Rob Eddy’s picks for this weekend’s Premier League matches include a goal for a Villa striker and BTTS at Ipswich.
Saturday will see five Premier League matches take place, with games impacting both ends of the table.
Arsenal and Manchester City look for a response in their bid for the title, while the likes of Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace will try to pull further clear of the relegation zone.
We have an accumulator to consider for four of Saturday’s five matches, which could return a 40/1 profit if successful.
Best bets
Aston Villa v Manchester City: Jhon Duran to score
6/4
Ipswich v Newcastle: Both teams to score
13/20
Nottingham Forest double chance v Brentford
8/13
Crystal Palace v Arsenal: Martin Odegaard 2+ shots on target
9/2
In-form Duran a real threat to City
Manchester City lost on their trip to Villa Park last season and they head back to the West Midlands in their worst run of form in the Pep Guardiola era.
It’s just four points from a possible 21 in their last seven league games for the champions, who have now slipped to fifth in the table.
You have to go back to October 20 for the last time City won a Premier League away game – a last-gasp 2-1 success at Wolves.
Although Villa are not at the peak of their powers, they go into Saturday’s lunchtime kick off unbeaten in their last four fixtures at Villa Park.
It’s three goals in three games for Jhon Duran and the Colombian can cause issues for a City backline hit hard by injuries in recent weeks.
Ipswich can build on key win
Last week’s dramatic win at Wolves saw Ipswich move to within two points of climbing out of the relegation zone, ahead of this Saturday’s home clash with Newcastle.
Kieran McKenna’s men are still in search of their first home success, having played the likes of Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United.
Buoyed by last week’s success, the Tractor Boys will feel they can take something from the Magpies, who have won just one of their last six games on the road.
Eddie Howe will be concerned by Newcastle’s away form and needs to plan for this test knowing he will be without Joelinton (suspended) and Nick Pope (injured).
Both teams have scored in six of the last eight Ipswich matches and each of the last four Newcastle fixtures.
Forest continue the push for Europe
After three defeats in four league games between early November and early December, many were questioning whether Nottingham Forest’s impressive start was a flash in the pan.
Nuno Espirito Santos’ men have bounced back though and are now back into the top four, having won three of their last four games.
They next face another tough test as they prepare to take on a Brentford team that has the best home record in the league – with seven wins and one draw so far.
Only one of those wins came against a top-six team though and Forest’s ability to hit teams on the break could see them collect a positive result at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Skipper key to Arsenal hopes
It’s fair to say that Arsenal look a different team now that Martin Odegaard has returned from injury and his midfield magic is needed now to get the Gunners’ title bid back on track.
Draws against Fulham and Everton in the last two games have seen Mikel Arteta’s squad drop to third and they are now six points behind leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand.
They are set to face Crystal Palace at a time when they are on an upward curve and will make life tough for the visitors.
The midweek five-goal EFL Cup tie at the Emirates is unlikely to be a guide as to what will happen on Saturday, with more at stake in this clash.
With Palace likely to defend deep in an attempt to frustrate Arsenal, Odegaard will likely to be tempted to try his luck from range.
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