Bruno Fernandes’ wayward 93rd-minute penalty helped Aston Villa hold onto a slender 1-0 lead and beat Manchester United at Old Trafford last time out.
It looks like the Lions have laid the foundations for another top-half finish after winning three of their opening six Premier League fixtures, including the last two in a row. And if you are looking to bet on Villa games next month, make sure you check out this Unibet bonus as well as our fixtures preview below.
But a host of eye-catching summer recruitments suggest the Villa Park powerbrokers aim for the first European finish since the 2009/10 season.
Dean Smith’s side will look to build on a string of impressive performances as they brace themselves for a set of four challenging tasks in October.
Tottenham Hotspur – October 3
Villa’s Premier League action continues on October 3 when they head to London to take on out-of-sorts Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite conceding an early lead, Smith’s men picked themselves up to claim a 2-1 victory in this exact fixture in May.
Villa could win back-to-back top-flight visits to Tottenham since 1995, as they hope to pour more misery on Nuno Espirito Santo’s underperforming side.
A hat-trick of narrow 1-0 wins to open the new Premier League campaign now looks like a remote memory, with Spurs losing their last three league matches by an aggregate score of 7-0.
Though an indifferent Premier League form in London since the start of last season (W3, D1, L3) could throw a spanner in the works, the Lions’ recent showings can fill travelling fans with confidence.
After winning their last two top-flight outings without conceding, Villa could register three consecutive Premier League triumphs for the first time since October 2020.
If football follows the script, this could be another win accompanied by a clean sheet, as the last time Villa won at least three straight top-flight matches ‘to nil’ saw their second success come at Old Trafford.
Wolverhampton Wanderers – October 16
Villa will play hosts to an unpredictable Wolverhampton Wanderers side when Premier League action resumes on the back of October’s international window.
Wolves have blown hot and cold so far this season, winning two of their six league games ‘to nil’ while losing the other four without scoring.
Although star striker Raul Jimenez returned to the fold following a scary head injury, Bruno Lage’s men are continuing to struggle up top, having netted a league-low three goals to date.
Wolves’ paltry goalscoring return should encourage Villa’s efforts to extend their two-match unbeaten Premier League run against them.
Indeed, after eking out a hard-earned 1-0 victory at Molineux in the first half of last season, the Lions shared the spoils with the West Midlands outfit at Villa Park, courtesy of a scoreless draw in March.
However, a return of just one win from their previous seven league meetings with Wolves on home turf should prevent Villa from flying too high here, as might the fact they’ve drawn a blank in their last two such contests on the trot.
Arsenal – October 22
Villa’s second trip to London in three weeks pits them against Mikel Arteta’s resurgent Arsenal side at the Emirates.
The Spaniard has taken advantage of the last international break to rally his troops and steer the Gunners to the upper half of the table.
Arsenal endured a dreadful start to the season, losing their inaugural three Premier League fixtures by an aggregate score of 9-0.
However, the Londoners have turned the script in September, winning all four competitive matches, including three in England’s top-flight.
Despite Arsenal’s notable upturn in form over the past few weeks, Villa should feel comfortable here after running riot against this opposition lately.
The Lions lost their first Premier League encounter with the Gunners upon their top-flight return in 2019, but they’ve since made light work of their subsequent three league match-ups.
Smith’s players have won each of their last three Premier League H2Hs by an aggregate scoreline of 5-0, including an overwhelming 3-0 triumph in this exact fixture in November 2020.
West Ham United – October 31
West Ham United’s visit to Villa Park on October 31 will complete a hat-trick of Villa’s Premier League clashes against London-based teams this month.
Just one point separates the sides heading into October, with David Moyes’ team going unbeaten in five of their first six league matches this season (W3, D2).
West Ham came from behind to win 2-1 at Leeds United last time out, bringing a three-game winless streak in the Premier League to a halt.
But the Hammers’ congested schedule in October could give Villa an upper hand in this fixture, as fatigue could catch up with the Londoners by the end of the month.
The Lions will have revenge on their mind when the two sides lock horns, as they suffered their first league double to this opposition in the 21st century last season.
Villa can at least find some comfort in knowing they found the net in both last season’s Premier League H2Hs, though it’s worth noting that departed Jack Grealish was directly involved in both strikes.