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Bournemouth will mark their return to the Premier League with a home game against Aston Villa at Dean Court on Saturday.
Both teams have undergone a lot of changes since their last meeting in 2020. Scott Parker is now in charge of Bournemouth, while Aston Villa are being managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard.
The hosts secured promotion to the top flight after finishing second in the EFL Championship, finishing only a couple of points behind leaders Fulham. They ended their campaign in the second tier on a high, going unbeaten in their last eight games, winning their last three.
Villa, meanwhile, finished 14th in the Premier League last season, failing to win their last four league games. They'll hope to fare better this season.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- The two teams have met just nine times across competitions. Their head-to-head record is perfectly even with four wins for each team and one game ending in a draw.
- Bournemouth played their first Premier League game against Aston Villa in 2015, which ended in a 1-0 defeat.
- Bournemouth have scored at least twice in their last three games against Villa across competitions, winning all three outings.
- Bournemouth and Villa have failed to score in just one of nine games in this fixture, so the odds of both teams finding the back of the net in this one look good.
- Bournemouth have lost two of their three opening day fixtures in the Premier League since 2019.
- Aston Villa have just one win in a Premier League opening fixture in the five occasions they've faced a promoted team.
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in five of Villa's last six away games.
Bournemouth vs Aston Villa Prediction
There are no major absentees for either team heading into the game, with David Brookes being one of three players set to miss out for the Cherries. Steven Gerrard, meanwhile, has an almost full-strength squad at his disposal and will hope to pick up Villa's first point at Dean Court since 2015.
While pre-season form is not a direct indicator of how a team may perform in competitive fixtures, Villa enjoyed a slightly better run in pre-season than Bournemouth. The Villans won two and played out a draw in three friendlies, while Bournemouth won one and lost three.
With both teams looking to make a winning start to their new campaign, this is expected to be a close game. Given the recent head-to-head results between the two teams, a hard-fought draw could ensue.
Prediction: Bournemouth 1-1 Aston Villa.
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Bournemouth vs Aston Villa Betting Tips
Tip 1: Result - Draw.
Tip 2: Goals - Over/under 2.5 goals - Under 2.5.
Tip 3: At least a goal to be scored in the second half - Yes.
Tip 4: Yellow cards - Over/under 2.5 yellow cards - Under 2.5.
Tip 5: Bournemouth to score first - Yes.
