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Round 15 of an exciting English Premier League season begins at Villa Park, where Aston Villa meet Arsenal in Saturday’s early afternoon kick-off. Both teams were in action in midweek, with Villa in East Sussex, while Arsenal hosted Brentford in a gruelling London derby. The team that handles the hectic schedule best is the one that should take the points.
A strong run in November saw Aston Villa win five games on the bounce in the Premier League and the Europa League. That purple patch includes eye-catching league wins over Bournemouth, Leeds United, and Wolves. Arsenal also enjoyed a fantastic November, beating Burnley and Tottenham to finish the month on top of the Premier League.
Will Aston Villa make home advantage count to bank all three points, bolster their chances of finishing in the Champions League places, and hurt their opponent’s title charge? Perhaps you fancy Arsenal to win and take a step closer to the trophy? Football writer Frank Monkhouse uses data from Flashscore, including H2H stats, to find his bets.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal tips
Both teams to score @ 19/20 (bet365)
Arsenal or draw @ 2/9 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Both to score again
We expect to see plenty of goals scored at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon, and our first wager is on both Aston Villa and Arsenal to find the net. When taking this approach and backing both teams to score, the winning side, the first scorer, and the margin of victory aren’t important. A 2-1 home win pays you the same as a 4-4 draw. All you need are goals.
Backers take plenty of encouragement from Villa and the Gunners’ form last month. In November, Aston Villa played six times in the Premier League and Europa League. In those half-dozen matches, Unai Emery’s team scored no fewer than 11 goals. That run includes a 2-1 win over Leeds United at Elland Road and a 2-1 win over Young Boys at this stadium.
Need a little more convincing before parting with your hard-earned cash? We turn our attention to Arsenal’s form in the same period. Mikel Arteta’s ambitious lot protected pole position in the EPL with a 2-0 win over Burnley, a 2-2 draw at Sunderland, a 4-1 victory in the North London derby, and a two-goal draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge last Sunday.
Tip: Both teams to score @ 19/20 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Both the home and away team must score at least one goal each to secure a winning bet.
Gunners’ title charge to continue
We’re picking sides for our second bet, taking Arsenal or draw in the double chance market. This bet has served us well recently. It’s simple to understand and easy to follow. When backing Arsenal on the double chance, your bet is on both the away win and the draw. You have both outcomes covered, giving you a two-in-three chance of making a profit.
Flicking through past results in the updated head-to-head stats on the Flashscore app makes for interesting reading. A bet on Arsenal or draw would’ve boosted your balance in both meetings of these teams last season. Arsenal left with a 2-0 win and all three points when last in Birmingham, before they were held to a 2-2 draw at the Emirates in January.
Digging deeper, we see Aston Villa have won only two of their previous eight meetings with Saturday’s guests. In the same eight-game period, Arsenal boast five wins, with one ending in a draw. Focusing on games played at Villa Park, the Gunners have won three of their last five visits, scoring a combined seven goals and conceding four. Stick with the EPL leaders.
Tip: Arsenal or draw @ 2/9 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Anything but a home win for Aston Villa is a great result for followers.
Go over in the cards market
Our third and final bet at Villa Park comes from the specials. We’re backing Aston Villa vs Arsenal to produce at least five cards. It’s a gamble, of course, but we have good reason to be confident when placing our stake, with the stats suggesting we’re on the right track. Here, it doesn’t matter who wins or gets booked. If the ref shows five or more cards, you win.
You’ll find over 4.5 in the total cards market on the bet365 app. Neither team is particularly dirty, and I don’t expect a bad-tempered afternoon, but it will be competitive. We’re banking on passions running high and the referee reminding the players who is in charge. Will the man in the middle be card happy and make headlines? It would certainly do us a favour.
Aston Villa and Arsenal last went toe-to-toe in January 2025 in that entertaining 2-2 draw. Referee Chris Kavanagh brandished five bookings that day. He added Trossard, Sterling, Maatsen, Rogers, and Kamara to his notepad. In the game before that, the booking stats showed Villa received one yellow, and Arsenal got three, despite the Gunners winning 2-0.
Tip: Over 4.5 cards @ 6/5 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Your bet wins, and you earn a profit if the referee for Saturday’s game makes five or more bookings.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal odds
Aston Villa win @ 31/10 (bet365)
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.