Arsenal have another tough task ahead of them, to win at Villa Park. Although Unaie Emery's charges didn't start the season as expected, they managed to recover from a slow start. Aston Villa are currently third in the Premier League table, six points behind first-placed Arsenal. The clash at Villa Park presents a huge opportunity for both teams. The Villans can significantly close the gap on the leaders and at the same time rebound from their pursuers. Saturday's game, which will open the 15th round schedule, also presents a unique chance for Arsenal. Confidants Mikel Arteta's they could be on their way to a blockbuster. If they win, they will create a fairly significant nine-point gap between first and third place. At the same time, three points from Villa Park would give the north Londoners an eight-point lead over second-placed Manchester City, who face Sunderland later in the afternoon. Arsenal will have to give a very good and concentrated performance to get full points, because Aston Villa players will have opposite plans.
Form
I was going to write that we discuss the form together here week after week, but it would be more appropriate to write that this activity is on our agenda every three days. As you all know, there are a lot of variables that go into the form evaluation, so this time I decided to look at the form of both teams a little differently than usual. I came across an interesting statistic on social media that I want to share with you. Which one is it? League form of both teams from the last ten games.
Arsenal
Before I move on to Arsenal's record in the last ten league games, let me just remind you that Mikel Arteta's men On Sunday they beat Brentford 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium. Now to the promised numbers. Ten games, seven wins and three draws. Twenty-four points and an unbeaten streak. On this, dare I say longer-term, scale, fArsenal orma very decent. That is also why the Gunners are first in the Premier League table. If I add to all this the performance of Mikel Arteta's charges in the League Cup and Champions League, I have to praise Arsenal even more. In both competitions, Arsenal are 100% so far.
Aston Villa
I'll start a little differently with Aston Villa. Since I don't write about Villans several times a week, unlike Arsenal, I'll quickly add the results from the games after the last national break. Unaie Emery's charges managed four games in all competitions, three in the Premier League and one in the Europa League. How did the Villa Park players fare in those games? More than well, won all four!
Now to the promised longer term league form, which further underlines the situation Aston Villa are currently in. Ten games, eight wins, one draw and one defeat. Adding everything together, Aston Villa have won one more point in the Premier League than Arsenal in this period. So, from the last ten games, Aston Villa have the best record in the top English competition of any team! Villans form cannot be assessed in any other way than superlatives.
Team and expected line-up
An endless story called „Injuries“ in the Arsenal team continues, and so Mikel Arteta will again have to wait until the last minute to be nominated for Villa Park. Fortunately, the Spanish manager has a really wide squad this year, but the injuries since the beginning of the season have been too many for my taste. After the offensive players are slowly coming back from the sack, the defensive ones are taking their place. Hopefully we'll see a time when the absentee list will read 0. What could the starting eleven look like against Aston Villa?
David Raya
There is no point in elaborating on the goalkeeper position. Traditionally, among the three poles will appear David Raya, who is definitely one of the biggest pillars of the team.
Ben White
Ben White played a full game after I don't know how long and reminded us again, what a great defender he can be. Solid defensively and tireless offensively. Personally, I'm a big fan of his, so I was extremely pleased to see him in his old form against Brentford. The combination of a good performance from an English footballer and a large defensive midfield means one thing, Ben White will also start in the starting line-up at Villa Park.
Jurriën Timber
Jurriën Timber had to fill in at fullback for the newly injured Cristhian Mosquera during the first half against Brentford, who will definitely be missed against Aston Villa. A question mark also still hangs over William Saliba, and so I think, that the Dutch all-rounder will have to move to the centre of defence this time. Timber is a fairly regular stopper for the national team, so this will be nothing new for him.
Piero Hincapié
Gabriel's longer-term injury is starting to settle in on the left side of the midfield Piero Hincapié, who should not be missing from the starting line-up today at Villa Park. The main reason is that his performances are very good considering the fact that he is in a new position and after a recent injury. Another is that the Spanish manager doesn't have so many options at the moment to put together a defensive four.
