23rd Nov 2012 | Football
Aston Villa v Arsenal
The Villains are a first half team. They would be up near the top if every match ended at 45 minutes.
Arsenal are nothing longer than 3/4 (PaddyPower) to beat Villa on Saturday evening after their comeback success in the north London derby last weekend. The tendency of the Gunners to start quite slowly and improve is well-established; they have only led in 3 out of 12 top flight games but have only been outscored once in second halves.
In contrast, Paul Lambert’s youngsters have a habit of letting positive situations get away from them. They would be fifth if every match ended at half-time (W5 D4 L3), instead of down in the relegation zone as is the situation in reality (W2 D3 L7). The last home game was a case in point where a 2-0 lead was surrendered to Man United.
Those results will create doubt in many players who aren’t yet seasoned at this level. Arsenal should take advantage, but it may take a while again. Wenger’s boys are a best price 4/1 (BetVictor) to be level at the break but victorious in 90 minutes.
Odds correct at time of publishing: 17:45 23rd Nov, 2012 but subject to change
