The 2022-23 English Premier League season goes on Saturday, February 18, with eight games on the schedule, and the action starts at 12:30 PM with an exciting clash between Aston Villa and Arsenal.
Aston Villa – Arsenal Betting Tip, Prediction & Odds (18.2.2023)
After topping the Premier League for most of the season, Arsenal are not in the driving seat anymore. The Gunners head to Villa Park in a dire need of a win, and the Lions are not a chopped leaver, that’s for sure.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal: Initial Situation
Arsenal fell to the second spot in the Premier League following Wednesday’s 3-1 home defeat against Manchester City. The Gunners still have a game in hand on the Citizens, and both teams sit at 51 points with Manchester City boasting a better goal difference. On the other side, Aston Villa occupy the 11th spot with 28 points and a 26:34 goal difference.
Aston Villa Stats & Form
The Lions have dropped two straight games. After a 4-2 home defeat versus Leicester, the Lions lost 3-1 against Manchester City on the road this past Sunday. They’ve been inconsistent at home all season, recording 17 points out of 11 matches (W5, D2, L4) to go with a 17:15 goal difference. The Lions blew a one-goal lead twice against Leicester in their last outing at Villa Park.
Strikers Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings lead the way for Aston Villa with seven goals apiece, and Watkins has found the back of the net in three straight contests. Winger Leon Bailey has five goals and two assists on his season tally, while midfielder Douglas Luiz is the team’s best assist-maker with five dishes in 24 appearances in all competitions.
Arsenal Stats & Form
The Gunners are winless in three consecutive league games. After a 1-0 road loss at Everton and a 1-1 home draw against Brentford, the Gunners suffered a tough home defeat against Manchester City this past Wednesday. In 11 showings on the road this season, Arsenal earned 25 points (W8, D1, L2) and a 20:7 goal difference.
Winger Bukayo Saka and striker Eddie Nketiah lead the charge for Arsenal with nine goals apiece. Saka is also the team’s top assist-maker with eight dishes in 30 appearances in all competitions, while midfielder Martin Odegaard has eight goals and six assists on his account. Striker Gabriel Jesus, who’s accounted for five goals and seven assists so far this season, is sidelined with a knee injury.
Aston Villa – Arsenal: Head-to-Head
Arsenal have won three straight games against Aston Villa. Back in August, the Gunners beat the Lions 2-1 as firm 1.50 home favorites. Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli scored for Arsenal, while Douglas Luiz netted for Aston Villa. The Gunners outshot the Lions 22-4 and kept the ball in possession for 59 percent of the time.
Aston Villa – Arsenal Odds
The Gunners have earned five points more on the road than any other team in the Premier League. Hereof, the bookmakers consider Arsenal as favorites, but they are not sure about the totals. Unibet offers 1.96 odds on Over 2.5 Goals and 1.84 odds on Under 2.5 Goals. Given the importance of this game for the visitors, I’m not expecting a proper high-scoring affair.
As a former Arsenal manager, Unai Emery will motivate his boys to give everything they have in order to upset the odds. On the other side, Mikel Arteta will have a tall task to encourage his team following a loss against Manchester City. Arsenal will look to control the middle of the park, while Aston Villa will try to hurt the Gunners through counter-attacks. The Lions are certainly capable of scoring once, so I’m taking Both Teams to Score YES at 1.90 on Unibet Sportsbook.
Betting tip and prediction: Aston Villa – Arsenal (18.2.2023)