0 Aston Villa vs 2 Arsenal
Arsenal eyeing 10-game unbeaten away run in trip to Villa.
Aston Villa aim to continue their winning streak as they host Arsenal at Villa Park on Saturday, a clash where the Gunners look to maintain their impressive away form and extend their dominance at this historic venue.
Aston Villa
Villa picked up a 2-1 win over West Ham on the opening weekend of the Premier League, despite losing the lead at some point. Lucas Paqueta [37’ P.] converted from the penalty spot after a tangle in the box to rob Villa of their lead following an opening goal inside five minutes from Amadou Onana [4'], who was making his debut.
Moments later, Jhon Durán [79’], who failed to make the switch to West Ham, came off the bench to bag the win against his would-have-been side. The opening-day win leaves behind a fine atmosphere, with Villa hoping to replicate last season’s form, which saw them finish in 4th place.
While Saturday’s clash against Arsenal will be a different kettle of fish altogether, Villa are within touching distance of three wins in a row over Arsenal, having picked up a double against the Gunners last season. Victory here would see Unai Emery’s side earn victories in two opening games for the fourth time in club history.
Ollie Watkins is expected to lead the attack in Emery’s 4—2—3—1 on Saturday when they face the Gunners. While long-term absentees Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings remain unavailable, Emi Martínez recently put pen to paper for a new long-term contract that will keep him at Villa Park until 2029.
Arsenal
Thanks to Bukayo Saka, Arsenal had no problems putting Wolves aside despite the Wanderers holding a potent threat throughout the encounter, which ended in a 2-0 win for the Gunners. Saka provided the assist for Arsenal’s opener, a towering header from Kai Havertz in the 25th minute, before going on to score a fabulous left-footer from the edge of the box in the 74th minute.
Mikel Arteta’s side is now looking to pick up victories in both of their opening games when they face Villa on Saturday. An impressive away record leaves Arsenal unbeaten in their last nine Premier League away fixtures, winning eight and drawing one, while keeping seven clean sheets in those nine games.
The Gunners have won 14 times at Villa Park in the Premier League, a record matched only by their victories at Selhurst Park. Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, and Havertz are all expected to keep their places at the attacking end of Arteta’s 4-3-3 formation.
Takehiro Tomiyasu, wantaway Kieran Tierney, and Fabio Vieira are all ruled out of Saturday’s clash.
Team form
Showing the latest five games—giving you a quick look at recent performance trends. Teams in good form tend to do well in the next match.
Team Comparison
Side-by-side assessment of team statistics, including goals, attacks, and more. This allows you to directly compare key performance metrics. Analyzing these stats can reveal patterns and strengths that might influence the outcome.