Aston Villa favourites to beat Newcastle: Updates and team news

It's a big game today and despite my bold predictions yesterday game day has brought around the realisation that it's just eleven against eleven and on any given day any side can win. Look what happened when Newcastle played Morecambe.

Joking aside, Newcastle have four points which is one more than we do after three games and if I use the above in my thinking, that any team can win on any given day and the analogy that the table doesn't lie, then this is going to be interesting.

At 6/5, we're the favourites at PaddyPower but they don't always get it right, but I'll take that going into the game. I'll also take the renewed optimism with football pundits about our chances today.

Many are saying positive things about us. Even Robbie Savage has changed his tune from last season, even if that was inevitable as he has found other teams to lay into to help with his Twitter follower count.

Match info courtesy of the BBC

• After a run of four Premier League wins at Villa Park against Newcastle, Aston Villa have failed to beat the Magpies on home soil in their past two league encounters.
• Last season Newcastle won 2-1 at Villa Park, with goals from Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye.
• The biggest Premier League win in matches between the two clubs came when Newcastle walloped Villa 6-0 at St James' Park in August 2010.
• Villa have scored four goals from 11 shots on target so far this season (while Newcastle have scored just once from 10 shots on target).
• But Villa have conceded a goal in each of their last 12 Premier League matches at Villa Park.
• The Villains have scored four goals after three Premier League games this season. At the same stage last term they had just two.
• All four of Newcastle's last four league wins have been by a single-goal margin.
• Three of Hatem Ben Arfa's last four Premier League goals have come from outside the box in open play - the other was a penalty.
• In Newcastle's last match (against Fulham), Loic Remy collected his first ever Premier League assist.
• In that match, the Magpies had 25 shots - the joint-most of any team in a single game this term.

But despite all that, even the Newcastle fans think it will be tough today and most of them would be very happy with a draw. And when opposition fans think that, then we're heading in the right direction.

I'd not be happy with a point today, but I wouldn't be surprised. Even if I still think we will win.

Updates and team news

As soon as we have the team news, it will be shown just below and throughout the day, I have a feeling that there will be a few comments left. I might be having a little bet on Kozak to score too, I've just got a feeling about this player and I think it will start the way it was meant to start.