Last updated & checked: 10/08/2021
As much as anything, matches are about momentum. And it’s fair to say that, at the time of writing, Aston Villa and Newcastle United feel like they are on upward trajectories. Villa’s fortunes appear to have turned around following a brilliant 5-1 victory over Norwich: it seemed like the newly promoted side had finally arrived.
They followed this up with another impressive 2-1 win against the ever tough Brighton. Although they suffered in a 3-0 loss to Manchester City, their performances against Wolves and Liverpool – especially the latter – were brilliant even in defeat.
Newcastle, on the other hand, seemed to be treading water and suffering from a lack of firepower. That us until they unlocked some killer instinct in victories over West Ham and Bournemouth. With each on an upswing, it will be interesting to see how their improvements stack up against one another.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle United Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Newcastle
This may be a case where the results don’t tell the whole story. Right now, Newcastle are higher in the league than Villa. They come into this match off the back of two hard earned victories, while Villa lost their last three Premier League outings. Despite this, we actually think Aston Villa have outperformed Newcastle, even in defeat. And we think if they were able to look so strong against the likes of Liverpool – especially for a newly promoted team that is motivated by the possibility of relegation – then they will be able to overwhelm the Magpies. With that in mind, our scoreline prediction is 2-1 to Aston Villa.
Our recommended tip: Both teams score
While this may seem like just another match in the season, both sides have a lot to lose from a psychological point of view. Aston Villa need to prove they can get the job done and not just perform well. Another loss could create desperate, sloppy performances in the future. Meanwhile, Newcastle need to prove they can actually carry their momentum for more than a couple of matches. Considering that – and the fact that both teams have scored in the vast majority of their matches – we think a wager on both scoring is a solid prediction, with Unibet offering low-risk 3/4 odds.
Previous matches
There’s a long and storied history between these two sides which dates back over 150 games and began in 1895. Newcastle have the overall statistical advantage by a small amount, but what really matters is their more recent clashes. There’s little doubting it, the Magpies have been extremely dominant in recent years. They won the last match 3-0 and the three games before that ended in a draw. But what’s really significant is that Aston Villa haven’t beaten Newcastle United since 2011. The historical advantage here clearly goes to Newcastle.
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Players to watch: Marvelous Nakamba & Allan Saint-Maximin
Aston Villa: Marvelous Nakamba
Often, people expect our players to watch to simply be who we think is most likely to score. While we do understand that is, of course, a vitally important part of any game, there’s so much more which makes a team. Marvelous Nakamba is the perfect example of that because so often, he is the glue holding Aston Villa together with his tireless performance. His ability to consistently regain possession could very possibly be the turning point Villa needs.
Newcastle United: Allan Saint-Maximin
If there’s one thing that Newcastle United seem to have been missing lately it’s a killer instinct: an ability to close, that last bit of firepower to send them over the line. This is a little ironic, considering they’ve still managed better results than Villa, but it remains true. Allan Saint-Maximin – a recent transfer from Nice – may not be the answer to all their problems, but he could be a clue to unlocking the mystery of a more effective offence.
