Aston Villa will welcome Arsenal to Villa Park on Saturday, and both sides will be keen to return to winning ways in the Premier League.
The Villans went down 2-1 to West Ham United last weekend, which ended their three-game winning run. They are ninth in the league table and will be aiming to go into the upcoming international break on a winning note.
Likewise, Arsenal are seeking an immediate return to winning ways after losing 2-0 at home to title challengers Liverpool in midweek.
The defeat to Jurgen Klopp’s side brought an end to the Gunners’ five-game winning run, but Mikel Arteta will be confident of getting a positive result and consolidating his team’s fourth position.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Team News
Aston Villa
Lucas Digne was forced off with a muscle injury against West Ham and remains a big doubt for the upcoming fixture. Douglas Luiz and Calum Chambers both sustained facial injuries last weekend, with the former requiring surgery, which makes the duo doubtful too.
Rise and shine, it's matchday. 🙌
Up the Villa! 💜 #AVLARS pic.twitter.com/5PE5qC1j0k
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) March 19, 2022
Emiliano Martinez is a permanent fixture in the Aston Villa goal. With Lucas Digne unlikely to make the Aston Villa lineup, Ashley Young could deputise at left-back on Saturday. If Calum Chambers doesn’t recover in time to face his former employers, Ezri Konsa will partner Tyrone Mings in central defence. Matty Cash, meanwhile, should retain his position at right-back.
Douglas Luiz may not be risked following a facial surgery, which could open the door for Morgan Sanson to start. John McGinn could slot in the deeper role, with Jacob Ramsey keeping his intact as one of two 8s. The trio of Sanson, McGinn and Ramsey will be tasked to cut the supply lines of Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey in the middle of the park.
Striker Danny Ings could miss out to accommodate the extra creative presence of Emiliano Buendia, who will look to combine with the in-form Philippe Coutinho and create openings for Ollie Watkins up top.
Arsenal
As for Arsenal, they did not pick up any fresh injury problems in the defeat to Liverpool, meaning Takehiro Tomiyasu (calf) remains the only player out injured for now. Following the quick turnaround, Arteta could decide to ring changes to his side on Saturday.
🚨 MATCHDAY!
🆚 Aston Villa
🏆 Premier League
🕒 12.30pm (UK)
🏟 Villa Park #AVLARS pic.twitter.com/Cf8ElhfFTu— Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 19, 2022
Aaron Ramsdale will retain his spot between the sticks, with the back four of Cedric Soares, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Kieran Tierney in front of the custodian.
The two central-midfield positions will be taken up by Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey, and they must look to get a grip on the game quickly to stop the hosts from playing their natural game.
Martin Odegaard is the creative link between the midfield and attack, which makes him one of the first names on the team sheet. Gabriel Martinelli could drop down to the bench after running himself to the ground against Liverpool, with Emile Smith Rowe replacing him on the left. Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette, meanwhile, should keep their places and complete the forward line.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Predicted Lineups
Predicted Arsenal Lineup (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale; Cedric Soares, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Kieran Tierney; Thomas Partey, Granit Xhaka; Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard, Emile Smith Rowe; Alexandre Lacazette
Predicted Aston Villa Lineup (4-3-2-1): Emiliano Martinez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings, Ashley Young; Morgan Sanson, John McGinn, Jacob Ramsey; Philippe Coutinho; Emi Buendia, Ollie Watkins
Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Key Players
Aston Villa – Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho has been a key performer for the club since arriving on loan from Barcelona in the January transfer window. Against Arsenal, a lot of eyes will be on him due to his ability to turn around games on its heads. The Gunners will want to keep the Brazilian playmaker quiet, whose incisive passing and set-piece prowess could cause serious problems.
Arsenal—Martin Odegaard
Martin Odegaard is Arsenal’s creator-in-chief, tasked with linking the play between the midfield and attack. The way the Norwegian can glide past players, set up his teammates in the final third and score goals make him such a dangerous player to contain for any defence. He could play an instrumental role for Arteta’s side in unlocking the Villa door.
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
