ARSENAL return to Premier League action on Saturday when they travel to face Aston Villa.
The Gunners clinched a dramatic 4-3 win over Luton on Tuesday thanks to Declan Rice’s late heroics.
However, Mikel Arteta was booked for “over celebrating” and is now BANNED from the touchline at Villa Park.
Meanwhile, Aston Villa stunned Manchester City on Wednesday.
Unai Emery’s side cruised to a 1-0 win over the treble winners after dominating the match.
And now they sit third in the Premier League table, just four points behind the Gunners.
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Arsenal pulled off a late win at Villa Park last season, but will they be able to do the same this time around?
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Bertrand Traore picked up an injury during the international break and is set to miss Saturday’s match.
Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings are also absent as they continue to recover from ACL injuries.
The Gunners suffered a huge injury blow earlier this week when Takehiro Tomiyasu was ruled out for at least three weeks with a calf issue.
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Thomas Partey is set to be unavailable until the new year with a thigh injury.
Fabio Vieira, Emile Smith Rowe and Jurrien Timber are also absent.
What is their form like?
Both teams have been in good form since the start of the season.
Villa come into this game off the back of a 1-0 win over Man City.
They also leapfrogged Pep Guardiola’s side into third in the Premier League table.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are also flying high in the Premier League.
They are currently two points clear at the top with just one defeat in 15 games.
Ones to watch
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins always seems to be at his best whenever the Gunners are in town.
And he has been one of the Prem’s stand-out players so far this season.
In 15 appearances Watkins has scored eight goals and provided eight assists – and he will certainly be looking to add to that tally on Saturday.
Arsenal’s star man this season continues to be Declan Rice.
The £105million man has more than lived up to his price tag since the start of the campaign.
He was responsible for Arsenal’s late win over Luton on Tuesday after popping up with a 97th-minute header.
What has been said?
When asked how he will prepare his team for Saturday’s clash following the win over Man City this week, Unai Emery said: “Firstly, we will rest and try to recover the players.
“We need full energy and in Villa Park, we must create a strong atmosphere. They are transmitting to us their energy. We will try to play good football as a team tactically and individually too.
“Then, trying to impose our game plan which against Man City was very difficult, but we did it more than less.
“Through it, we deserved to win. We created chances, we avoided having chances against us. We avoided corners of them offensively. Tonight the work of us was fantastic. The job from the players was a very good job.”
SunSport’s score prediction
Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
When is Aston Villa vs Arsenal?
- Aston Villa vs Arsenal will take place on Saturday, December 9th.
- Kick off will be at 5.30pm GMT.
- Villa Park will host.
What TV channel is Aston Villa vs Arsenal on and can it be live streamed?
- Aston Villa vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event.
- Sky Sports customers can live stream all the action via the NOW app/website.
- Alternatively, you can follow SunSport’s live blog to keep up to date with all the action.
What are the odds?
Match result
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- Aston Villa – 23/10
- Draw – 12/5
- Arsenal – 11/10
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power and are correct at the time of publication.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
