Arsenal is looking to secure a victory in their upcoming Premier League match against Aston Villa at Villa Park, following a three-game winless streak. They are also hoping to reclaim the top spot in the league table, with Manchester City set to play later that day. The Gunners will be facing their former coach, Unai Emery, who has been able to transform Aston Villa's fortunes since his arrival from Villarreal this season.
Aston Villa's season had a miserable start with just two wins in their opening nine league games. This led to the dismissal of their former manager, Steven Gerrard, in October, with his side only just above the relegation zone. However, since the appointment of Emery, the club has seen a significant improvement in their results, beginning with an impressive 3-1 home victory against Manchester United. This victory marked the start of a run of five wins in seven matches, which lifted them to mid-table, with the team currently occupying the 11th spot in the league.
Despite their recent good form, Aston Villa has suffered back-to-back defeats against Leicester City and Man City, conceding seven goals in the process, which is as many as they had conceded in their previous seven league games combined. Nonetheless, the positives have outweighed the negatives for the team since Emery took charge, as they have managed to score in all 11 of their competitive fixtures under the ex-Arsenal and Villarreal boss. Still, the seven goals conceded in their last two games do not bode well for the team, especially as they prepare to face one of the title contenders.
For Arsenal, an upturn in form and a favorable result is vital to their title charge. The team was knocked off the No.1 position for the first time since November 2022 after suffering a 3-1 defeat to title contenders Manchester City on Tuesday night. This result compounded their poor run of form, having picked up just one point from their last three outings.
Despite their recent setbacks, the destiny of the title is still in the hands of Mikel Arteta and his team. At least a point against Aston Villa on Saturday would send them back to the top of the league table before Manchester City's match against Nottingham Forest later in the afternoon. Furthermore, the Gunners should be motivated by the fact that they remain the Premier League's best-performing away team this season, having conceded a joint-low seven goals in the process. Additionally, they have a good track record against Aston Villa, having posted a 1-0 win in the same fixture last term before running away as winners with a 2-1 win at the end of August.
Key stats: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
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Aston Villa had previously won three successive Premier League games against Arsenal from July 2020 to February 2021. However, the Gunners have now defeated Villa in their last three meetings.
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In their last home league game, Villa lost 4-2 against Leicester. Nevertheless, they have not lost consecutive matches at Villa Park since April last year.
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Ollie Watkins has scored in three consecutive league games for the first time since August 2018 while playing for Brentford in the Championship. He hopes to extend this streak and score in four consecutive league games for the first time in the top four tiers of English football.
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Arsenal's goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has kept seven clean sheets away from home, more than any other goalkeeper in the Premier League this season. Jens Lehmann was the last Arsenal keeper to keep more away clean sheets in a single league campaign, which was eight in 2003/04.
Team news: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Tyrone Mings, who missed last week's match with a thigh knock, has trained this week and is expected to be included in the squad. Bertrand Traore and backup keeper Robin Olsen are likely to be available, but Diego Carlos has been sidelined with an Achilles injury since August and has only just returned to training this week.
On the other hand,Arsenal's injury list has grown as Thomas Partey missed Wednesday's game and may not recover in time for the upcoming trip to Birmingham. Both the Ghanaian and Emile Smith Rowe face a late fitness test ahead of the encounter. In addition, Gabriel Jesus and Mohamed Elneny will also be absent due to knee injuries.
Broadcast information: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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