Aston Villa v Newcastle: In-form strikers can land 8/1 Bet Builder

• Both teams are on winning streaks and scoring goals

• Over 2.5 Goals appeals at 2.021/1

• Watkins and Isak can both score in a Bet Builder at 8.07/1

Villa on a roll under impressive Emery

If Manchester United lose at Nottingham Forest this weekend and the hosts take victory here, Aston Villa will be just six points off a Champions League place.

We have a few theoreticals in there but that's still a remarkable state of affairs given that Villa, under Steven Gerrard, looked set for a season in which they were doing not much more than keeping their heads above relegation waters.

Take a bow Unai Emery. Since the Spaniard arrived in late October, only leaders Arsenal have taken more points so it certainly isn't ridiculous to mention Villa and the Champions League in the same breath. In short, their points haul over the last few months has been that of a top-four team.

They start this one in sixth place and on the back of a four-match winning run after getting the better of Bournemouth, Chelsea, Leicester and Nottingham Forest.

Overall, it's six wins in seven if adding in victories over Everton and Crystal Palace although it's worth noting that all those beaten teams currently reside in the bottom half of the table.

Emery is certainly a great fit for Villa and after his difficult time at Arsenal - probably a case of wrong man at the wrong time - it must be extra satisfying for the former Sevilla, PSG and Villarreal boss to be proving his mettle in the Premier League.

Magpies have kicked on again

If Villa fans are having a blast, it's the same for Newcastle supporters following the disappointment of their Carabao Cup loss to Manchester United at Wembley.

That defeat was the middle game in a run of three successive 2-0 defeats and the February/early March wobble suggested the Europa League was a more realistic target than the Champions League.

But the tide turned with a 2-1 home win over Wolves and that has triggered a superb run of five straight victories.

A revenge triumph over Man Utd, a result that was fully deserved, saw them leapfrog Erik Ten Hag's men on goal difference and they've stayed in third thanks to further successes against West Ham and Brentford.

That five-game winning sequence features a trio of away victories, the last two a 5-1 thumping of West Ham and another success in London via a 2-1 beating of Brentford.

The goals are flowing again and Newcastle are just 1.261/4 to finish in the top four. Yep, Eddie Howe should take a bow too!

Newcastle clear favourites

Aston Villa backers will certainly feel the 3.7511/4 on a home win is more than fair given their current form.

Then again, the same could apply to those who insist on following Newcastle in their current form as the Magpies are 2.186/5.

Only Arsenal and Manchester City have won more away games than Newcastle (7) and let's not forget that Howe's men have lost just three Premier League games all season.

Six away stalemates for Newcastle means The Draw has appeal too at 3.55/2.

In short, this is a classic example of a game in which all three results seems genuinely possible and backable.

Over 2.5 Goals appeals

After being involved in low-scoring matches either side of the World Cup break, Newcastle are finding the net on a regular basis again.

The men from St James' Park have netted at least twice in their five wins while, at the other end, the clean sheets have dried up: Newcastle have managed to shut out the opposition just once in the last 11 matches.

Aston Villa are also scoring freely with nine in their last four so there's every reason to expect goals here.

In that respect, I'm surprised that Over 2.5 Goals is the underdog at 2.021/1. It's definitely enough to tempt me in and that's the first bet.

Both teams to Score should also land but the 1.855/6 isn't as tempting.

Watkins and Isak can combine in Bet Builder

A big part of the appeal for Over 2.5 Goals is that both teams have strikers who are bang in form.

Aston Villa's Oli Watkins has scored in nine of his last 11 Premier League starts while Newcastle's Alexander Isak has five in his last five and that run includes four goals in Newcastle's latest three away games, including a brace at Nottingham Forest.

Simply backing both to score anytime on a Bet Builder pays an eyecatching 8.07/1 and we don't need to complicate it further.

But those wishing to push it further could back both scoring in a draw at around 2524/1.

Opta stats

Aston Villa have scored at least once in all 17 of their Premier League games under Unai Emery (30 goals overall). Only two managers have seen a side score in each of their first 18 matches of a spell in charge in the competition: Mike Walker with Norwich in 1992 and Carlo Ancelotti with Chelsea in 2009 (both first 18).