Arsenal v Aston Villa

Editor2

October 21, 2021

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Arsenal's Bukayo Saka looking disconsolate — Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka only returned to training on Thursday

TEAM NEWS

Arsenal will assess Bukayo Saka, who was taken off against Crystal Palace on Monday night after a heavy challenge by James McArthur.

Manager Mikel Arteta says he has fitness concerns about “two or three” unnamed players.

Wingers Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore are both available for Aston Villa after recovering from thigh injuries.

Matty Cash has overcome the dead leg that prompted his substitution during the defeat by Wolves last week.

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

Both these teams are in mid-table for a reason – there are some positives about the way they have started the season, but there are ways to get at them too.

Aston Villa suffered a late collapse against Wolves last time out, while Arsenal scraped a draw with Crystal Palace on Monday in a game that said more about where they are at the moment than their recent run of three straight wins did.

The Gunners probably thought they had turned the corner after their poor start to the season but I don’t think that is the case. I’m going with them to win this one, but that is mainly down to them having home advantage.

Prediction: 2-1

Lawro’s full predictions v Jamie Johnson stars Elena Cole and Haydn Craven

There have been at least three goals in each of the past nine league meetings at Emirates Stadium.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

Aston Villa have won three successive Premier League games against Arsenal, as many as they had in their previous 36 attempts. It’s 59 years since Villa last earned four straight league victories in this fixture.
Arsenal have lost four of the 10 league meetings at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have only been defeated more often at the stadium by Manchester City (5) and Chelsea (6).

Arsenal

Arsenal have only lost one of their past six home league fixtures, earning 13 points.
They are on a five-match unbeaten league run, having lost their opening three games.
A fifth Premier League home defeat of 2021 would be their most in a calendar year since losing six times at Highbury in 1997.
The Gunners have failed to score in each of their past seven league defeats.
This is the first time Arsenal have had top-flight matches on Monday and then Friday in the same week since 28 December 1987 and New Year’s Day 1988.
Arsenal’s tally of seven goals is their lowest after eight league games since 1986.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored in three consecutive home league appearances for the first time since a five-match run in September 2019.

Aston Villa

The Villans are winless in 12 top-flight away fixtures played on a Friday since a 4-1 victory at Charlton in April 1950 (D3, L9).
Aston Villa have lost five of their past eight away league games, as many as they had in their previous 17.
They could lose three consecutive Premier League matches for the first time since June to July last year.
Only two of Villa’s 12 league goals this season have been scored in the first half.
Ollie Watkins scored three of Aston Villa’s four goals against Arsenal in the Premier League last season.
Emiliano Martinez has kept 18 clean sheets in 45 Premier League appearances for Villa since signing from Arsenal in September 2020.

Choose your Arsenal formation and starting line-up. It’s up to you how to approach it – you could go for the team you WANT the boss to pick or the one you THINK he will.