Newcastle vs Aston Villa Predictions

• Newcastle picked up 39 points at home last season (W11, D6, L2).
• Villa are winless in their last four competitive away games.
• The Magpies look a stronger team following the arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes.

Ambitious pair clash at St James’ Park

Newcastle entertain Aston Villa in the late Premier League game on Saturday and both sides should be in optimistic mood going into the new season.

The hosts managed to secure a top four finish and Champions League football last term, while Villa have a Europa Conference League qualifier on the horizon as they return to Europe for the first time in over a decade.

Both sides have made some eye-catching signings over the summer and Saturday’s game could well prove to be a crucial fixture in terms of the battle for the European spots.

Home comforts hold key for Newcastle

Newcastle’s success last term was largely due to their exceptional home form, particularly in the first half of the season, as they lost just twice at St James’ Park in the league.

The Magpies have landed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento over the summer and all could make debuts on Saturday. Tonali stands out as an excellent capture and the former Milan midfielder could possibly prove to be the signing of the summer, but boss Eddie Howe could potentially keep the faith with his players from last year for this opener.

Villa have also made some bold moves with Moussa Diaby joining from Bayer Leverkusen and Youri Tielemans arriving on a free from Leicester in an excellent bit of business. However, it could take a bit of time for Villa’s new players to settle in and Newcastle look ready to go again after a strong pre-season.

As such, a win for Newcastle looks the best starting point for our main bet but a competitive game should be expected in the North East.

Villa can keep it interesting

Newcastle won 4-0 in the corresponding fixture last season but are unlikely to win by such a big margin this time around, although goals could well be on the cards.

Howe’s men won three of their final five home fixtures last term and all of those wins produced at least four goals, while Villa have only failed two score in two of their 24 competitive games since the turn of the year.

As such, a 3-1 win for the hosts is the preferred option in the correct score market, possibly with Newcastle grabbing a late effort to kill the game off rather than dominating throughout.

There will be plenty of focus on both sides’ new faces but the standout goalscorer pick already has a proven record for Newcastle. Callum Wilson hit 18 goals in 31 games for Newcastle in the league last season and scored for England over the summer, so back him to open the new season with a goalscoring performance.

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