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Aston Villa vs Tottenham predictions
- Aston Villa to win and BTTS – 12/5 William Hill
- Ollie Watkins first goalscorer – 5/1 BoyleSports
- Cristian Romero to be shown a card – 43/20 Unibet
The battle for fourth place heats up in the Premier League on Sunday when Aston Villa host Tottenham at Villa Park (1pm, Sky Sports Main Event).
Unai Emery’s men hold a five-point lead over Tottenham in the final Champions League spot and are favoured to finish ahead of their rivals in the top four odds, although Spurs do have a game in hand.
Since losing to Manchester United at home, Villa have reeled off three wins on the bounce in the Premier League, including a 3-2 triumph over Luton last time out that was more dramatic than it should have been after storming into a 2-0 lead.
Spurs too had a touch of drama about their most recent win. They trailed Crystal Palace with 13 minutes remaining, but Timo Werner, Cristian Romero and Son Heung-min found the net to secure the victory for the hosts.
Ange Postecoglou’s men have won only one of their last six away games in the Premier League, which will be a cause for concern. Football betting sites have noted their issues as Villa are favourites at odds of 7/5 with Spurs at an underdog price of 13/8.
Villa vs Spurs prediction: Villa to take control of race for fourth
Villa are not entirely out of the Premier League title race and the match between Liverpool and Manchester City could bring the Midlands outfit back into the picture. After a wobble over Christmas and January, Villa have found their form once more to string together three wins on the bounce.
However, the manner of their last two wins will have Emery fearing over his side’s complacency. They held 3-0 and 2-0 leads against Nottingham Forest and Luton respectively.
They allowed Forest to close within a goal before putting the game away, but the Hatters levelled the scores before Lucas Digne scored a late winner.
Finding a clinical edge could be crucial against a Spurs side that have shown powers of recovery, coming from behind in their last three Premier League wins.
However, Postecoglou’s men have struggled on the road, only beating Nottingham Forest since October. Villa have a potential weakness to exploit, even if Villa Park is not quite the fortress it was before suffering a three-game losing streak.
On paper it seems to be an even match-up and two sides will fancy their chances of securing the three points. Both teams have scored in the last five Premier League games at Villa Park, totalling 18 goals.
Villa’s home record gives them the edge, but Spurs could cause more than a few issues.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Tip 1: Aston Villa to win and BTTS – 12/5 William Hill
Watkins on the goal trail
Ollie Watkins has been in outstanding form throughout the campaign, but has taken his game to the next level in the last three league games.
The 28-year-old has scored five in his last three, notching vital goals to deliver the victories over Fulham, Forest and Luton. Without his efforts, Villa would certainly not be challenging for a place in the Champions League next season.
Watkins alone has kept them ahead of Spurs in the hunt for fourth place and will be the dangerman for the visitors, having already scored against them earlier in the campaign in Villa’s 2-1 triumph at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Spurs have had a tough time keeping goals out, especially on their travels. They’ve kept one clean sheet in their last seven, and have conceded two or more in five of those games. There will be opportunities for Watkins to capitalise in the final third against a leaky Tottenham defence.
Betting sites offer an 11/8 price for Watkins to score any time, but the forward has scored the opening goal in his last three league games. We like the 5/1 odds with BoyleSports for Watkins to strike first again on Sunday.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Tip 2: Ollie Watkins first goalscorer – 5/1 BoyleSports
Villa vs Tottenham tip: Romero to end his drought
Romero has done well to clean up his disciplinary record under Postecoglou in his third season at Tottenham.
The Argentine collected nine cautions and a red card in the last campaign, and although he has been dismissed once this term, his yellow card count has declined to only four bookings in 21 appearances.
He’s gone eight Premier League matches without picking up a yellow card and has only committed four fouls during that period.
But, he will be facing Watkins at the peak of his powers, while Villa have plenty of runners in their ranks that will cause the Tottenham backline problems.
It seems only a matter of time before Romero strays again. Referee Chris Kavanagh could be the one to break the streak, dishing out 63 yellow cards in his previous 14 Premier League assignments this season. We’re backing Romero to be carded at Villa Park at 43/20 with Unibet.
Aston Villa vs Tottenham Tip 3: Cristian Romero to be shown a card – 43/20 Unibet
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Last Updated: 14th March 2024, 07:22 AM