Riccardo Calafiori
I write quite often about edge defenders Timber and Calafiori in the sense that they are deserved members of the starting eleven, which they confirm on a regular basis. Given that it is very likely that it is Jurriën Timber who will have to move to the centre of defence for the Villa Park game, Mikel Arteta will want to maintain what has worked brilliantly so far on the other side of the pitch. That said, I don't expect any changes on the left edge of defence, Riccardo Calafiori will start against Aston Villa in the starting line-up.
Martín Zubimendi
About being Martín Zubimendi at defensive midfielder/defensive midfielder at Arsenal, no doubt. Also, he hasn't played much at all in a short space of time after jumping the last national break, but he simply cannot miss the starting line-up at Villa Park. He may not play the whole game, but he should be on the pitch from the opening whistle.
Declan Rice
Declan Rice had to make a substitution about 10 minutes before the end of the game against Brentford because of a calf problem, but in his own words, he's fine. Arsenal's medical team and Mikel Arteta will have the last word, but knowing Declan Rice, he'll want to play if he can. I really hope that the English international's words prove true. and that he won't be missing from the starting lineup at Villa Park. If Rice were to start on the bench, he would most likely be replaced by the hero of recent games, Mikel Merino.
Martin Ødegaard
Martin Ødegaard is definitely back. After injury problems, the Norwegian playmaker after a relatively long time, he finally scored ninety minutes. The last time Ødegaard played a full game for Arsenal was at the beginning of October and believe it or not, it was only his third ninety minutes against Brentford this season (fourth if I count the national team games). The return of the team captain will certainly be a boost not only for Mikel Arteta, but also for his teammates. Now it's up to the Norwegian footballer to get back to top form as quickly as possible. I believe he'll be on the pitch from the first minute at Villa Park..
Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka came off the bench against Brentford at the weekend and secured Arsenal's win with his goal late in the game. An ideal match for the England international. He doesn't have 90 minutes in his legs and he managed to score, so his confidence will be a little higher. I believe the fact that Saka started on the bench last round means one thing, at Villa Park should start from the first minute.
Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze, like Bukayo Saka, came off the bench for the game against Brentford. I'm leaning towards him not missing the Spanish manager's starting eleven against Aston Villa. I think that with Martin Ødegaard's return we will see more and more of Eze on the left side of the field. Maybe I'm wrong, because Mikel Arteta has plenty of options at left wing at the moment, but I expect, that Eberechi Eze will start in this position today.
Viktor Gyökeres
He'll be back at the top of the attack, healed. Viktor Gyökeres? Mikel Merino, who was filling in at the point forward position, performed very well in this position, which he crowned with goals and assists. However, in my opinion, it is time for Mikel Arteta to use the Swedish international at the spearhead of the attack, who brings completely different elements to Arsenal's game. Not to mention, Mikel Merino has played more than enough in the last two weeks and some rest would definitely do him good as well. I'd like to see Viktor Gyökers in the starting lineup against Aston Villa, so hopefully we'll see the Swedish cannonballer.
Substitutes
If I hit the starting lineup, which I'm not sure I did this time given all the circumstances, the bench should be filled with substitutes Kepa Arrizabalaga, William Saliba, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Christian Nørgaard, Mikel Merino, Ethan Nwaneri, Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. In case of any absences, he will wait for his chance to be part of the team Max Dowman.
As for William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, so you probably noticed that I expect the French defender to appear at least on the substitutes' bench, while I see it differently with Trossard. I'll explain why. Don't look for a big science behind it. Mikel Arteta needs to have all positions covered on the substitutes' bench, and with Arsenal now pushing the boot from a personnel point of view mainly in the defensive department, I'm leaning towards Saliba being part of the nomination. He may not be 100% fit yet and will only be on the bench as a fallback option, but it's still good to have that option as well. It's practically the other way around for the Belgian footballer. Mikel Arteta has enough players for his position at the moment, so it doesn't make sense to risk Trossard's health. Let's quickly move on to the long-term injured. There are still a couple of players on the sick list
Let's quickly get to the long-term injured. There are still a couple on the sidelines Gabriel and Kai Havertz, which is expected to return in a matter of weeks. Unfortunately, all indications are that more will be added to this list Cristhian Mosquera, who will probably be missing for a few weeks. However, the club has not yet officially confirmed the length of his absence.
