Aston Villa take on the visitors Burnley in the round 20 match of English Premier League. The match will be played on Saturday, December 30th at Villa Park (Birmingham).
Birmingham team is having an excellent season, and everyone experiences unsuccessful matches from time to time. In the last round, Aston Villa lost to Manchester United (2-3), despite leading 2-0 during the match. In the previous round, they surprisingly shared points with Sheffield, even when playing at home. However, in my opinion, it's too early to panic. Mistakes and unsuccessful periods happen to everyone. The gap from the leading Liverpool is only three points. Birmingham should beat Burnley, the visiting team. It's worth noting that before the draw with Sheffield, the Lions won eight out of eight home matches in the Premier League with a goal difference of 25-5. They often outperformed opponents with a margin of more than one goal, beating Fulham (3-1), Luton Town (3-1), and West Ham (4-1).
| 2 x £10 Free Bet | Review | |||
| 100$-500$ for No Lose Free Bets | Review | |||
| 100% up to £200 | Review | |||
| Not available | Review |
Burnley are one of the weakest teams in the Premier League, ranking only below Sheffield United in the table. Vincent Kompany's wards perform even worse than the Blades according to xG. Regarding xG, Aston Villa was better than their opponents both in the lost match at Old Trafford and the game against Sheffield. There is no decline in the performance of the Lions; sometimes, luck is just part of football. Fortune can favor Burnley as well, as seen in a recent away match against Fulham, where they won 2-0 despite being much weaker according to xG: 0.47 against 1.23. However, this is an exception, and in most matches, Burnley often suffers defeats, frequently with a difference of at least two goals. In the last ten rounds alone, they faced several examples: 0-2 against Liverpool, Everton, and Crystal Palace, and 1-3 against Arsenal. I believe that after the upcoming round, Aston Villa will be added to this list. Burnley have already accumulated 14 losses in 19 Premier League rounds.
I think Birmingham, in a home match against one of the worst teams of the current Premier League season, will be able to redeem themselves in front of their fans and confidently take three points without any problems. They should secure a clean sheet at home. The Lions should also organize at least two goals. In the current season, Aston Villa already played against Burnley on the opponent's turf and emerged victorious with a score of 3-1. I bet that the favorite will cover the handicap (-1.5) this time as well. A significant victory for the hosts is not out of the question. Oh, and Burnley's players were indeed unlucky to face the in-form Birmingham team.
Prediction for the match: Aston Villa to win with -1.5 handicap.
