Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Prediction and Betting Odds
Last season's runner-up Arsenal will travel to face fourth-placed Aston Villa, aiming to avenge two defeats from the previous campaign that dashed their hopes of winning the title.
The match is scheduled for Saturday, August 24, and will take place at Villa Park in Birmingham, kicking off at 17:30 BST. Below you can find some betting odds and options for the game.
Who will win: Aston Villa or Arsenal?
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Betting Odds
This summer, Aston Villa spent €176.2 million on transfers—more than any other club in Europe (details can be found in our in-depth analysis). The club is clearly aiming to at least match last season's performance in the Premier League and make a strong showing in the Champions League. However, it’s Arsenal, the runner-up from last season, who had the highest goal tally (91) and the best defensive record (conceding just 29 goals), that arrive as the favorites for this match.
Aston Villa Pre-match Analysis
In the first match of the season, The Villans managed to secure a hard-fought victory against West Ham away from home. However, Jhon Duran is expected to remain on the bench for Villa despite scoring the decisive goal last time out. Meanwhile, Jacob Ramsey and Ian Maatsen will hope that their impactful performances in East London will earn them a spot in the starting lineup. As for injuries, Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara are long-term absentees, with Robin Olsen being under question.
Villa's most expensive acquisition, Amadou Onana, who cost €50 million, has already started to repay that investment by scoring in the match against West Ham. Last season's fourth top scorer and top assistant with 13 assists, Ollie Watkins, is fit and ready.
Villa's preseason was less than impressive, with the team losing three out of their last four matches, with a combined score of 0:5. This isn't surprising, as the team needs time to gel. However, based on their performance in the first round of the Premier League, the trend seems to be positive.
Aston Villa’s last 3 games
|
Date |
Tournament |
Game |
Score |
|
07.08 |
Friendly |
Aston Villa - Athletic |
3:2 |
|
10.08 |
Friendly |
Borussia D.- Aston Villa |
2:0 |
|
17.08 |
Premier League |
West Ham - Aston Villa |
1:2 |
Aston Villa and Arsenal play entertaining and high-scoring football, with an average of 2.00 and 2.39 goals per game respectively last season. In the last six matches involving the Villans, there have been 29 goals scored (an average of 4.83 per game).
Arsenal Pre-match Analysis
Arsenal have just signed Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad. However, he’s unlikely to be in the starting lineup for this game. During the offseason, the team strengthened with the addition of 22-year-old Bologna and Italy national team star Riccardo Calafiori for €45 million. As for injuries, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney are out. However, Fabio Vieira may be fit to return to the squad if he overcomes a hip issue.
All of Arsenal's key players are ready and eager to play. William Saliba, who was among the top five for most passes last season (2,839) and had an excellent UEFA Euro, is fit, as is last season's best goalkeeper David Raya, who kept 16 clean sheets. Of course, the main attacking force, Bukayo Saka is also ready; he already scored, gave an assist, and was named the best player in Arsenal's first match of the season.
By the way, Arsenal comfortably won their first match of the new season against Wolverhampton. In addition to Saka, Kai Havertz also found the net and returned the favor with an assist. The Gunners are currently on a three-match winning streak, with an aggregate score of 8:1.
Arsenal’s last 3 games
|
Date |
Tournament |
Game |
Score |
|
07.08 |
Friendly |
Arsenal - Bayer |
4:1 |
|
11.08 |
Friendly |
Arsenal - Lyon |
2:0 |
|
17.08 |
Premier League |
Arsenal - Wolverhampton |
2:0 |
With Arsenal's xG of 65.27 from open play alone last season, according to Understat.com, and their attacking lineup already finding their rhythm in the new Premier League campaign, it makes sense to consider that Arsenal will score at least 2 goals in this game.
Aston Villa — Arsenal Betting Odds
Unai Emery dealt two consecutive heavy blows to his former team, effectively ending Arsenal's title hopes last season. However, the Gunners still hold the upper hand in head-to-head encounters, and before those two defeats, Arsenal had won four consecutive matches. Remarkably, there hasn’t been a draw between these teams since 2012, spanning 18 games.
That said, this streak could potentially end in this match. Both teams started the tournament with victories and might approach this clash with caution, given that they are direct competitors. The odds for a draw are at
2/1
In Aston Villa's last six home matches, both teams have found the back of the net. You can bet on both teams to score at odds of
7/10
Lastly, a slightly unconventional bet—Kai Havertz has excelled since his move from Chelsea, showing great positioning in the box. He scored his goal against Wolves with a header, and last season, he found the net this way three times. You can bet on him to score from a header with
15/2
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Prediction
Arsenal are favored by all bookmakers and experts, with the factor of playing away from home not being a significant concern. This year, Mikel Arteta’s team has won 8 out of 9 away games, with the exception being a goalless draw against Manchester City. The squad is nearly at full strength, and while Aston Villa excels in attacking football, including the familiar Belgium duo of Tielemans and Onana, many of their recent signings are still finding their rhythm.
Bukayo Saka, Arsenal’s leading star, will be eager to secure his hundredth Premier League victory and join an elite group of players (Wayne Rooney, Cesc Fàbregas, and Phil Foden) who achieved this milestone before the age of 23. However, bookmakers are particularly hopeful for Kai Havertz, who has historically performed well against Villa. You can bet on him to score at Anytime at
19/10
Artificial intelligence also predicts an Arsenal victory. According to 10,000 pre-match simulations conducted by the Opta supercomputer, Arsenal won 51.1% of the scenarios, Villa won 24.7%, and 24.2% of scenarios ended in a draw.
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