Saturday’s focus takes us to north London at lunchtime, where Tottenham and Aston Villa have managed one goal between them since the season started, then to St James’ Park for a Hull side yet to lose, and finally to Merseyside for Everton against an Ipswich team that won 3-2 at Crystal Palace last time out.
Friday Results
One from two on Friday, and Elche won 3-1 at Espanyol with ten men from the sixth minute. Federico Redondo went for a professional foul as the last man, Fer Niño scored twice inside four minutes before the half hour, and a Víctor Chust own goal on 72 was the closest Espanyol came before Germán Valera settled it. The three-quarter line returned a profit in full. Lens were level at Monaco with six minutes to go and the half-goal start still returning, until Jonathan Gradit turned Monaco’s winner into his own net on 84.
Tottenham v Aston Villa (12:30pm UK)
Tottenham are 2.00 at home, with the draw at 3.70 and Villa out at 3.00. Full-time xG comes in at 1.73 for Tottenham against 1.33 for Villa, a 3.06 combined total with 1.43 of that expected before the break. The season so far has produced something rather different. Tottenham have failed to score in four league games and taken two points, Villa have scored once in four and taken one, and the pair have conceded twelve between them. A 3.06 combined expected total is a curious number for two sides in that state.
