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The opening round of fixtures from the 2025/26 Premier League season is spread across four days, taking followers from Friday at Anfield to Monday at Elland Road. You'll find precise stats, accurate trends, and professional betting tips on every match at Flashscore. The website and app have what you need to beat the bookies.
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On this page, our experienced football betting writer Frank Monkhouse focuses on the match from Villa Park in Birmingham, where Aston Villa bring the curtain up with a home match against Newcastle United. These sides ended level on 66 points last season, with the Magpies finishing fifth, one place higher than the Villans, thanks to a superior goal difference.
The form suggests another competitive 90 minutes lies ahead, but which team will leave with three early Premier League points? The most popular sportsbooks offer a wealth of eye-catching betting markets, generous odds, and standout promotions, including price boosts.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle tips
Over 2.5 goals @ 8/13 (bet365)
Both teams to score @ 1/2 (bet365)
Aston Villa win and both score @ 11/4 (bet365)
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at the time of publication and subject to change.
Rivals to serve up another thriller
Unai Emery's Aston Villa narrowly missed out on a return to the UEFA Champions League when posting a sixth-place finish last season. But it wasn't down to a lack of effort, with the Villans carding 19 wins, nine draws, and 10 defeats, scoring 58 goals and conceding 51. On closer inspection, we see Villa finished as the joint-lowest scorers in the top half of the table, netting six fewer than Tottenham, who finished one spot above the relegation zone. The team must be more ruthless in attacking areas.
Despite being shot-shy, Aston Villa conceded 51 goals, which was the most in the top seven of the EPL, the same number of goals against as Crystal Palace, down in 12th. It feels strange to write it after a top-six finish, but Villa must improve in almost every department if they wish to return to Champions League football next season. Fans will pack Villa Park expecting to see their favourites lay down a marker for the term.
Their goals for and against stats do little to inspire confidence when researching this match, but the head-to-head at Flashscore shows Aston Villa often reserve their best performances for matches against Newcastle. The pair shared eight goals in two games last season, and 25 across the previous three terms. More of the same gets our vote.
Tip: Over 2.5 goals @ 8/13 (bet365)
Bet explanation: You need this match to produce three or more goals for both teams combined.
Magpies are always dangerous
Newcastle fans patiently wait to see how their attack will shape up for this season. The Magpies have become a victim of their success, with a fifth-placed finish and slot in this season's Champions League catching the eye. Fans celebrated that team's achievements, but those remarkable performances didn't go unnoticed, and the big names are now showing an interest in Newcastle's best players. They must replace those sold and hope the recruits hit the ground running ahead of an important year.
Newcastle collected 66 points in the 2024/25 season, scoring 68 goals - ten more than their hosts - and conceding 47, four goals fewer than Villa. Interestingly, Eddie Howe's side beat Aston Villa 3-0 at St James' Park on Boxing Day 2024, thanks to strikes from Anthony Gordon inside two minutes, Alexander Isak on the hour mark, and Joelinton with 90 minutes on the clock. It was an impressive performance, but they then lost 4-1 here in April.
Keeping the goals in mind, our second pick at Villa Park is for both teams to score at least one goal each, and that approach will earn you a crack at odds of 1/2, which is ideal for your weekend accumulators. Will it win? The H2H stats show it was the smart bet in three of the last four, with 18 goals scored during that period.
Tip: Both teams to score @ 1/2 (bet365)
Bet explanation: Both Aston Villa and Newcastle must score at least one goal each.
Hosts to edge a goalfest
My third and final bet at Villa Park on the first of five Premier League games played on Saturday sees us combine two picks in a double. Aiming for higher odds, we play Aston Villa and both teams to score, which will work a treat in your accas, but the odds are good enough to play as a single, limiting the risk to your stake.
A bet on both teams to score in an Aston Villa win landed when the home team beat Newcastle 4-1 at this venue back in the Spring. Both teams are capable of winning this match and will fancy their chances of getting the three points, ensuring an open game. But fitness levels will be low, and the squads are still a few weeks away from match sharpness. That means we'll see plenty of attacking flair, but there will also be individual errors.
The odds on Aston Villa securing a quick-fire double over Newcastle, building on that impressive 4-1 vs Newcastle in April, are fair. The price allows you to keep your stakes small and play for an interest, hoping the match delivers.
Tip: Aston Villa win and both score @ 11/4 (bet365)
Bet explanation: If Aston Villa wins but Newcastle scores one or more goals, your bet pays.
Aston Villa vs Newcastle odds
Aston Villa win @ 5/4 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.
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The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change.