Arsenal host a Championship bound Aston Villa at the Emirates as the Gunners look to end a disappointing season on a positive note.
Arsenal can secure a top three finish with a win over the relegated Villans, who have nothing to play for anymore this season. If the Gunners were to win and Tottenham were to lose against Newcastle, Arsenal would once again finish above their London rivals. A hostile atmosphere is expected to greet them at the Emirates and the fans will expect a good send off after yet another disappointing season where they let the title slip out of their grasp.
Villa have nothing to play for anymore, having been relegated in April. The best thing that a positive result could do for them is give a bit of confidence and some hope of coming back up after their year in the Championship. Aston Villa have not won since February, and it is yet to be seen if they will begin now against an Arsenal side who are at their best when there is no pressure.
Team News and Tactics
Arsenal
Arsenal will be without Danny Welbeck, who will be out for an estimated 9 months after injuring his knee against Manchester City. Mesut Ozil will also be fully fit to start after recovering from a hip injury. The Gunners will be without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Per Mertasacker will not be featuring for the Gunners. Santi Cazorla is also available for selection.
Wilshere is expected to start after getting to see considerable game time against Manchester City. Santi Cazorla is also likely to feature at some point in this game, in what will be his first appearance since November.
Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Manthieu Flamini are all set to leave in the summer. They are not likely to start if Arsenal field a full-strength lineup, but fans will hope to see the trio in the Arsenal shirt one last time before they depart.
Arsenal will lineup in a 4-2-3-1 as usual with Giroud to lead the line after Welbeck’s injury. Youngster Iwobi is expected to start on the left wing after impressive performances this season. Wilshere will be welcomed back into the squad after a difficult season where he has been ravaged by injuries. All eyes will be on him to see whether he can end the season on a good note.
Arsenal’s front line of Giroud, Ozil, Iwobi and Sanchez should make easy work of this Aston Villa defence. Giroud will look to justify his selection for the national team squad with a good performance against the Villans. Iwobi will look to continue his good run of form.
Wilshere and Coquelin will come up against Westwood and Geuye. They will be tasked with winning back possession and making sure that it stays with the gunners. Coquelin will also have to make sure that Ozil is provided with adequate defensive cover. Arsenal are likely to have more possession in this game and Ozil will look to make sure that Giroud, Sanchez get enough chances.
Possible Starting XI (4-2-3-1) : Cech; Bellerin, Monreal, Koscielny, Gabriel; Wilshere, Coquelin, Iwobi, Ozil, Sanchez; Giroud
Aston Villa
Aly Cissokho returns for Aston Villa after a one match suspension. Kieran Richardson and Jordan Vertout are also available for selection. Rudy Gestede will be likely feature after returning from injury.
Aston Villa’s defence are sure to be the busier of the two sides in this game. Hutton and Toner will be coming up against Iwobi and Alexis Sanchez respectively. Toner has impressed in recent weeks and is now in line for a contract extension as Aston Villa try to keep their young talent as they prepare for a season in the Championship. Clark and Richards will be tasked with keeping Giroud quiet. The Frenchman has good scoring record against Aston Villa and he will be looking to justify his selection into his squad’s national team.
Aston Villa’s midfield three will come up against Coquelin and Jack Wilshere. It is likely that Westwood and Gueye will have to be more on the defensive for this game. Arsenal’s style of play will see them dictate possession and Sanchez will have to make sure Mesut Ozil isn’t able to influence the game as much as he’d like.
Possible Staring XI (4-3-3) : Bunn; Richards, Clark, Toner, Hutton; Sanchez, Westwood, Gueye; Sinclair, Gestede, Ayew
Key Statistics
- Aston Villa have lost nine times against Arsenal in their last 11 meetings.
- Arsenal have scored 14 goals against Aston Villa in their last 4 meetings.
- Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud scored against Aston Villa in each in his last 5 appearances against them.
- Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has conceded the most number of goals from outside the box this season.
Players To Watch
Arsenal: Olivier Giroud
The Frenchman has endured a difficult season and only recently ended a 15 game drought by finding the net against Manchester City. He was named in France’s Euro 2016 squad and will look to justify his selection by getting his name on the score sheet.
Predictions
Arsenal 3-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal are at their best without pressure, and they should have no problem getting past this Aston Villa side. The Villans have nothing to play for and the end of the season couldn’t come any sooner. Arsenal, on the other hand, have a small chance of finishing about fierce rivals Tottenham. That, and the fact that this might be the final games for a few Arsenal players, should be enough motivation to go out there and give their 100%.
Blast From The Past
