Aston Villa 2022-23 Premier League Preview
Top half for the Villans?
Bookmaker Paddy Power
Aston Villa Top-six Odds: 5/1 odds taken 1507 GMT, Thursday 23 June
Steven Gerrard did a decent job at Aston Villa after arriving from Rangers midway through the 2021-22 Premier League season. With the former Liverpool captain having a full pre-season with his players, the Villans will be looking to better last term’s 14th-place finish.
The Midlands outfit are one of a number of Premier League clubs with European aspirations. As he showed back in January, Gerrard can attract top-quality players to Villa Park, and Villa are more than capable of putting the cat among the pigeons in the race for the top seven this season.
We look back on the 2021-22 season, and what needs to improve if Gerrard’s boys if they are to gate-crash the European party this term. Who is on Aston Villa’s radar? Where will the Midlands club finish this season? Read on for the latest Aston Villa betting odds and best tips in our in-depth preview.
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Table of Contents
- 1 2021-22 Review: Villa survive comfortably in the end
- 2 Villa Transfer News: Who will arrive at Villa Park?
- 3 2022-23 Key Fixtures: Villans start at Bournemouth
- 4 Who Are Aston Villa’s Biggest Challengers: Can Villa break into Europe?
- 5 Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Conte to build on last season?
- 6 Arsenal Preview: Gunners to break into top four?
- 7 West Ham United Preview: Europe again for the Hammers?
- 8 Leicester City Preview: Foxes to have a better season?
- 9 Newcastle United Preview: Magpies to secure top-six finish?
- 10 Players to Watch Out For in the 2022-23 Season: Coutinho to shine for Gerrard?
- 11 Our Aston Villa Predictions: Villa to finish in the top half
2021-22 Review: Villa survive comfortably in the end
Aston Villa made a decent start to the 2021-22 season with Dean Smith in the dugout, winning three of their opening six, including a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford in September. However, the win at Manchester United proved to be Smith’s last three points as Villa manager, as a run of five straight losses cost him his job.
Gerrard was appointed new boss, and the ex-England international hit the ground running, winning his opening two matches. After six fixtures, Gerrard had an excellent record of four wins and two defeats, which steered the Midlands club well away from trouble.
Villa had a mixed bag of results in the latter months of the season, though they really impressed with three wins on the bounce from late February to the middle of March. During that purple patch, they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0, Southampton 4-0, and Leeds United 3-0. However, they picked up just one point from their next five games.
Villa were involved in one of the Premier League’s most extraordinary matches on the final day. They almost stopped Man City from winning the title, as Gerrard’s former club Liverpool were ready to pounce. However, the Villans squandered a 2-0 lead at the Etihad Stadium, with three City goals in five crazy minutes securing the title for Pep Guardiola’s troops.
In the end, Villa finished in 14th position with 45 points to their name after 13 wins, six draws and 19 defeats. They were ten points clear of the final relegation place, which went to Burnley.
Aston Villa Key Facts
- Aston Villa finished 14th last season
- Villa lost 3-2 at Man City in a dramatic final day of the 2021-22 season
- The Villans picked up just two wins from their final 11 games last term
- Villa have been English champions seven times
Villa Transfer News: Who will arrive at Villa Park?
Matt Targett has completed his move to big-spending Newcastle United, while Villa have landed defender Diego Carlos from Sevilla. Philippe Coutinho, who impressed at Villa Park last term, has also arrived permanently from Barcelona, while Boubacar Kamara has joined from Marseille.
Speaking to Sky back in May, Gerrard said; “I think we are further ahead here than we were at Rangers. But it does take time, it takes windows, it is a patient process. It is not just going to change overnight. But I think we have got the ingredients here to become a really strong team in this league.”
2022-23 Key Fixtures: Villans start at Bournemouth
Aston Villa kick off their 2022-23 Premier League campaign with a trip to the Vitality Stadium to face newly promoted Bournemouth. The Cherries finished runners-up to Fulham in last season’s EFL Championship. Villa’s opening home game will be against Frank Lampard’s Everton a week later.
