Mikel Arteta takes his wounded Arsenal troops to Villa Park this weekend to face Unai Emery’s Aston Villa in a vital Premier League fixture. The Gunners lost top spot to Manchester City in midweek.
Emery is doing a fine job with the Villans, and the home side could be a tough nut to crack for Arsenal on the weekend. Read our soccer betting preview for the best EPL picks and Aston Villa Arsenal prediction.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Odds
Aston Villa may be on home soil, but the Villans are the second favorites, with the bookmakers to come out on top in this one. Right now, you can get +320 for a home win, while the draw is available at +250.
Due to their excellent form overall, Arsenal are often the favorites in today’s soccer matches, and Saturday’s game is no different. The Arsenal odds for an away win are just -125. Read on for our Aston Villa Arsenal prediction and picks.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Matchup Information
Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Location of the Game: Villa Park, Aston, Birmingham
Date and Time: Saturday, February 18, 2023, 07:30 AM ET
How to Watch: NBC Sports
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Betting Preview
Aston Villa
Villa had a tough start to their 2022-23 Premier League campaign. They were struggling under Steven Gerrard, and the Liverpool legend was sacked after a dismal 3-0 defeat at Fulham in October.
The club wasted little time in their pursuit for a new manager, and the board dived into La Liga to bring former Arsenal boss Emery to Villa Park. Emery inherited a strong Aston Villa roster, and the team are starting to show their true colors under the Spaniard.
Emery has picked up several wins during his short time at Villa Park. Before the 2022 FIFA World Cup break, Villa beat Manchester United 3-1 at home. Emery has also guided the club to league victories over Tottenham Hotspur, Leeds United and Southampton.
Aston Villa will be gunning for a top-half finish in the Premier League this season. Right now, the Midlands club find themselves in 11th spot. They have claimed eight wins, suffered ten defeats, and have drawn four of their 22 league matches.
Villa will be looking to get back to winning ways after back-to-back defeats. After a disappointing 4-2 home loss to Leicester City, they were easily beaten by Man City at the Etihad Stadium in their last one.
Getting the better of Arsenal will not be an easy task, but can Villa take advantage of the Gunners’ recent slump in form and put a big three points on the board in front of their home fans?
Check out our EPL picks and Aston Villa Arsenal prediction below.
Arsenal
Arsenal will still be licking their wounds after Wednesday’s gut-wrenching defeat to title rivals Man City. In a pulsating match at the Emirates Stadium, Pep Guardiola’s boys ran out deserved 3-1 winners thanks to goals from Kevin De Bruyne, Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland.
Since that incredible 3-2 home win over rivals Man United in January, Arsenal have failed to win any of their following four league and cup matches. They lost to Man City in the FA Cup before suffering a 1-0 reverse to Everton in the league. Before the Premier League defeat to City, Arsenal only managed a 1-1 home draw with fellow Londoners Brentford last weekend.
The Gunners had been top for ages, but Wednesday’s defeat saw them slip down to second. They are level on points with Man City, though Arsenal still have that game in hand, which could be vital in the title race run-in.
Apart from the recent blip, Arsenal have been consistent all season, losing just three Premier League games. Arteta’s men have won 16 of 22 and scored 47 goals to boot. Only Newcastle United have conceded fewer than Arsenal’s 21.
The north London outfit have the best away record in the Premier League this season. They have won eight of 11 away matches, scoring 20 and shipping seven. However, they lost 1-0 to struggling Everton at Goodison Park in the last one.
It has been a tough few weeks for Arteta and his Arsenal, but champions strike back when it really matters, and the Londoners will be targeting all three points from their weekend trip to the English Midlands.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Betting Picks
Despite showing a real improvement overall, Aston Villa have struggled to find wins in front of their home supporters under Emery. Since the Man United victory in November, Villa have only managed to beat Leeds at Villa Park.
Arsenal need to bounce back from adversity right away, as Guardiola’s City are capable of pulling away at the top if the Gunners do not keep up with the current champions. Nevertheless, they have been outstanding on their travels this term, and we are backing Arsenal to get a massive three points away from home on Saturday.
Aston Villa will no doubt play their part in an entertaining Premier League affair, so have a punt on the away win and both teams to score at the top soccer betting odds of +300. Also, there is great value in +200 for the Gunners victory and over 2.5 goals.
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