FULL TIME
0-2
MATCH PREVIEW & MORE INFO
Ason Villa: possible starting lineup: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn; Watkins, Duran
Arsenal: possible starting lineup: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli
Match Preview
Arsenal will face a familiar face in the West Midlands on Saturday as they take on Unai Emery's Aston Villa in a Premier League clash. Both teams have started the season with three points, with Villa securing a 2-1 victory over West Ham United, while Mikel Arteta's Arsenal earned a 2-0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Aston Villa's match against West Ham saw Colombian striker Jhon Duran make an impact, scoring the decisive goal 11 minutes from time after Lucas Paquetá had equalized for the Hammers. Duran's winner ended Villa's four-match winless streak in the Premier League and signaled his commitment to Emery's side.
Villa are aiming for back-to-back Premier League wins to start the season, something they have achieved only three times before. Despite some inconsistency at home, they have managed to score at least twice in their last eight matches at Villa Park.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have been strong away from home, amassing 25 points out of a possible 27 in Premier League road games in 2024. They have also kept seven clean sheets in those nine matches. In their season opener, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka combined to secure a 2-0 win over Wolves, extending Arsenal's Premier League winning streak to seven games.
However, Arsenal will be wary of Aston Villa, who completed a Premier League double over them last season, with Emery orchestrating both victories. Villa won 1-0 at home and followed it up with a 2-0 victory at the Emirates, showing Emery's tactical acumen against his former club.
In terms of team news, Villa right-back Matty Cash was substituted late in the game against West Ham after taking a knock, but Emery did not express any concern afterward. If Cash is unavailable, Ezri Konsa could move to right-back, with Diego Carlos slotting into central defense. Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings remain sidelined with knee injuries, while Jhon Duran could be promoted to the starting lineup given his impressive goal-scoring rate.
For Arsenal, Declan Rice was forced off with cramp late in the win over Wolves but is expected to be fit for the Villa clash. Fabio Vieira may also be in contention after a hip issue, but Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are still recovering from hamstring and knee injuries, respectively. Kai Havertz, fresh from his goal and assist against Wolves, will look to improve his personal record against Villa, having failed to score or assist in seven previous Premier League encounters with them.