Aston Villa vs. Liverpool: EPL Betting Preview

The meaningful action this weekend takes place at the foot of the Premier League table but the best bet comes at Villa Park where Liverpool are opposed at the prices.

With five teams looking to avoid the drop entering the final day, West Ham have already succumbed, it is sure to be a nail-biting afternoon for all fans of those clubs involved in the relegation scrap but my attention will be elsewhere and I take Aston Villa to finish the season with a flourish.

A month ago Villa themselves looked likely to be embroiled in a battle to avoid demotion to the second tier of English football but a decent run of form, coinciding with Gerard Houllier’s ill health, has seen them clamber clear and a top half finish is still a possibility. The West Midlands club have amassed an impressive 11 points from their previous six Premier League fixtures and they could finish as high as ninth were results to go their way.

That looks unlikely, but Villa played well at The Emirates last Sunday when fully deserving all three points in a 2-1 win and they should add to their tally against the Anfield side.

Liverpool’s season started in near disastrous fashion under old manager Roy Hodgson and their turn around in fortunes has been quite remarkable. Kenny Dalglish, the man who replaced Hodgson, has rightly been rewarded with a permanent contract but he saw his team beaten 2-0 by Tottenham last weekend and European qualification is now out of their hands.

Despite Liverpool’s terrific record at Villa park, they have not lost to Sunday’s opponents on their travels for over a decade, the Reds do look on the short side at around the 2.30 mark to end the campaign in style with a victory and they’ve won just five times on the road this season.

Villa, beaten just four times at home, have an excellent defensive record in front of their own fans and, despite Liverpool’s recent glut of goals, this looks like being a low-scoring affair.

That will do nicely and we should ensure a final day profit by laying the away team.

2pts Lay Liverpool (vs. Aston Villa) @ 2.35 (Betfair)