Unai Emery is likely concerned about his side and their lack of results. With a midweek game coming up, bettors could find ways to take advantage.
| Aston Villa in the Premier League | Odds |
|---|---|
| Fulham to beat Villa | 23/10 |
| Villa to score U1.5 goals vs Burnley | 11/10 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
Villa can’t find their groove
Aston Villa are facing serious struggles. They head into their Europa League game against Bologna with just two goals in six across all competitions, and are yet to win. They couldn’t even claim victory against a Sunderland side who had 10 men for an hour at the weekend.
Unai Emery has done a fantastic job since joining the Villans, but their start to this season is worrying. Sure, Jacob Ramsey left over the summer, but he was their only really big outgoing. Therefore, departures can’t be blamed for their current woes.
New signings like Jadon Sancho, Harvey Elliott, Evann Guessand and Victor Lindelof were expected to strengthen the squad, not make it worse. Yet, they’ve lost the xG battle in all five of their league matches, and Emery was frustrated after the Black Cats draw. A team with players like Ollie Watkins, Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen in it shouldn’t be struggling for goals, but that’s exactly where we’re at.
Adding to the instability, Monchi, their president of football operations, opted to leave the club this week. Former Real Sociedad sporting director, Roberto Olabe, has replaced him, but he will have little impact in the immediate term. Villa need to get their act together fast, and the coming weeks could prove pivotal.
The Villans struggle on the goal front
With Bologna, Fulham and Burnley on the horizon, Villa have a genuine opportunity to turn a corner and get their season back on track. If they can win all three, and they have the squad to do so, then their poor start will be somewhat forgotten - but that’s a big “if”.
The Italians have been indifferent this season, but they have at least scored a few goals. The Cottagers, meanwhile, have hit a bit of form and made it three wins from three recently after beating Leeds United, Brentford and Cambridge United. As for Burnley, they’ve got more points than Villa and have scored five times more.
Therefore, none of them will be easy, and there’s a real chance their struggles could continue. All three are at home, which should be an advantage, but Emery’s men are yet to score at Villa Park - and pressure is mounting. There’s value in going against them.
Fulham haven’t won away from home this season yet, but will fancy their chances in the Midlands - especially after scoring five in three games. Marco Silva will sense an opportunity to make it four wins in four.
The Clarets are winless in four, but scored in all but one of them - and that was against Liverpool. For a side that prided themselves on an impeccable defence last year, they’ll be confident of keeping Villa out. Only Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have got past them more than once so far, and you’d expect a misfiring Villa to have problems.