Arsenal will aim to maintain their position in the Premier League table when they take on an Aston Villa side eager to climb into the UEFA Champions League places.
Arsenal made a good ocassion of the North London Derby on Wednesday as they continued their impressive run against Tottenham in recent years as they get set to host Aston Villa at the Emirates on Saturday. The win let the Gunners consolidate second spot on the table, following Nottingham Forest’s draw against Liverpool a day prior.
Those dropped points from leaders Liverpool and third-placed Forest meant Arsenal took advantage over the league leaders for the first time this season when the others dropped points. It’s a small yet significant step for the Gunners in the title race, but one that Mikel Arteta will gladly take at this stage of the season.
Some tough encounters are approaching for Arsenal, starting with Aston Villa’s visit to the Emirates, which will bring back painful memories from last season. Unai Emery’s side inflicted a hefty defeat on the Gunners last season which may have effectively ended up costing them the title. However, Arteta will not want another such result this time out and ensure that the Gunners take three points to stay in the title race.
Aston Villa will come into this clash on the back of a narrow victory over Everton that somewhat spoiled David Moyes’s homecoming. Emery’s side have endured an inconsistent spell in the Premier League, which has seen them stay in seventh spot in the standings, and the manager would now want a concerted push for the top four.
They might have won their last two games in the Premier League, but Aston Villa have been inconsistent since their win over Manchester City. Emery’s men have followed that stellar performance with a disappointing result at St. James’ Park, and then suffering a draw against Brighton. They need a big win, as a scalp at the Emirates might be on their minds.
Team News & Tactics
Arsenal
With no fresh news on the transfer front, Mikel Arteta will have to select from the available Arsenal players for the game against Aston Villa. The options in defence and the attack are currently thin for the home side, meaning the Gunners could line up more or less the same way they did on Wednesday.
There might be some good news regarding Riccardo Calafiori, although Myles Lewis-Skelly’s form will prove difficult to drop the teenager. However, having the Italian back in the squad will be a boost for the backline in general, as he could be used at some stage of the game.
The midfield setup might remain intact alongside the backline, as Thomas Partey and Declan Rice will keep their places alongside Martin Odegaard. There might be a slight alteration in the attacking third, as Gabriel Martinelli might come in for Raheem Sterling on the right-hand side of the Arsenal attack against Aston Villa, while Kai Havertz and matchwinner Leandro Trossard will retain their spots.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard
Aston Villa
There are some key absentees for Unai Emery to contend with ahead of this crunch trip to Arsenal. Defender Diego Carlos is the subject of transfer speculation, and in any case, he remains an injury doubt for Aston Villa. Pau Torres will also be absent, which will allow Tyrone Mings to have another start under his belt as he picks up momentum following a long-term injury.
Midfielders John McGinn and Ross Barkley are also unavailable for this trip to North London, although Emery will have ideas to play without them for the time being. There is a new face in the Aston Villa camp as Donyell Malen completed his move from Borussia Dortmund as the manager confirmed he will be involved at some stage of the game.
Boubacar Kamara, Youri Tielemans and Amadou Onana are best placed for the Aston Villa midfield setup, as Emery will hope they dominatee their Arsenal counterparts. Meanwhile, Jhon Duran has returned from his suspension and was an unused substitute against Everton, and he might continue to spend time on the bench.
Ollie Watkins has taken full advantage of the Colombian’s absence, and he was instrumental in the win over Everton. He is likely to start once again. The Englishman will have the support of Morgan Rogers and Jacob Ramsey in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Onana, Tielemans, Kamara; Rogers, Watkins, Ramsey
Key Stats
- Arsenal have lost five of their last ten Premier League meetings against Aston Villa, as many as they had in their previous 46 against the West Midlands outfit.
- Arsenal are undefeated in their last 11 matches in the Premier League. However, the Gunners have one win in their last four games across all competitions.
- Aston Villa have won their last three games across all competitions.
- Arsenal are unbeaten in 13 Premier League home fixtures since a 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa last April (W10 D3). Their most recent longer run without defeat at the Emirates spanned 16 games in 2018/19 under current Villa boss Unai Emery. The Gunners are unbeaten in 44 matches in all competitions in which they’ve scored since a 2-1 loss against Fulham in December 2023 (W36 D8).
- Aston Villa have conceded a goal from their opponent’s first shot on target in 11 Premier League matches this season, more than any other team.
Player to Watch
Leandro Trossard
Trossard packs plenty of punch in his game that has been missing for many weeks, and some might argue for the best part of this season. However, the Belgian was back into full flow against Tottenham as his goal proved the match-winner for Arsenal on Wednesday.
The key element in that game was his attacking actions, which looked to have more confidence than before, and Mikel Arteta will hope for the same once again on Saturday. Hence, Trossard must improve his performances and once again deliver in a big game as the Gunners continue to suffer with fewer options in the attack.
Prediction
Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa may have won their last two Premier League games, but they are set to face a title-challenging team wherein there is a chance to falter. Unai Emery will certainly want a repeat of their performance at the Emirates from last season, although things might be different this time around.
The win over Tottenham has certainly revitalised the Emirates crowd as Mikel Arteta will expect another solid showing from the fans on Saturday. Add the momentum from the win to that, and the Gunners will be eager to go at Villa and take full advantage.
There are still some doubts over their ability to keep clean sheets, but the Gunners’ backline will be able to see out a victory in the end. The Hard Tackle predicts Arsenal to clinch a 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates on Saturday.
