A new season of Premier League football hurtles into action this weekend and Villa Park is the scene for the first Saturday lunchtime offering, as Aston Villa welcome Newcastle United.
With more live televised Premier League action than ever before, this season offers unprecedented instant live access to the world’s most talked-about league.
It’s a 12:30 BST start on Saturday in front of the TNT Sports cameras at Villa Park, as two clubs with high aspirations go head-to-head on the opening weekend.
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Aston Villa vs Newcastle betting tips
Fortress Villa Park to stand tall
Home form for Aston Villa remains key. Unai Emery’s side lost only twice in all competitions at Villa Park last season. On league duty, they gathered 40 points at their midlands fortress, a tally bettered only by Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea.
Their Spanish boss has finished no worse than seventh in his time at the club and Emery has very much established his credentials as an astute tactician, following his spell at Arsenal that didn’t go to plan the first time around in England.
Emiliano Martinez is suspended for the hosts but Newcastle’s attacking threats are subdued, with want-away Alexander Isak missing out and Anthony Gordon a major doubt having hobbled out of last weekend’s friendly against Atletico Madrid.
With that level of doubt and the fact Newcastle failed to win any of their final six pre-season games, allied to Villa’s superb record in front of the Holte End, a home win is forecast.
Watkins can lead from the start
Ollie Watkins’ future at Villa Park has often been the source of conjecture but the England forward seems likely to remain in situ.
Emery has to decide whether to hand new striker Evann Guessand a start, but however they line up, Watkins will be eager to make a fast start.
Recent history favours the Englishman, as he has scored in all four home league appearances against Newcastle for a combined tally of five goals.
Watkins has been firing in the goals in pre-season, netting in all four appearances, and he can mark the opening weekend with the first goal.
Corner count to climb
Both league meetings last year went over 11.5 corners. There were 14 split evenly in the corresponding game at Villa Park in April and 15 at St James’ Park on Boxing Day as both sides earned home wins. The previous season, Villa won the corner count in this fixture 8-7.
Both teams like to play attacking football and with the promise that this encounter could be a free-flowing one with plenty of chances, the corner count should rack up and deliver over 11.5 for the fourth successive meeting.
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