Sports betting: Aston Villa are the Premiership value

IT IS time to believe in Aston Villa who, leading the Premiership by two points with 39 after 20 games in the 38-match season, have an easy run-in to the end of term and look blinding each-way value (a quarter the odds, places 1, 2, 3) at 7-1.

Strugglers Everton, Blackburn, Coventry, Southampton, Nottingham Forest and Charlton all have yet to visit Villa Park and, while Villa must go to Arsenal and Manchester United late on, they also get to entertain Chelsea and Leeds.

Manchester United, Villa's biggest threat, have some soft fixtures to come, but they have the European Cup to distract them and are poor value. Chelsea, still in the Cup Winners' Cup and yet to go to Highbury and Villa Park, are similarly poor value. Arsenal, despite having to travel to Old Trafford, have no European commitments and may pose more problems. Liverpool have plenty to do and Spurs also have a lot to do. Leeds are more plausible outsiders at 40-1.

Aston Villa and Manchester United are fancied here to end with 71 points apiece, with Arsenal and Chelsea both on 69, Leeds on 67, Liverpool on 64, and Tottenham on 59.

PREMIERSHIP

C H L S T

Man Utd 7-4 7-4 7-4 13-8 6-4

Chelsea 13-8 6-4 7-4 13-8 2-1

Arsenal 7-2 7-2 4-1 7-2 4-1

Aston Villa 7-1 13-2 11-2 13-2 7-1

Liverpool 16-1 16-1 16-1 18-1 12-1

Leeds 25-1 40-1 40-1 28-1 25-1

Tottenham 66-1 80-1 80-1 80-1 80-1

C Coral, H William Hill, L Ladbrokes, S Stanley, T Tote