The teams are out on the pitch, with kick-off just moments away!
Villa have won their last three Premier League meetings with Arsenal, as many as they had in their previous 36 against them in the competition (W3 D9 L24). They last won four consecutive league games against the Gunners in September 1962.
Despite the loss to Wolves, Smith has stuck with the same side that started that match. Villa are boosted by Bailey’s return to the squad though after a thigh injury that he picked up against Everton. He starts on the bench.
Mikel Arteta makes three changes from the side that drew with Palace on Monday. Lacazette starts after scoring in that match, with Lokonga and Tavares, who makes his first Premier League start for the club, also being brought in. Odegaard and Pepe drop to the bench, while Kieran Tierney misses out with an ankle problem.
ASTON VILLA SUBS: Leon Bailey, Kortney Hause, Anwar El Ghazi, Marvelous Nakamba, Cameron Archer, Morgan Sanson, Ashley Young, Jed Steer, Jacob Ramsey.
ASTON VILLA STARTING XI (3-4-1-2): Emiliano Martinez; Ezri Konsa Ngoyo, Axel Tuanzebe, Tyrone Mings; Matty Cash, John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, Matt Targett; Emiliano Buendia; Danny Ings, Ollie Watkins.
ARSENAL SUBS: Mohamed Elneny, Gabriel Martinelli, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Martin Odegaard, Bernd Leno, Rob Holding, Sead Kolasinac, Nicolas Pepe, Cedric Soares.
ARSENAL STARTING XI (4-2-3-1): Aaron Ramsdale; Takehiro Tomiyasu, Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Nuno Tavares; Thomas Partey, Albert Sambi Lokonga; Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith Rowe, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang; Alexandre Lacazette.
After a poor start to their season, Arsenal have turned things around and are now unbeaten in their last five Premier League games (W3 D2). It was a dramatic finish to their last outing in the competition, as Alexandre Lacazette’s late goal snatched a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace. There was late drama in Villa’s last match as well, with Wolves coming from behind and scoring a stoppage-time winner to beat them 3-2. They’ve now lost back-to-back league games, with their last win coming against Manchester United at the end of September.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League meeting between Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium!
Be the first to comment