David Flower
Dailysports's expert
Bournemouth
Aston Villa
The Matchday 36 showdown of the English Premier League will take place this Saturday at Vitality Stadium, where local side Bournemouth will host Aston Villa. I’m backing a bet on goals in this clash, with strong prospects for success.
Match preview
Previously, Bournemouth pulled off a shock by defeating Arsenal away, who were preparing for their Champions League second leg (2-1). Andoni Iraola’s men are showing solid form, remaining unbeaten in the Premier League for five straight matches: they’ve claimed two wins and three draws in that span.
However, despite this promising run, the club is still far from the European spots, trailing by seven points. In their last ten league fixtures, Bournemouth have managed just two victories, alongside four draws and four defeats.
Birmingham’s Aston Villa continue their determined push for the Champions League zone, sitting just two points off the coveted places. In the previous round, they bounced back from an away defeat to Manchester City (1-2) by edging Fulham 1-0 at home. That narrow win kept them in the hunt for a Champions League ticket.
It’s worth highlighting Unai Emery’s side’s impressive form: they’ve won six of their last seven league matches, delivering a strong finish to the season.
Probable lineups
- Bournemouth: Kepa Arrizabalaga – Julián Araujo, Illia Zabarnyi, Milos Kerkez, Dean Donny Huijsen – Lewis Cook, Tyler Adams – Justin Kluivert, Dango Ouattara, Marcus Tavernier – Evanilson
- Aston Villa: Emiliano Martínez – Ian Maatsen, Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres – Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara, John McGinn – Marco Asensio, Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers
Match facts and head-to-head
- The first round fixture ended 1-1 at Villa Park
- The “Both teams to score” bet has landed in the last three meetings
- The “Over 2.5 goals” bet has come through in three out of five encounters
Prediction
Bookmakers are cautious about the chances of both sides in this one, offering nearly even odds. We believe the best value lies in backing “Over 2.5 goals” at 1.67.
