Arsenal managers, both past and present, will face off in the West Midlands on Saturday evening as the Gunners travel to take on Aston Villa at Villa Park in the Premier League.
Team Form and Other Stats
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Both teams have won their opening matches, with Aston Villa edging out West Ham United 2-1 and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0. Colombian striker Jhon Duran, who had flirted with a move to West Ham earlier in the transfer window, scored the decisive goal for Villa against West Ham, helping end their four-game winless streak in the Premier League.
With the chance to secure back-to-back wins to start the season, Villa aims to replicate their impressive form from 2023, when they won 15 consecutive Premier League games at home. Although their home form has wavered recently, they have continued to score frequently at Villa Park, netting at least twice in their last eight matches there.
Arsenal, meanwhile, started their season with a strong performance against Wolves, extending their winning streak in the Premier League to seven games. Despite a shaky start, they managed to secure the victory with goals from Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal: Head-to-Head Rivalry
Arsenal’s away form has been exceptional, with 25 points out of 27 possible in 2024 and seven clean sheets in their last nine road games. However, Villa was the only team to achieve a Premier League double over Arsenal last season, with a 1-0 home win and a 2-0 victory at the Emirates.
Arsenal holds a huge historic advantage in this particular clash. The Gunners have managed to secure a win in 16 matches out of the past 24 times these teams have met, Villa only winning 7 of them, and one match ended as a draw, back in 2012.
Team News and Possible Line-ups
Injury concerns for Villa include right-back Matty Cash, who appeared to sustain a knock in the win over West Ham. If Cash is unavailable, backup Kosta Nedeljkovic or Ezri Konsa might step in, with Diego Carlos potentially returning to the defense. Villa’s Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings are still recovering from significant knee injuries, and Duran could be promoted to the starting XI given his impressive goal-scoring record.
For Arsenal, Declan Rice is expected to be fit despite suffering from cramps late in the match against Wolves. Fabio Vieira may also be available, but Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined with injuries. Kai Havertz, who scored and assisted in the Wolves game, will look to improve his record against Villa, as he has yet to score or assist in seven previous Premier League encounters with them.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal: Possible Starting XI
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn; Watkins, Duran
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
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