Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Premier League – Preview, Team News and Updates

22 Aug 2024 ScoreWaves Staff view

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The 2024/25 Premier League kicked off with a bang, leaving fans eagerly anticipating more action. And the wait is almost over! This weekend, the Premier League is back with a blockbuster showdown between Aston Villa and Arsenal as the highlight of the week.

Both Arsenal and Aston Villa enjoyed a terrific 2023/24 campaign, with the Gunners pushing Manchester City in the title race and the Villans earning a coveted spot in the Champions League. In fact, a crucial defeat to Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in April handed City the advantage in the title race. Now, the Gunners will look to avenge that loss and maintain their 100% start to the 2024/25 season.

However, it’s easier said than done. Aston Villa are no pushover, and they will be highly motivated to prove that their brilliance during the 2023/24 season was no fluke. So, which team will come out on top at Villa Park on Saturday?

Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Match Preview

The 2024/25 season has the potential to be one of the most competitive in recent memory. During this period of ultra-competitive football, two clubs who have stood out are Aston Villa and Arsenal. Arsenal, under the leadership of Mikel Arteta, have established themselves as a title contender and the biggest threat to Manchester City’s dominance. Meanwhile, Unai Emery has worked wonders at Villa in less than two years. Aston Villa’s progression from a mid-table club to Champions League hopefuls under Emery’s coaching is nothing short of miraculous.

Both Arsenal and Aston Villa have started the season with a win. Despite a few hiccups, Arsenal eased past Wolves by 2-0 in their Premier League opener. Both Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka were on the scoresheet against Wolves. However, that wasn’t the case for Villans, as they had to toil hard for their first win of the new Premier League season. Aston Villa needed a 79th winner from Jhon Duran to overcome West Ham by a scoreline of 2-1. However, on a positive note; new signing Amadou Onana scored on his Premier League debut and seems to have settled in comfortably.

Now, both Arsenal and Aston Villa will face each other on Saturday, which means that their 100% record is at risk. Arsenal are considered favorites for the win, but by a very small margin. However, Unai Emery’s men did the double over the Gunners last season, securing a 1-0 victory at home and a 2-0 win at Emirates. Furthermore, the game will be played at Villa Park, handing Unai Emery’s men the incentive to win and treat their fans to a memorable game. Therefore, the clash between the two clubs is highly anticipated.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Team News and Updates

The Gunners go into this blockbuster match-up with a relatively short injury list. Japanese international Takehiro Tomiyasu is ruled out for the game after he suffered a knee injury in the preseason. Tomiyasu is joined by Kieran Tierney on Arsenal’s injury list, as the Scottish left back is recovering from a hamstring injury. On a positive note, Fabio Viera, who missed Arsenal’s opener because of a hip injury, could return to the team sheet.

Furthermore, after missing the entirety of the 2023/24 season due to an ACL injury, Jurrien Timber came on as a second-half substitute against Wolves. As a result, Mikel Arteta is in a very good position, with most of his key starters fit and ready for the crunch game against Aston Villa. Therefore, Arteta could name an unchanged eleven against the Villans.

Meanwhile, following an impressive summer transfer window, Aston Villa possess the squad depth to rival any “Big 6” Premier League club. New signings like Amadou Onana, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Jaden Philogene and several others have raised the ceiling of Emery’s Villa project. However, the Spanish manager would be without the services of Tyronne Mings and Boubacar Kamara. Both players were key players for Villa before they suffered an ACL injury. A timeline for their return is still unknown.