Premier League: Aston Villa Can Expose Newcastle United Problems at Home

Aston Villa vs Newcastle United

Two of the distant Premier League contenders are set to go head-to-head at Villa Park, as Aston Villa host Newcastle United this Saturday in one of the most exciting games in the first matchday of the 2025-26 campaign.

Aston Villa and Newcastle United had 66 points apiece last term, but it was the latter who secured the fifth and final Champions League berth, and the former had to settle for the Europa League spot. Despite this, the Villans and the Magpies should continue to be forces to be reckoned with in England this year.

Both teams were busy in the preseason and made headlines in the transfer market, and now it has come to this. The Villans have been generally solid at home, so the pregame SBOTOP betting odds back them to beat the Magpies.

 

Talking Points

Aston Villa kept their core intact

Aston Villa have had a quiet offseason, with no marquee signings due to the PSR whispers in the background. They were supposed to sell Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins this summer, but they didn’t get any suitable offers. The Villans also decided against signing Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio to permanent deals, which would’ve strengthened their attack.

This could be a blessing in disguise for Unai Emery because he’ll continue to work with the same people. Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers, and Youri Tielemans should continue to lead the way for Aston Villa. 

The Villans had the ninth-best offence in the league last term, scoring 58 goals, and Watkins accounted for 16 goals to lead the team in scoring. The English striker also had eight assists to boot. Rogers was the team’s second-leading scorer with eight goals and 10 assists, while Tielemans had three goals and seven assists.

However, the Villans will need more from the likes of John McGinn, Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana, Jacob Ramsey, Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash, Pau Torres, Ezri Konsa, and Lucas Digne if they plan on taking that next step this year.

 

Newcastle United’s Isak issue remains unresolved

Newcastle United feel stuck in neutral with their huge striker problem. Top scorer Alexander Isak wants to leave the club, but the Magpies are reluctant to let the Swede go because they have yet to receive a mouthwatering transfer fee for his services (and they cannot afford to have a disgruntled player in their ranks). Eddie Howe’s side also struck out in the Benjamin Sesko sweepstakes, as the former RB Leipzig hitman chose Manchester United.

The Magpies also saw the departures of Sean Longstaff, Lloyd Kelly, Jamal Lewis, Callum Wilson, and Martin Dubravka, which hurts their depth. In return, they loaned Aaron Ramsdale from Southampton and signed Anthony Elanga, Antonio Cordero, and Malick Thiaw.

Howe has to be creative with his lineups. Don’t be surprised if he deploys Anthony Gordon as their No. 9, with Harvey Barnes, Anthony Elanga, Jacob Murphy, and Joelinton behind him. William Osula could also get more playing time.

 

History

Aston Villa and Newcastle United split their last two league meetings, with the latter winning 3-0 at St. James Park last December and the former winning 4-1 at Villa Park last April. The Villans haven’t won consecutive Premier League matches against the Magpies since completing a league double over them in 2004-05. 

Newcastle United have lost five of their last six Premier League games at Villa Park, with their only win being a 3-1 result in January 2024. Saturday marks the second time in the last three seasons that these two teams meet in the opening match of the campaign.

Aston Villa won 2-1 at West Ham in their opening league match last term, and they last won consecutive openers between 2013-14 and 2015-16. On the other hand, Newcastle United have won their opening league match in each of the last three seasons, which is more than they had in the previous 14 campaigns (W2, D4, L8).

 

Betting Tip

As mentioned, the Premier League 2025 odds gave Aston Villa the edge ahead of their matchup against Newcastle United since they’re the hosts. The Villans are at 2.28 to win, while the Magpies aren’t far behind at 2.73, and a draw is at 3.36 in the 1X2 market.

This game is a close call. However, we expect goals and several Premier League 2025 highlights from these two sides this weekend, hence our recommended bet above. Bettors can also add Over 2.75 at 1.80 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 4-1 in favour of Aston Villa – the result of their last league meeting – is a long shot at 44.00 your bet.

   

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