Two of last season's top four face off at Villa Park on Saturday with Arsenal heading north intent on revenge. Unai Emery's side were the only one to take maximum points from their meetings with the Gunners last season, a pair of wins that went an almighty way to securing Champions League football for Aston Villa, while dealing a mortal blow to their opponents title prospects.
Those games could certainly have gone in a different way, and Arsenal will be determined to make amends, not least given the need to build up a healthy points tally as their visit to Manchester City on September 22 (and the North London derby seven days earlier) looms large. "We need to put that [record against Villa] right and get that result this time," said Arsenal right back Ben White. "I'm sure we'll do that and prepare well for it.
"They're all big games, no matter who you play against. The points you drop anywhere in the season, you can put it back to that. There are games that we drew that we should've won and they're two points that we should pick up."
Meanwhile Arsenal's visit means a reunion with his former club for Emiliano Martinez, who this week signed a new contract with Villa to 2029. "I became the best in the world here and I want to continue developing myself," said the Argentine. "I've got an amazing goalie coach and an amazing manager. This club wants to progress. Defending the goal at Villa Park is exciting and I get goosebumps every time I hear my name in the stadium."
Both sides began the season with solid wins that suggested swift improvement was both required and possible. Which side will make it in on Saturday afternoon? Here is what you need to know:
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Viewing information
- Date: Saturday, August 24 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Villa Park -- Birmingham, United Kingdom
- TV: USA | Live stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Odds: Aston Villa +333; Draw +290; Arsenal -125
Team news
Aston Villa: The raft of long-term injuries that Villa suffered last season are only just beginning to clear up and though Emery offered encouraging updates on Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara, the latter "a few weeks" away from returning to training, neither is particularly close to joining the squad. Equally, it will be welcome news for supporters that there have been no fresh injuries as Villa ready themselves for their Champions League commitments after the international break. Whether Emery is inclined to bring Ian Maatsen in for a first full start since joining from Chelsea will be an intriguing subplot.
Possible Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Maatsen; Tielemans, Onana; Bailey, Rogers, McGinn; Watkins
Arsenal: It is similarly good news on the injury front for Mikel Arteta, who has a near fully fit squad to choose from before heading to the Midlands. Takehiro Tomiyasu continues to recover from a knee injury while Fabio Vieira is expected to overcome the hip issue that sidelined him on the opening weekend. Mikel Merino's imminent arrival won't come in time for him to feature at Villa Park but could his recruitment be a sign that Declan Rice is due to move deeper in midfield? In the meantime Thomas Partey seems primed to start at the base of midfield but left back could be up for grabs with Jurrien Timber or summer signing Riccardo Calafiori offering more defensive nous than Oleksandr Zinchenko.
Possible Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Partey, Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Prediction
Arsenal will be intent on making amends for last season and if they can navigate Villa's offside trap more effectively than they have in the past, they should emerge victorious. PICK: Aston Villa 1, Arsenal 2
