Football
English Premier League: Aston Villa vs Southampton Preview: Odds, Tips and Predictions
Aston Villa will host Southampton at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, 7 December. Villa recently lost 3-0 to Chelsea and need to get back in the race for Europe, while Southampton will be desperate to make up ground in the relegation battle. It will be Saints’ first visit to Villa in the Premier League since the team from the south coast of England was promoted again this year. There are betting opportunities for Premier League fans.
Southampton FC v Aston Villa - Premier League//Getty Images
Pre-game Odds and Win probability: Bookies Predict a Villa Win
Home: 43/100 (1.43) - 70%
Draw: 4/1 (5.00) - 20%
Away: 28/5 (6.60) - 15%
Head-To-Head Record
Last five meetings (Premier League):
21/01/23: Southampton 0-1 Aston Villa
16/09/22: Aston Villa 1-0 Southampton
05/03/22: Aston Villa 4-0 Southampton
05/11/21: Southampton 1-0 Aston Villa
30/01/21: Southampton 0-1 Aston Villa
The last player to score for Southampton against Aston Villa, Adam Armstrong, is still playing for the Saints over three years, one relegation and one promotion later.
Aston Villa Current Form - DLLDL
Villa have had a tricky run of Premier League fixtures made even more difficult by their simultaneous involvement in the UEFA Champions League.
Their winless streak began on 26 October with a 1-1 draw to Bournemouth. Tottenham then hammered Unai Emery’s men 4-1 after they had also lost in the Carabao Cup round of 16 to Crystal Palace.
After another defeat to Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, Villa suffered a fourth in a row in all competitions as they went down 2-0 to league leaders Liverpool in the league.
Subsequently, Villa drew 2-2 to Crystal Palace in the Premier League and 0-0 to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League before their 3-0 loss to Chelsea.
Key Players to Watch
- Ollie Watkins: The former Brentford frontman remains one of the most clinical strikers in the Premier League on his day. He has six Premier League goals and two assists this season.
- Amadou Onana: The Belgium international is likely to be back to full fitness for this game and can give Villa a lift with his strong presence in midfield.
- Lucas Digne: One of the most talented and experienced left-backs in the Premier League, Digne offers plenty at both ends of the park.
Ollie Watkins of Aston Villa//Getty Images
Aston Villa Team News
Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez went off at half-time with a hand injury and was replaced by Robin Olsen. His return date is unclear. Amadou Onana and Jacob Ramsey could be back in the side by the time this game kicks off, with Onana seemingly closest to full fitness at present.
Southampton Current Form - LWLLD
Southampton have had an abysmal season, but their recent form has not been as terrible as it had been in the first few weeks of the season.
After losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the Premier League on 26 October, Saints beat Stoke City 3-2 in the Carabao Cup. Subsequently, the bottom club in the Premier League got their first win of the season with a 1-0 home triumph over Everton. The winner was scored by Adam Armstrong.
Southampton subsequently lost 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers away and 3-2 to Liverpool at home.
Although their form on the road this season has been poor, they did subsequently manage to draw 1-1 with Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.
Key Players to Watch
- Adam Armstrong: Armstrong scored 21 goals for Southampton in the EFL Championship en route to promotion last season. He is always one to watch as a goal threat.
- Cameron Archer: Archer thought he had given Southampton the lead against Brighton. The goal was disallowed due to a controversial offside call against fellow Saints attacker Armstrong in the build-up. Archer will be eager to score in this game.
- Kyle Walker-Peters: Walker-Peters is entering what should be the prime years of his career and adds experience and quality to the defence.
Southampton Team News
Southampton have issues in the goalkeeping department due largely to Aaron Ramsdale’s injury absence. Jan Bednarek, Will Smallbone and Adam Lallana are other players who have been on the sidelines with injury of late. There may be some positive news in time for this fixture at Villa Park, but that remains to be seen.
Predicted Line-Up
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; Bailey, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
Southampton (5-4-1): Lumley; Sugawara, Harwood-Bells, Stephens, Walker-Peters, Manning; Dibling, Downes, Fernandes, Armstrong; Archer
Suggested Bets
For those who are interested in betting on football, there are some bets on offer for this fixture with popular sportsbooks.
Aston Villa to Win: Villa have a tough run of fixtures behind them but on home soil against the bottom side in the league, they are likely to fare better. (43/100 with Betway) (2/5 with Bet365)
Ollie Watkins Anytime Goalscorer: Still one of the most reliable goalscorers in the Premier League, Watkins has been getting into good positions and is sure to find the back of the net soon. (19/20 with 1Win)
Under 3.5 Goals: Villa scored 19 goals in their first 13 Premier League games of the season while Southampton scored only 10. (13/20 with Betway) (33/50 with Bet365)
Value Bets
Aston Villa -1 Handicap: A statement win at home is possible for Unai Emery’s men, who will be hungry for a big performance. (103/100 with Betway) (23/20 with Bet365)
Ollie Watkins First Goalscorer: He almost got an early goal against Chelsea after beating Wesley Fofana to the ball but was denied by Robert Sanchez. Watkins will be eager to cause problems for the Saints' defence from the first whistle. (10/3 with Betway and Bet365)
Correct score: Aston Villa 2-0 Southampton: There is tremendous value in this scoreline, which would be on par with how the teams have fared so far this season. (37/5 with Betway and Bet365)
Prediction: Villa Return to Winning Ways
Villa have had poor results recently, but they have faced giants Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus and Chelsea all since 3 November. Against bottom-of-the-table Southampton at home, Unai Emery’s men should fare better. At the time of writing, Ollie Watkins has missed the most big chances in the Premier League this season (13). While this may be considered a negative point for Villa, it also shows he is getting in the right positions to score but not quite converting, as was evident against Chelsea. Against a weaker side, he is more likely to come right and get his confidence back up.
Leonard Solms is a freelance journalist who has been covering local and international sport from South Africa since 2015. Best known for his work for ESPN, he has also written for Al Jazeera, The Continent, New Frame, Planet Rugby and GiveMeSport among several other publications.