Will the Magpies continue their recovery?
The new owners of Newcastle United invested over 100 million euros in reinforcements for the squad during the winter break. The first step is to ensure that the team stays in the Premier League, before attacking the top positions step by step in the next few years. The results are certainly right. The Magpies have taken eight out of a possible twelve points from their last four league games.
Now, however, an unpleasant opponent is visiting St James’ Park in the form of Aston Villa. The Lions are unbeaten in seven Premier League games against the Magpies and also won the first leg 2-0. Nevertheless, there are even odds available ahead of the second leg between Newcastle and Aston Villa.
Not to be left unmentioned, however, is the fact that the Villans have also upgraded their squad in the winter. Barca loanee Philippe Coutinho, in particular, has made an impact with two goals and two assists in three appearances. If the 29-year-old is also on the ball at St James’ Park, it could be a high-scoring affair.
In this interesting Premier League match on Super Bowl Sunday, we see the greatest value in betting on Newcastle against Aston Villa to score more than 2.5 goals.
Newcastle – Statistics & current form
Newcastle United are already four-time English champions. However, that did not save them from playing only in the second-tier Championship in the 2009/10 and 2016/17 seasons.
The Magpies have also spent most of the last four years in a relegation battle and have been stuck in the bottom of the table from the start of the new season. NUFC were consistently below the line between matchday seven and matchday 23. The recent run of success, however, has seen the team break free.
New hope after two wins in a row
Also because the last two league games in a row against Leeds (1-0) and Everton (3-1) were won, the Magpies are back in a non-relegation place for the first time. This upturn in fortunes is closely linked not only to the appointment of coach Eddie Howe in November, but also to the new arrivals over the winter.
From Bruno Guimarães and Chris Wood to Kieran Trippier, Dan Burn and Matt Targett, who could now possibly play against his former club Aston Villa, the north-easterners have made a number of notable additions to their squad and increased their competitiveness in the long term.
Haven’t won a Premier League game against Aston Villa in seven years
Nevertheless, the recent upturn in fortunes cannot hide the fact that the season has got off to a messed-up start. They still have just three wins from 22 completed, which is why the Magpies go into this home game as slight underdogs, despite the fact that two of their three wins have come in their last two league games.
Not only do the visitors from Birmingham finally come with plenty of momentum, but NUFC have been waiting for a win against the Lions in the Premier League since February 2015….
Predicted line-up of Newcastle United:
Dúbravka – Targett – Schär – Lascelles – Trippier – Joelinton – Shelvey – Willock – Saint-Maximin – Fraser – Wood
Last matches played by Newcastle United:
Premier League
02/08 2022 – Newcastle United 3 – 1 Everton
Friendly club matches
01/28 2022 – Al Ittihad 1 – 2 Newcastle United
Premier League
01/22 2022 – Leeds 0 – 1 Newcastle United
01/15 2022 – Newcastle United 1 – 1 Watford
FA Cup
01/08 2022 – Newcastle United 0 – 1 Cambridge U
Aston Villa – Statistics & current form
Aston Villa are admittedly also a storied club with plenty of tradition and an extremely successful history – seven domestic championships are joined by overall victory in the 1982 European Champions Cup.
However, the Lions also spent three years in a row in the second division between 2016 and 2019 before just managing to stay in 17th place after being promoted again. Then, last summer, Dean Smith led Villa to a secure mid-table finish in eleventh place.
Are they looking to the top again?
The Villans remain on course under successor Steven Gerrard. After 22 league games, eight of which have been won, the Birmingham club is once again eleventh in the table.
The current phase in particular will determine whether the club can look upwards towards the European starting places or whether Villa might even slip into the extended relegation zone. To avoid the latter, a three-goal win at the up-and-coming NUFC would be just the right answer.
More attacking punch thanks to Coutinho
The Lions’ winter transfer campaign also suggests that Newcastle’s betting on an away win for Gerrard’s side against Aston Villa is on the cards. With the arrival of Philippe Coutinho, the Birmingham side have received exactly the piece of the jigsaw that has been missing for so long.
The 29-year-old has livened up the already powerful forward play and found himself perfectly at home with two goals and assists in each of his first three games for the Villans. The seven-time national champions thus also remained unbeaten for three games, most recently picking up five points out of a possible nine.
Predicted Aston Villa line-up:
Martínez – Digne – Mings – Chambers – Cash – Ramsey – Luíz – McGinn – Coutinho – Buendía – Watkins
Last matches played by Aston Villa:
Premier League
02/09 2022 – Aston Villa 3 – 3 Leeds
Club Friendlies
02/05 2022 – Aston Villa 3 – 1 Molde
Premier League
01/22 2022 – Everton 0 – 1 Aston Villa
01/15 2022 – Aston Villa 2 – 2 Manchester United
FA Cup
01/10 2022 – Manchester United 1 – 0 Aston Villa
Newcastle – Aston Villa Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 71 – 39 – 58
There have been a total of 168 meetings between the two teams so far and with 71 wins the Magpies lead the direct comparison very clearly. At least recently, Newcastle United had little to gain against Aston Villa. The Lions are unbeaten in seven duels (three wins, four draws).
Newcastle – Aston Villa Tip
With the new momentum gained by both clubs through winter transfers, it is not exactly easy to accurately predict the outcome of Newcastle vs Aston Villa. On the one hand, the recent record, but also the season so far, favours the Lions. On the other hand, however, the Magpies have recently celebrated two wins in a row and experienced an even more significant upswing.
It makes a lot of sense to go for the goals in this interesting match between two traditional clubs. Also in view of the offensive power on both sides, betting on more than 2.5 goals is very popular.
