ASTON VILLA will be looking to record what would be just their second Premier League victory of the season when they face Southampton at Villa Park on Friday night.
Steven Gerrard's side have endured a shaky start to the campaign, having pocketed just four points from a possible 18 thus far, a return that sees them hovering above the relegation zone.
Having said that, Villa showed an abundance of fighting spirit to restrict reigning champions Manchester City to a 1-1 draw at this venue a fortnight ago.
Gerrard will be hoping that stalemate will act as a springboard for further improvement ahead of Southampton's visit on Friday night.
The Saints have struggled for consistency this term to date, with two wins, a draw and three losses to show for their efforts so far.
Last time out, Ralph Hasenhüttl's charges fell to a 1-0 loss at Wolves, a setback that has left the south coast outfit occupying 12th place in the table.
Outright Betting
Despite failing to win nine of their last 10 Premier League games, Aston Villa enter this Friday night fixture as 11/10 (SBK) favourites.
Southampton have triumphed in just one of their last 10 top-flight road trips term and the bookies' odds suggest those away day blues could be set to continue, with a Saints success trading at 14/5 (SBK) while the stalemate pays 13/5 (SBK) with the same firm.
Betting Angles
There isn't a huge amount of appeal in the 1×2 market here but siding with Over 3.5 Asian Cards looks like a nice alternative angle of attack at 19/20 with Bet 365.
Aston Villa have been consistent card collectors under Steven Gerrard's watch, with the West Midlander's averaging 2.5 yellows per-game in the Premier League this season so far.
What's more, the Villians were earning 2.11 cautions per 90 minutes across the 2021-22 campaign – a tally only topped by two other teams in the top-flight.
While Southampton have generally been a well-disciplined team under Ralph Hasenhüttl's tutorship, they have been averaging well over 1.5 bookings per-game in recent seasons, not to mention four of their six league games this term have broken the Over 3,5 barrier.
It's also worth noting that referee Tony Harrington has flashed exactly four cards in two of his last three assignments, one of which involved Southampton.
With this in mind, siding with Over 3.5 Asian Cards at 19/20 (Bet 365) makes appeal in what should be a closely-fought contest under the Villa Park lights on Friday night.
Given that neither defence is rock-solid and each side carries an attacking threat, I'll also back both teams to score at 4/5 with SBK.
BTTS has been a winning bet in eight of the pair's 12 collective Premier League games this season so far, a sample that includes two of Villa's home games, and two of the Saints' road trips.
This English Premier League match between Aston Villa and Southampton will be played on Sep 16, 2022 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Aston Villa vs Southampton prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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