Aston Villa will host Arsenal in a crunch clash in the context of the Premier League title race as Mikel Arteta looks for a response from his men.
Manchester City’s response to the 100-plus charges levied by the Premier League affected Aston Villa and Arsenal. Pep Guardiola’s side managed 3-1 victories over both those clubs, condemning them to a difficult spot.
Villa lost their unbeaten start away from home under Unai Emery as Manchester City got the better of them at the Etihad. Goals from Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez killed the game off in the first half, with Ollie Watkins’s second-half strike proving to be a mere consolation.
Emery now faces former club Arsenal in a crunch battle as he looks to steer Aston Villa higher than their current position on the table. A win here would be seen as a statement result for the Spanish manager, but he knows they are facing a wounded animal in the Gunners.
After that terrific victory over Manchester United, Mikel Arteta will rue the following results. Arsenal have yet to win a game in all competitions since that clash at the Emirates, dropping points in three consecutive Premier League games.
💬 "The atmosphere right from the beginning was electric – the supporters drove the team."
Gooners, let's keep bringing the energy ❤️ pic.twitter.com/lWdwilPtiP
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 16, 2023
That loss to Everton at Goodison Park kick-started a terrible run for Arteta’s side, who then dropped points to Brentford at the Emirates amid an error from the VAR team. Those two points they lost had affected the title race, as Manchester City took the top spot after the 3-1 win at the Emirates on Wednesday.
Arsenal sit in second heading into the next matchday, albeit with a game in hand over Manchester City. All eyes will remain on Arteta’s side and how they respond to this adverse situation in which they currently find themselves. The manager will aim for a bounce-back win to get the title race back on track while hoping nearest rivals Manchester City and Manchester United start dropping points.
Team News & Tactics
Aston Villa
Unai Emery has more positive news ahead of the Arsenal game, as he can call upon Tyrone Mings. The experienced defender signed a new deal and will likely shake off the problem that saw him miss out against Mancheter City. He will slot straight into the back four replacing the calamitous Calum Chambers.
Aston Villa is delighted to announce that @TyroneMings has signed a new contract with the club! 🙌
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) February 17, 2023
Recently returned Bertrand Traore will also be assessed as he looks to return from a knee problem. While he is not expected to make the starting eleven, the attacker could make the matchday squad for the Arsenal clash. Diego Carlos and Jed Steer are absent, although they could make a comeback soon.
Emery could retain the traditional 4-4-2 shape to field a compact defence to thwart Arsenal’s attack. Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia could hold the width on the wings, with Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara marshalling the midfield area.
Ashley Young and Lucas Digne could start as full-backs, as Emery has yet to trust Matty Cash with the right-back slot completely. Emery should field Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey in a two-prone strike partnership in the attack, with all eyes on the former amid an impressive run of form.
Probable lineup (4-4-2): Martinez; Young, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Ramsey, Kamara, Luiz, Buendia; Watkins, Bailey
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta could look to make tweaks to his lineup amid a bad run of results. After Thomas Partey missed out on the mammoth clash with Manchester City, the midfielder could remain absent for the Aston Villa trip. Jorginho deputised expertly in midweek, which may be the case for the weekend.
💬 "The players are highly motivated for tomorrow's game because they want to perform well and win the game."
◾️ The importance of performing at Aston Villa
◾️ Getting back to winning ways
◾️ The title race🗞 Read every word from Mikel's pre-match press conference 👇
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 17, 2023
The Arsenal manager could ponder resting one of his central defenders after a few shaky performances. Ideally, he would hand a breather to William Saliba, with Ben White likely replacing him at the back. That could allow Takehiro Tomiyasu, despite his glaring error, to remain at right-back.
Leandro Trossard, who has started all Premier League games from the bench, could make the starting eleven if Arteta tweaks his attacking lineup. The player likely to go to the bench is Gabriel Martinelli, who has been rusty in the last few games.
Alternatively, Arteta could also experiment with starting Trossard up front instead of Eddie Nketiah. However, from how things have been with the manager, it won’t surprise many if he retains the same front three, with Bukayo Saka set to start on the right side.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel; Zinchenko; Odegaard, Jorginho, Xhaka; Saka, Nketiah, Trossard
Key Stats
- Aston Villa have conceded the most (nine) goals in the opening 15 minutes this season, while Arsenal have conceded the fewest (none).
- Ollie Watkins has scored three Premier League goals against Arsenal – the only team he has netted more often against is Liverpool.
- Bukayo Saka has scored or assisted 12 goals in his last 14 Premier League starts against the teams from the Big Six (nine goals and three assists)
- Arsenal have won their last three matches against Aston Villa in all competitions.
- Arsenal are winless in their last four games across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Bukayo Saka
Keep Believing 🙏🏿 #GodsChild pic.twitter.com/Zw81DkPGfh
— Bukayo Saka (@BukayoSaka87) February 16, 2023
The Arsenal talisman remains in a rich vein of form and again got on the scoresheet against a Big Six opponent. While the form of his teammates has dwindled in recent weeks, Saka continues to show consistency, and it’s what the Gunners need at this difficult time.
Saka has a big task to showcase urgency as Arsenal look for a response after dropping points in three consecutive Premier League games. A good showing against Villa will keep the Gunners firmly in the title race and not allow further damage to their chances of winning the league.
Prediction
Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
The Villans are in a tough spot with some disappointing performances in recent times. They have a good run of form at home, but the recent loss to Leicester City at Villa Park had a damaging effect. They will certainly look for a response, but Arsenal are no pushover.
While Emery will look to take advantage of Arsenal’s dismal run of form, Arteta is likely to show his team’s class and conjure up a solid response. The Gunners could take three points from this clash to bounce back from recent dropped points.
