier League provides two examples of this thesis this season. In addition to the recently sacked Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard has already had to vacate his chair. As Villa coach, he averaged a meagre 1.18 points per game in 40 competitive games. In mid-October, the collaboration ended and shortly afterwards Unai Emery was introduced as the new coach.
16 points in seven games
The Villians have played a total of nine competitive games so far under the former PSG and Arsenal coach. With 1.78 points per game, his yield is currently well above that of Steven Gerrard. Aston Villa may have lost out in the FA Cup and League Cup, but they are doing very well in the league. In the seven Premier League games, they have collected 16 out of a possible 21 points. A home defeat against Liverpool and a draw against Wolves were the only losses by points. It took Aston Villa 24 games to win five matches in the English top flight under Steven Gerrard.
The most recent win was a 1-0 victory over bottom side Southampton, with Ollie Watkins scoring the golden goal. Since making his Villa debut in September 2020, he has amassed 40 Premier League scorers for Aston Villa. More than twice as many scorers as any current Villa player.
However, Leicester are by no means his favourite opponents, having failed to score in four games. Saturday afternoon odds of 2.87 are on offer for Aston Villa to score against Leicester, with the four-time goalscorer so far this season.
Predicted Aston Villa line-up:
Bazunu – Walker-Peters, Salisu, Caleta-Car, Lyanco – Diallo, Lavia – Armstrong, Ward-Prowse, Edozie – Adams
Last matches played by Aston Villa:
Premier League
21/01/2023 – Southampton 0 – 1 Aston Villa
14/01/2023 – Aston Villa 2 – 1 Leeds
FA Cup
08/01/2023 – Aston Villa 1 – 2 Stevenage
Premier League
05/01/2023 – Aston Villa 1 – 1 Wolverhampton
01/01/2023 – Tottenham 0 – 2 Aston Villa
Leicester – Statistics & current form
The current situation at the sensational champions from the 2015/16 season ensures that the club have made their first readjustment in the January transfer window for five years. The Harrison transfer from Leeds fell through at the last second, but three new signings were made in Harry Soutar, Tete and Victor Kristiansen. Reinforcements in the squad are also sorely needed, otherwise the club is threatened with relegation. The air for Rodgers is getting thinner and thinner. Slowly but surely, results must be delivered.
Only one point in five games since World Cup restart
Though the biggest crisis seemed to have been overcome when the Foxes collected twelve points from five games before the World Cup break. Moreover, Welsh goalkeeper Danny Ward kept his box clean in each of those four victories. The long break did the club no good, however, as the upward trend has long since been forgotten. There have been five Premier League appearances since the restart, with no wins to show for it.
The first four games were all lost, before the first point was gained with a 2-2 draw at home against Brighton a fortnight ago. Further self-confidence was gained in the world’s oldest cup competition. Second division side Walsall were beaten 1-0. A small upward trend can be seen, but in view of the recent results between Aston Villa and Leicester, betting on the visitors is not recommended.
It is much more interesting to bet on a true goal festival when looking at the Foxes’ away games so far. Ten away games have been played and no less than 40 goals have been scored (goal difference 17:23). Together with promoted AFC Bournemouth, the four goals per away match is the highest average of all 20 teams. Seven of the ten games ended with an over 2.5.
Predicted Leicester line-up:
Ward – Thomas, Amartey, Faes, Castagne – Barnes, Tielemans, Mendy, Praet – Vardy, Daka
Last matches played by Leicester:
FA Cup
28/01/2023 – Walsall 0 – 1 Leicester
Premier League
21/01/2023 – Leicester 2 – 2 Brighton
14/01/2023 – Nottingham Forest 2 – 0 Leicester
Carabao Cup
11/01/2023 – Newcastle 2 – 0 Leicester
FA Cup
07/01/2023 – Gillingham 0 – 1 Leicester
Aston Villa – Leicester Direct comparison / H2H record
When Aston Villa and Leicester face each other at Villa Park, betting on goals on both sides is a must. A look at the database shows that this clash has already taken place 13 times in the Premier League, and in twelve of these matches both teams have scored at least one goal. The only exception was a 2-0 win for the Foxes in December 2001, meaning that Aston Villa have never played a home game against Leicester without conceding a goal since the inception of the Premier League.
Aston Villa – Leicester Tip
While one team has caught up with the mid-table, the other is lurching towards the relegation zone. The form curve could not be more different and therefore it is not surprising that the maximum betting odds on Aston Villa against Leicester are 2.00 for the home side. The Foxes may not be Aston Villa’s favourite opponents, but recent performances underline their favourites status.
Soberly speaking, the two teams are definitely on a similar level. However, the Villians are much stronger at home than away, while the same is true of the visitors. Leicester lost seven of the ten guest appearances and for us the eighth defeat in the eleventh game is very likely. The double stake in the event of a home win is very appealing and for our part we are alluding to six units as a stake. Other possibilities in the duel Aston Villa vs Leicester are the prediction on many goals (Both teams meet; Over 2.5).
