Aston Villa vs Arsenal - Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups and prediction
- Aston Villa can move to within one point of Arsenal with a win
- Unai Emery spent 18 months in charge of the Gunners
- Arsenal were the last team to earn a Premier League victory at Villa Park
By Euan Burns
In-form Aston Villa host title challengers Arsenal in a mouth-watering Premier League clash on Saturday evening.
Describing Aston Villa just as 'in-form' may not even be fair anymore after Unai Emery's side dominated Manchester City to record a 14th consecutive league victory at Villa Park on Wednesday night. The Midlands giants sit third in the table, just four points behind Arsenal.
The Gunners picked up three points of their own during the midweek fixtures as they dramatically beat Luton Town 4-3 at Kenilworth Road.
Here is all that you need to know about Arsenal's trip to face Aston Villa on Saturday in the Premier League.
What time does Aston Villa vs Arsenal kick-off?
- Location: Birmingham, England
- Stadium: Villa Park
- Date: Saturday 9 December
- Kick-off Time: 20:15 GMT / 12:30 ET / 09:30 PT
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
- VAR: Michael Salisbury
Aston Villa vs Arsenal H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Aston Villa: 1 win
- Arsenal: 4 wins
- Draws: 0
Current form (all competitions)
- Aston Villa: WWWDW
- Arsenal: WWWWW
How to watch Aston Villa vs Arsenal on TV and live stream
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Main Event, BBC Radio 5 Live, SKY GO Extra |
United States | SiriusXM FC, NBCTelemundo, Peacock, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo |
Canada | fuboTV Canada |
Aston Villa team news
The main concern for Aston Villa coming into this game from a fitness perspective was Leon Bailey. Having played superbly and scored what proved to be the winning goal against Manchester City, the Jamaica international hobbled away from the field of play.
But Bailey got the nod from Emery, in a team that continues to see Ezri Konsa cover for Matty Cash at right-back.
Aston Villa confirmed lineup vs Arsenal
Aston Villa confirmed lineup vs Arsenal (4-4-1-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Luiz, Kamara, McGinn; Tielemans; Watkins
Arsenal team news
As for Arsenal, the injury list has not gotten any smaller for Mikel Arteta. Takehiro Tomiyasu is going to be out for a while with the calf issue he picked up last weekend, while the likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber are all expected to be sidelined until 2024.
That meant there was little scope for Arteta to change his side against Villa, and he will not even be on the touchline because he got his third yellow card of the season celebrating Declan Rice's late winner against Luton.
Arsenal confirmed lineup vs Aston Villa
Arsenal confirmed lineup vs Aston Villa (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Martinelli.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal score prediction
Given the quality that these two sides have been showing in recent weeks, it is really hard to pick a winner. There is the potential for goals though, which is one of many reasons as to why this game is worth watching.
Arsenal are lacking defensive alternatives but you can never bet against the Gunners finding the net. This one may well end up as a draw at Villa Park, but it could well be a high-scoring contest to entertain the neutral.
Prediction: Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal
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