Aston Villa v Stoke (4pm, SKY)

Well that certainly wasn’t in my script and I’m not sure how many other peoples either.

Was it Chelsea that were especially good or Arsenal abjectly poor ? I’m 4/9 the latter. If felt the equivalent of your horse losing 10 lengths at the start of a five furlong contest and the betting slip was in the bin after three seconds 🙁 It certainly knocked my profit figures to smithereens.

I think it’s fair to say, what was very much a four horse race, is now down to three.

At the other end of the table it’s harder to call. The current bottom three Sunderland, Cardiff and Fulham are obviously the most likely but even today’s two sides Aston Villa and Stoke in 10th and 11th respectively can hardly be considered safe just yet.

HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
(Max last 10 only)
Dec 2013 Premier Stoke 2-1 Aston Villa
Apr 2013 Premier Stoke 1-3 Aston Villa
Dec 2012 Premier Aston Villa 0-0 Stoke
Apr 2012 Premier Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke
Dec 2011 Premier Stoke 0-0 Aston Villa
Apr 2011 Premier Aston Villa 1-1 Stoke
Sep 2010 Premier Stoke 2-1 Aston Villa
Mar 2010 Premier Stoke 0-0 Aston Villa
Dec 2009 Premier Aston Villa 1-0 Stoke
Mar 2009 Premier Aston Villa 2-2 Stoke

Villa stunned the Chelsea faithful last weekend with a battling 1-0 win. If only we could use ‘collateral form’ as in horse racing.

Villa beat Chelsea 1-0
Chelsea beat Arsenal 6-0

So….
Villa beat Stoke 17-0

Of course, it’s never that easy in football – and horse racing too for that matter !

Villa might just edge this one against a Stoke side who have collected just seven points from 15 Premier League away matches, only Cardiff have a worse away record.

A telling stat is that Aston Villa are unbeaten at home against Stoke in the top flight for 14 matches since a 1-0 defeat in November 1965.

With Villa on the Star Spreads supremacy and am tempted in to bookings again with a buy at 40.

RECOMMENDED BET (scale 1-10 points)

BUY ASTON BILLA / STOKE for 10 points at around 0.50 with Star Spreads
BUY BOOKINGS for 10 points at around 40 with Star Spreads

RUNNING RETURN (MARCH): PROFIT 4.00 POINTS

RUNNING RETURN (YEAR): PROFIT 104.50 POINTS

• Any spread prices quoted are indicative and as always prices are subject to fluctuation.
• Please note the opinion, views and forecasts above are of the author and not of Star Spreads.