Premier League: Aston Villa to Push the Burnley Panic Button Themselves

Aston Villa vs Burnley

This will be the last tie in the calendar year for these outfits, and both of them want to end the season on a high note for different reasons.

Aston Villa are one of, if not the hottest, teams in the Premier League at the moment. Most were surprised by their grand strides during the past few matchdays, as they climbed up the league standings with such ease and poise. The Lions aim to end the calendar year atop the table with Klopp’s Liverpool, but they need to get past the inspired Clarets, who are keen on staying afloat in the Premier League.

Vincent Kompany’s boys are on thin ice after their defeat against Liverpool on Boxing Day. That loss moves them into a greater threat of relegation due to the lead multiple teams ahead of them are gaining. A win against a steamrolling Aston Villa would be the perfect last hoorah for the year.

Talking Points

Aston Villa’s Incredible December

Where do I start? Unai Emery’s outfit had one of the most grueling December slates in the English top flight. They had to deal with teams like Bournemouth, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Manchester United, as well as juggling teams in the Europa Conference League Group E!

But despite the labouring hurdle this month bestowed on Aston Villa, they hammered and conquered their way into the top spot of Group E and made insurmountable strides in the Premier League table.

Aside from their implosion against Manchester United, Aston Villa’s December has been spotless, gathering points in every contest they participate in across all competitions available to them.

The real test of heart and skill for Emery’s team was their back-to-back marquee matchups against Manchester City and Arsenal, which were only three days apart.

The Lions looked mighty; they looked like the real deal, winning both matches in such a professional and surgical manner. And with a leaner January schedule ahead of them, Villa fans should expect favourable Premier League 2023 results in the upcoming league matches, which could propel them to the summit of the most competitive top flight in the world of football.

Things are looking dim for Burnley

With back-to-back wins for Luton Town, Burnley are now four points behind the Hatters, and they find themselves in deeper waters in the Premier League. An impressive 0-2 clean sheet win over Fulham seemed like the perfect Christmas for Clarets fans, and it put Burnley in a perfect position to turn their season around moving forward. Or so it seemed.

They failed to double down on their win against the Cottagers and immediately fell back to earth after their Boxing Day defeat against league leaders Liverpool, where they failed to stop Darwin Núñez and Diogo Jota from crushing the hearts of their home fans, who left Turf Moor in agony after suffering a 0-2 defeat.

The Clarets would need to find a good rhythm in hopes of avoiding relegation, but with Luton Town, Everton, and Nottingham Forest extending their lead in the standings, things are looking dim in the proud town of Burnley.

History

Historically, Aston Villa have failed to end the year with a bang, failing to secure league wins in their last nine matches when playing their final league game of the calendar year at Villa Park. But luckily for the Lions, they’ve dominated their past head-to-heads against Burnley for almost two decades.

Since 2004, Burnley and Aston Villa have shared the field 14 times prior to their upcoming league match this week. In those 14 games, the Lions have won six, while Burnley were able to win three and tally a draw five times.

In those 14 matches, the mighty Lions have averaged almost two goals per game, tallying a total of 24 goals, while Burnley are right there, staying competitive with 18 goals of their own.

In recent form, Burnley remain one of the teams that are subject to relegation from the Premier League, tallying a total of just 11 points after 19 league matches. And they could be brought down to the lowest rank in the standings if they fail to score points against Aston Villa and if Sheffield United upsets the tepid Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Aston Villa are currently one of the best teams in the Premier League with 39 points, are two points clear of Manchester City, and are just a point behind Arsenal. A win against Burnley can find them tied with Liverpool at the summit with 42 points.

Betting Tip

The Lions boast one of the best offence in the entire Premier League, scoring 40 goals after 19 top-flight matches. They have found the back of the net in all of their matches across all competitions since their humbling 2-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest back in November 5.

Which is why punters should consider the main line of the Premier League 2023 odds for total goals if they’d like to dabble in this contest. Under 3.00 at 1.91 looks enticing, because it really is, but with Villa’s potent offence and Burnley’s struggles defencivley, one can expect this match to hold a lot of Premier League 2023 highlights and a high score line by the fulltime whistle.

Most would say this contest would be a cake walk for the Lions, and it seems like SBOTOP agrees, given that they have Aston Villa as the heavy favourites at 1.32 to win, with Burnley at 7.40 as the underdogs and 4.75 to tie.

The Lions are having a stellar season and are looking to maintain their swagger in the upper echelon of the league. Personally, I think that 1.32 is a bit high, but it still doesn’t hold enough value and excitement to draw punters’ attention. If you’re feeling cheeky, the First Half 1X2 for Villa at 1.89 is a much more exciting line to consider.

 

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