The Villans’ final fixture before the FIFA World Cup break will be at Brighton & Hove Albion. They return to action on Boxing Day with a home match with Liverpool. Aston Villa’s season ends against Brighton at Villa Park on 28th May.
Who Are Aston Villa’s Biggest Challengers: Can Villa break into Europe?
After a solid season, Gerrard is starting to build something at Villa Park. The boss has already made some superb signings, and his legendary status as a player allows him to attract top players, with Coutinho already arriving from Barca this summer.
Many bookies and pundits alike have tipped Aston Villa for a mid-table finish, but can the Midlands outfit sneak into Europe this season? If they are to be in the mix for the top seven, who will be their main rivals?
Tottenham Hotspur Preview: Conte to build on last season?
In Antonio Conte, Tottenham Hotspur have one of the best managers in world football. The Italian guided Spurs to a top-four finish against all odds last term, with the north Londoners edging out Arsenal in the race to the final UEFA Champions League place. Conte described the achievement as one of the best of his career.
We never really know what to expect from this current crop of Tottenham players. However, with Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son up top, the Lilywhites have one of the best strike forces in the Premier League, which could get even stronger this summer. Conte is more than capable of attracting the world’s best players to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, and the Lilywhites could challenge at the top end of the table this season.
Arsenal Preview: Gunners to break into top four?
After years away from the Champions League, getting back into the top four will be Arsenal’s priority this season. The Gunners missed out in agonising fashion last season, with rivals Tottenham pipping them to the post on the last day.
Arsenal are definitely building something good under Mikel Arteta, but winning the Premier League title seems way off right now. Still, the Gunners will be desperate to bring Champions League football back to the Emirates Stadium this time around.
West Ham United Preview: Europe again for the Hammers?
Under the experienced David Moyes, West Ham United been the surprise package in the Premier League over the past couple of seasons. The Hammers finished sixth in the 2020-21 campaign to book their spot in the Europa League.
West Ham have turned themselves into a genuine top-four contender, and they have qualified for Europe via their league position two years running for the first time in the club’s history. The Irons have a tough start against the Premier League champions, but West Ham fear no foe right now and will relish the opportunity of upsetting one of the big boys early doors.
Leicester City Preview: Foxes to have a better season?
The 2020-21 season was a memorable one for Brendan Rodgers’ Leicester. The Midlands club beat Chelsea in the FA Cup final to win the trophy for the first time in their history. They finished fifth in the league, losing out on a place in the top four on the final day for the second season running.
Leicester failed to replicate those heights last season. However, Rodgers is one of the most experienced managers in the Premier League, and the Foxes will surely improve on last season’s eighth-place finish. Leicester will be hoping to be in the mix for the European slots this time around.
Newcastle United Preview: Magpies to secure top-six finish?
Backed by very generous owners, Newcastle United have an open chequebook this summer. They made some huge signings back in January, and Eddie Howe’s Magpies won several matches to finish in 11th spot. It was a remarkable turnaround for Newcastle, who spent the first half of the season in the bottom three.
At the time of writing, Newcastle are the seventh favourites behind the top six to win the title. It may be too early to think about being top dogs in England, but the Magpies may just break into Europe this term, while the cup competitions could also take priority.
Players to Watch Out For in the 2022-23 Season: Coutinho to shine for Gerrard?
When Gerrard and Coutinho played for Liverpool, the pair struck up a superb partnership. The Brazilian showed glimpses of his world-class ability while playing for Gerrard last season, and the manager snapped him up on a permanent deal as quickly as possible when the 2021-22 campaign ended.
Coutinho, who has tallied up over £150m in transfer fees during his career, scored five times for Villa last season, including one on the final day at the Etihad Stadium. If Gerrard can keep him fit and healthy, Coutinho has the potential to be one of the Premier League players of the season.
Our Aston Villa Predictions: Villa to finish in the top half
Aston Villa are one of several clubs who have European dreams this season. However, with Newcastle spending the big bucks and West Ham getting better and better under Moyes, a top-seven finish might be a step too far for the Villans this time around.
Having said that, we do fancy Aston Villa to sneak into the top half of the Premier League this term. You can currently get 4/5 for Villa to finish in the top ten.
