Premier League surprise package Aston Villa returns to league action on Tuesday against a struggling Newcastle United side that has suffered four defeats on the bounce.
Two exciting attacking talents clash at Villa Park on Tuesday, with bookmaker 10bet offering the same odds at 2.375 for Ollie Watkins and Alexander Isak to score anytime.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: January 29th, 6:00 P.M. (EST)
Led by Watkins, Villa has been nearly flawless on home turf all season and should head out full of confidence on Tuesday. Sheffield United is the only team to rob points from Unai Emery’s men at Villa Park.
Five of Watkins’ nine goals, including his only hat trick of the season, have come on home turf. The team has scored goals for fun at Villa Park, and Watkins has played a critical role both as a finisher and a creator. His work in home games includes six assists.
It’s been a wonderful campaign for Villa despite the team starting the campaign off with a shocker against Newcastle. With Isak scoring twice, the Magpies dominated the fixture at home in August in a 5-1 victory. It was Villa’s third straight loss at St James’ Park, but there have been four straight home wins for the side in this match-up.
Isaks has had a superb campaign with 10 goals in 16 Premier League outings, and he also travels to Birmingham in great form. The Swedish ace hasn’t let the team’s struggles bother him and will have a chance to score in a fourth consecutive Premier League game on Tuesday.
Newcastle needs to tighten up at the back to benefit from Isak’s form, but it’s a very difficult task, with Eddie Howe forced to deal with countless injuries. The selection problems have left an ugly dent in Newcastle’s season, as the team has lost six of its last seven Premier League matches.
It’s been even worse for Newcastle in away games, with Howe’s side suffering five consecutive defeats and winning only one of 10 away games in 2023-24. Considering Villa’s home form, it would be a massive shock if Newcastle walked away with anything on Tuesday.
The Villans haven’t lost a home league outing for nearly 12 months. Back-to-back 4-2 defeats in February last year against Leicester and Arsenal sparked a run of 16 wins and one draw at home for Villa, with 33 goals scored and eight clean sheets recorded.