The Emirates stadium plays host to Arsenal vs Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon. The home side have been in decent form as of late in the league winning four of their last 6 matches. Most importantly this is their first league match after a huge victory over the league champions at the Etihad, with the side just hanging outside the top four spots as it stand they will be looking to continue their recent run against a Villa side that has been struggling for league form to push themselves into a top four spot. Aston Villa meanwhile have 3 points of a possible 18 in their last 6 matches, picking up no victories in the process. The side also have been unable to find the net since their 1-1 home draw against Manchester United on the 20th of December. Villa have been added a few bonuses in the past few weeks with star man Fabian Delph resigning with the club and Carles Gil having a scoring debut in the FA cup last weekend and will be looking at a potential positive victory away to Arsenal as a catalyst to kick start their season and push them up the league out relegation problems. What will be the result of today’s game get all the football betting information you need to decide on placing your bets!
Team News
A massive blow for the home side is that star man Alexis Sanchez has been listed as unlikely for the Villa match. With their chief creator and top goal scorer potentially absent Arsenal will need to look elsewhere for hero to break down the Villa back line. A bonus for the home support is that new signing Gabriel Paulista is likely to make his first appearance for the club on Sunday. In terms of injuries Arsenal will be without Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain while Danny Welbeck is a doubt for the game.
Aston Villa have been handed a recent boost with club captain Ron Vlaar returning to training along with; Fabian Delph, Joe Cole and Gabby Agbonglahor. While Agbonglahor is fit both Vlaar and Delph are still listed as doubts while Cole is unlikely to feature. For a game against an in form Arsenal side at the Emirates Lambert will be hoping to be able to release Fabian Delph on the game off the back of signing his new long term deal with the club. New singing Scott Sinclair has arrived on loan from Manchester City and is expected to go straight into the squad for the Arsenal clash.
Interesting Statistics
- Villa are currently on a run of 5 league games without a goal. The side have never went 6 league games without scoring
- Christian Benteke has 3 goals in 4 league games against Arsenal. Arsenal forward Danny Welbeck meanwhile has 4 goals in his last 3 league starts against Aston Villa
- Aston Villa have earned 11 points at the Emirates Stadium. The only side to earn more points at Arsenals home ground is Chelsea and Man United with 12
- The last time the two sides met at the Emirates was August 2013 where Villa ran out 3-1 winners. Benteke scored twice that day
- Top goalscorer in this Premier League fixture is Thierry Henry. The former Arsenal hero netted 12 times against the Villains
Key Players
Arsenal: Olivier Giroud
With Danny Welbeck still a doubt for the game Arsenal will be looking to the French forward to lead the line against Villa at the weekend. Top goalscorer Alexis Sanchez is a doubt also for the match meaning that Giroud is the sides top goalscroer for the match and they will be looking for him to add to his tally for the season. While injury ravaged the strikers first half of the season Giroud has still managed to net 6 goals in 11 league appearances which is an impressive return. Giroud has the movement and link up play that will allow the Arsenal midfield to get involved in front of the Villa goal with the likes of Carzola and Ramsey looking to also add to their goals for the season to continue Arsenals push for top four. With Welbeck coming back from injury Giroud will want to remain impressive in the striker role so that he can maintain his first choice status in that position when the England international returns.
Aston Villa: Fabian Delph
Off the back of his singing his new contract Fabian Delph will want to endear himself even further to the Villa fans by helping get the side back on a positive run of form, an away day at the Emirates is a good a time as any for the young midfielder. Arsenals midfield has that infamy of being lightweight and the in your face style of play from Delph could be what rattles the Arsenal midfield into a poor performances allowing Villa to get the result they want. There is a reason the Villa man is now in the England reckoning and subject of interest from the likes of Liverpool, he is starting to live up to the potential that had Villa purchase him from Leeds United at such a young age. He is a key man in the Villa side and is capable of setting the tone of a Villa performance from the centre of the park and should he shake of the injury that has his listed as a doubt for the match, you would expect him to honour his new contract with a performance worthy of the travelling Villa support
Prediction
It’s hard to see past a home win when you look at the two sides recent results, but anything is possible in the Premier League. Although Arsenal will be without main man Alexis Sanchez the depth of quality within their squad is there to defeat a struggling Aston Villa side. However, Villa have had a lot of joy at the Emirates in the past and it does strike as the kind of game that Arsenal are famous for making a mess off and throwing off their good run, especially after recording one of their best results in recent years away at the Etihad in the last round of Premier League fixtures Villa will be lifted with their recent signings and finally finding the net even if it was in the FA cup, Gil will likely want to continue his good start to his Villa career and endear himself even further to the Villa faithful with a big performance against Arsenal. I expect Villa to finally find the net in the league but cannot see them picking up a victory, either a draw or an Arsenal victory. Villa’s best chance for picking up a positive result at the Emirates will be through scoring the first goal of the game,
1-1 draw
