Aston Villa host Arsenal in the most mouth-watering Premier League clash of the weekend at Villa Park.
The stage is set for Aston Villa to record three successive victories over Arsenal after doing the double over Mikel Arteta’s men last season.
Unai Emery’s men claimed a 1-0 victory at home before handing the Gunners what remains their only league defeat of 2024 with a 2-1 win at the Emirates.
That loss effectively helped Manchester City pip Arsenal to the Premier League title, adding fuel to the visitors’ revenge act on Saturday evening.
Emery will have a lot to say about that, though, having won three of his five matches against the man in the opposite dugout, Arteta.
Chris Sutton shares his prediction for Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Whilst Aston Villa snatched a victory late on against West Ham United last weekend, Arsenal were comfortable 2-0 winners against Wolves.
Given how well they ended last season, many will expect the visitors to make an early statement at Villa Park and secure three points.
That is easier said than done as Villa, of course, have tactically outsmarted the North London giants in their last two meetings.
It promises to be a tightly contested affair once more and BBC Sport pundit Chris Sutton believes the result ‘smells of a draw’ however, he’s gone against his gut by predicting Arsenal to win 2-1.
Sutton wrote: “Arsenal really had control over Wolves last week and VIlla are at home after a big win against West Ham. It smells of a draw but I am going to say Arteta’s Arsenal will pickpocket Aston Villa and edge it.”
Sutton isn’t the first and won’t be the last to predict an Arsenal win but that is only spurring Villa on to produce another fantastic result against the Gunners.
Ollie Watkins record vs Arsenal
Ollie Watkins looked off the pace in the win over West Ham as he was substituted on the hour mark for Jhon Duran.
Watkins’s rusty performance was understandable as he didn’t play a single minute in pre-season and arrived late following his extended break.
Despite Duran scoring the winner last time out, it’s highly unlikely Emery will drop his talisman for the 20-year-old and it would be typical for the Englishman to come alive in this fixture after struggling last week.
The striker’s record against Arsenal makes for good reading, as his strike at the Emirates last term was his fifth in nine games.
On that occasion, he outfoxed Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba, who are two of the best defenders on the planet, so he knows his piercing movement and deadly finishing can be the recipe for another Villa masterclass.
