It’s time for the second week of action in England’s top flight and our Aston Villa v Arsenal prediction is our free Premier League betting pick for Saturday, August 24, 2024. Both clubs came out on top in their openers with the Gunners getting a comfortable yet not so impressive 2:0 against Wolves, while the Villans had to work hard to get all three points in London against West Ham as new Colombian striker Duran scored the winner in the 79th minute after Paqueta had levelled from the penalty spot. Interestingly enough, Aston Villa won both games against Arsenal last season, but will they be able to stop the Londoners’ title run again?
Quick Summary Of Last Season
When you want to get the absolute best free Premier League betting pick, you have to examine the context in which both teams go into a match. Our context is last season, and both Villa and Arsenal performed pretty well.
The Gunners finished second the past two seasons, but the last one felt like a drastic improvement as they ended just two points away from champions Man City. This year might be the one when they finally lift the Premier League trophy after a 20-year drought. Meanwhile, Aston Villa will be looking to retain their spot in the top 4 where they finished in 2023/24, but they will have to balance between playing in the Champions League this year and the Premier League with all the cup matches in between.
Led by Arteta, Arsenal Gunning For First EPL Title in 20 Years!
Arteta is a young and passionate manager. His youth is definitely not an issue as he has loads of experience by now, gained from his playing days and his spell as an assistant to none other than Pep Guardiola. If you’ve watched the Amazon’s All or Nothing documentary, you would know about Arteta’s intense character and his innovative approach when delivering his speeches and team talks. In my opinion, Arteta is definitely the man who will take Arsenal back to the big time. In order for that to happen, they will have to bank on their noticeable improvement under the Spaniard’s reign and win a major trophy – whether a European cup, or the Premier League. They won the FA Cup in Arteta’s first season back in 2019, but have not touched a big trophy ever since.
Second place is no longer good enough, and it has never been for a club as big as Arsenal. They have built a great stadium, great young squad with a bright future, and they need to capitalize on those positive facts.
Arsenal have been smart on the transfer market this summer. It’s always difficult to strengthen a squad that’s already good, but it’s really important to not go overboard and create havoc by bringing in new players just for the sake of making headlines. Looking no further than city rivals Chelsea as a perfect example of a what a transfer mess looks like. So kudos to Arteta and his staff for giving their players continuity and making only few additions, but of top quality. Italian defender Ricardo Calafiori was brought in. He had a great season last year helping Bologna get to the Champions League, and backed it up with an excellent display at the Euros. I reckon he will be a perfect fit in Arsenal and will be a massive improvement to their defense.
The latest news is that Arsenal have agreed to bring in Mikel Merino from Real Sociedad, and his style of play is quite similar to Arteta’s, scored the winner to eliminate Germany at the Euros, and I also tip him to be another excellent addition to the Gunners.
Arsenal Out For Revenge Against Villa
As we pointed out, Arsenal lost twice against Aston Villa last season, and they missed out on the title by just two points, so these two defeats made all the difference for them. Mikel Arteta would clearly know that, and that would be a huge motivational factor for him and his players. I’m sure he will send out a clear message that Arsenal must win this game at all costs, and that’s a big key in this free Premier League betting pick and Aston Villa v Arsenal prediction.
Kai Haverts And Saka Looking In Fine Form Already
To me, Kai Havertz has always been a bit of a mystery. He is like a false number nine, has no pace, does not have great control or finishing, and has never passed the 20-goal mark in any of his seasons as a professional footballer. Yet, he has always been on big teams, including being an integral part of Germany’s national side, so he must be good. It’s just that maybe I’m not seeing it.
Looking at his stats, he had just 19 goals in 91 matches in his 3-year spell at Chelsea and had 36 goals in 118 games in his four previous seasons at Bayer Leverkusen. Those aren’t exactly great numbers. However, I can’t deny his work rate and that he sets up goals for his teammates. Havertz looked great in Arsenal’s opener against Wolverhampton and scored a fine header. Arsenal fans would hope he proves me wrong and scores loads of goals this season.
Nevertheless, Arsenal are still missing a true number nine, and looking at their transfer dealings, I don’t think they will be able to solve this problem in the remaining two weeks of this transfer window.
Free Premier League Betting Pick – Havertz To Score
Here is an interesting stat about Kai Havertz concerning this Aston Villa v Arsenal prediction. Since February 17, 2024, no other player in the Premier League has recorded more goals and assists combined (10 goals and 7 assists) than Havertz. Yet, the German has never scored against Villa in all seven games he has played thus far. As we have outlined in our betting almanac, when you want to make the best betting predictions, it’s really important to look for trends and bet on their end. Havertz is currently in great form and has never scored against Aston Villa, so betting on him to get on the scoresheet at Villa Park this Saturday is a smart move. The odds on Havertz to Score at Anytime are around 3.50, while the First Goalscorer market is more lucrative at 7.50.
Aston Villa v Arsenal Prediction And Free Betting Pick
The odds speak in favor of Arsenal to win this match. Bookies are offering 4.33 on Villa to win and 1.75 for the visitors. As I’ve pointed out, Arteta and his men will be super motivated to make amends for last season as perhaps those two defeats against the Villans are what ultimately cost them the title. That’s why my free Aston Villa v Arsenal prediction is for an away win, but it certainly won’t come easy. Aston Villa have undergone a massive improvement under Unai Emery, and they have a great squad full of quality. They are difficult to beat at home, so I’m sure they will get on the scoresheet as will Arsenal.
Goals are to be expected in this game. A bet on Both Teams to Score looks like a banker, although the odds are not too great at about 1.66. A bet on the Over 2.5 market is perhaps the better option as the odds are slightly higher.
If you want to go for a value bet, I’d recommend betting on Arsenal to Win & Both Teams to Score @ 4.33.
