Newcastle endured a torrid journey south to the Etihad, where they lost 5-0 in a demoralising defeat to current champions Man City last weekend. Manager John Carver will have a difficult week trying to elevate the mood of his squad and prepare them for an important home game against struggling Aston Villa.
Although Aston Villa are currently struggling, they do have a new manager in Tim Sherwood. Compared to former manager Paul Lambert, Tim Sherwood is more committed to playing attractive football. That is exactly what is required for Villa, who have the league’s worst attacking record, netting just 13 times in 26 games.
Expectations
Newcastle have to be the side with the lower morale, so it is vital that the players pull themselves together and find some belief. A 5-0 defeat could easily trigger a dismal run of results between now and the end of the season. At present, Newcastle are eight points from the safe mark of 40 points and have 12 games remaining.
Aston Villa were incredibly unlucky to concede a 92nd minute strike from Victor Moses last Saturday and succumb to a 2-1 home defeat against Stoke City. Villa had just influential captain Ron Vlaar from their defence, which made them more susceptible to a late goal from the Potters. And before losing to Stoke, they managed to find belief with a 2-1 win over Leicester in the FA Cup Fifth Round.
There’s an opportunity here for Aston Vila to come in and put pressure on Newcastle, but that will be tough for the Villains. Against Stoke, they could only muster two attempts on goal. However, Newcastle are currently less imposing in defence than Stoke. As for the Magpies attacking prospects, there would be more hope if striker Papiss Cissé could remain fit for the rest of the season.
Match Tips
Tip one: Aston Villa double chance, best odds 1.91 @ Ladbrokes
Tip two: Under 2.5 goals best odds best odds 1.67 @ 188bet
This is a match with a potentially uncertain outcome, so backing Aston Villa on double chance makes sense, as there could be struggles ahead for Newcastle. A tense game could lead to under 2.5 goals being scored.
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