Villa were the joint-lowest scorers in the top half last term, and following some major departures, those issues seem likely to continue.
| Aston Villa struggling for goals | Odds |
|---|---|
| Villa vs Crystal Palace - Under 1.5 total goals | 11/4 |
| Villa vs Crystal Palace - BTTS - No | 19/20 |
| Villa to score under 0.5 vs Everton | 12/5 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
PSR woes spilling onto the pitch
The Unai Emery era at Villa Park has been the club’s most successful period in years. However, the Villans haven’t looked this toothless in the final third since Steven Gerrard’s short reign.
Their attacking threat was already waning last season. With Moussa Diaby gone, and Leon Bailey’s 2023/24 form fading, Emery’s side lacked genuine width.
January loan signings of Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio offered short-term relief. However, it’s clear they are very much back, at least based on their opening two Premier League fixtures this term.
The Birmingham club have been severely restricted by both PSR and UEFA’s spending limits this summer. After missing out on the top five, it was tough for Villa to finance deals to sign either Rashford or Asensio permanently. They’ve also been forced to let go of homegrown talent Jacob Ramsey, while Bailey has joined Roma on loan.
To date, the only attacking addition has been Evann Guessand, signed from Nice. However, the Ivorian didn’t make it onto the pitch until the 75th minute of Matchday 2 against Brentford. The Claret and Blues had already laboured through a drab 0-0 home draw against Newcastle by that point, registering only three shots on goal.
They had 76% of the possession in West London last time out, but hit the target with only two of their 17 attempts in a 1-0 defeat.
Will Villa continue to misfire?
A frustrating summer trying to balance the books certainly appears to have taken its toll at Villa Park. Director of Football Operations Damian Vidagany has voiced his frustrations, the fans are singing about it, and the negativity seems to have crept onto the pitch.
While they are still hopeful of adding fresh attacking options before the transfer window shuts, Villa’s struggles may continue in the short term.
Sunday’s home clash with bogey team Crystal Palace is the last thing they need right now. The Eagles took four points off Emery’s men last term, and sent them packing from both domestic cup competitions.
Villa have found Oliver Glasner’s back three tough to break down, largely due to their inability to launch quick, direct attacks on the flanks.
With Eberechi Eze no longer in the Palace side, and with centre-back Ezri Konsa back from suspension for the hosts, this should be a tight affair.
The implied probability of under 1.5 goals is 26.7%. However, with only one goal scored in Villa’s opening two games, bettors have reason to believe the true chances are higher than that.
Next up is a trip to Everton, who won 2-0 in their first match at their new stadium.
With the Toffees strong defensively under David Moyes, this will not be an easy fixture. Given their current attacking problems, there could be real value in backing Villa not to score.