About the opponent
Aston Villa have risen to the top of the English teams in recent years, which is confirmed by Villans' participation in this year's Europa League. Last year, Aston Villa managed to qualify for the millionaire Champions League. I guess that's enough of an introduction. I've already discussed the table position and current form today, so we can move on to the roster as usual. The squad available to the Spanish manager, which I'll get to in a moment, is really good quality.
From the defensive stalwarts I have to mention the trio Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa and Tyrone Mings. If I go further, to the back-up line, I will find even more interesting names. Youri Tiliemans, Amadou Onana, team captain Joh McGinn or guest pair Jadon Sancho and Harvey Elliott. But probably the biggest star of the team is Morgan Rogers. Among the key players and long-time stalwarts of the Villans squad is undoubtedly the striker Ollie Watkins. Of course, there are other quality footballers of all kinds in the Aston Villa team, from experienced players to talented youngsters. You can take the above names as a sort of overview of what, from my point of view, is the most interesting players.
Arsenal footprint
Also at Aston Villa we can find players, and not only players, who spent part of their career in north London. When I write that it's not just about the players, I think everyone can see where I'm going. Yes, to the managerial position he has held in the Villans camp since 2022. Unai Emery. The Spanish manager was selected by Arsenal's management in 2018 as the most suitable candidate to take over the scepter on the Arsenal bench. That replacing the legendary Arsène Wenger will not be an easy task has been confirmed. The Spanish manager lasted on the Gunners bench for a year and a half before being sacked by the club's management.
Now we can move together from the manager to the players. Don't worry, I haven't forgotten the controversial goalkeeper in my list of key Aston Villa players. Emiliana Martínez. The Argentine world champion is loved by some and hated by others. There is no in-between. I must admit that I myself belong to the latter group, but that does not mean that I cannot appreciate his qualities. The world title alone speaks for itself. As for his career in north London, Martínez was an Arsenal tribal player from 2010 until 2020, when he permanently moved to Aston Villa.
Another footballer in the Villans squad who has worn the Arsenal jersey in the past is Donyell Malen. The Dutch international spent a considerably shorter time in north London than the Argentine goalkeeper, arriving in 2015 and leaving in 2017. During his time at Arsenal, Malen only featured for youth teams and never played for the A's. From Arsenal, this offensive all-rounder moved to PSV in the Netherlands, from where he went on to Borussia Dortmund and then to Aston Villa.
Match
Aston Villa, who have a very good squad, are currently in great form and will be playing on home soil, but for me, Arsenal London is still the favourite. Why? Because Arsenal is also in form and with the return of several offensive players, its strength has increased a bit more. Plain and simple, two quality teams in good form will face each other this afternoon, and that's why the details will decide the game. One of the most important „details“ is the quality of the bench, which is huge on the Arsenal side. The team's chemistry, patience and maturity will also play a role, as in every game. In all these aspects I see an advantage on the side of Mikel Arteta's squad.
As for the match itself, we should see an even battle with the visitors from London having more control of the game. As much as I'd love to be wrong, I don't expect to see a goal scoring spree at Villa Park. I think the more likely scenario is a tactically mature and patient display from both sides. I believe Arsenal's defensive strength will be the difference in such a game. The match could be decided by a single goal in my opinion. I predict Arsenal to win 1:0.
Next match
Arsenal players will play their next game in the Champions League on Wednesday 10 December 2025 at 21:00 (CET) in Bruges, Belgium, against Club Bruggy. According to the paper, it should be a clear-cut match, but that may not mean anything yet. According to the results so far in the Millionaire's Cup, Brugge are a very unpredictable team that can definitely trouble even the big favourites. I'll get to all the important stuff in the next blog.
See you next time, I'll look forward to it!
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Editor, administrator and editor of the True Gunner Diary website, but above all a devoted Arsenal fan. I started with sports articles at the Tipsport bookmaker, where I have published more than 100 blogs. If you want to know more about me, check out the section of the same name here on the site.