Aston Villa will aim to maintain their strong start to the new season with a favorable result against Arsenal in their first home game. They made a solid start to the season with a 2-1 win over West Ham. Onana scored an early header for Villa, and Duran sealed the victory with a clinical finish late in the second half.
Arsenal also began the season well with a 2-0 home win against Wolves. Havertz scored a goal and provided an assist, and Saka also scored a stunning goal. Raya, last season’s Golden Glove winner, made excellent saves to secure a clean sheet and provide stability at the back.
Emery’s boys will look to take control from the very start and make their ex-boss’s side uncomfortable, but can Mikel Arteta’s Gunners take revenge for last season’s heartbreak?
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Kick-Off
Date: 24th August 2024, Saturday.
Time: 5:30 PM BST.
Venue: Villa Park.
Match Officials
Referee: Micheal Oliver.
Assistants: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook.
Fourth Official: Darren England.
VAR: Peter Bankes.
Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart.
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Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Team News
Matty Cash picked up an injury in the last game week and is expected not to make the lineup for their fixture against the Gunners. Kamara and Mings are both recovering from their knee injuries and are expected to miss a couple more weeks due to their recovery.
For Arsenal, Declan Rice had to come off due to an injury in the last game but is expected to start after being pictured training this week. Versatile defender Takehiro Tomiyasu and Kieran Tierney won’t be available as they are nursing injuries.
Pre-Match Tactical Analysis
Even with the odds against Aston Villa’s side due to their less than favourable set of games in pre-season, they managed to win their opening fixture with a dominant display. Although they did get the win, the penetration from West Ham’s attack didn’t cause massive problems for their defence, which could be a different case against Arsenal, as they have players who are ready to threaten them at any given moment.
Arsenal have shown an intent to build out from the back – control and dominance in every phase of the pitch. The man-to-man high press, baiting of press in the build-up, and finding areas for central progression have become the norm in order to overwhelm any opposition. Villa’s boss Emery will be aware of this and could pose different threats via a mid-block to Arsenal. He may choose to sit back, counter, and exploit the gaps.
The biggest question in Arsenal’s lineup would be whether to include or exclude Zinchenko because of his tendency to become a liability against tricky wingers – Bailey being one of them who has caused him issues before by playing through the wider channels. Timber’s presence could solidify the left-hand side massively, and Calafiori wouldn’t be risked so early into his time at Arsenal to play a big game.
Chance creation wasn’t a problem for Aston Villa in their first game against West Ham, but rather the lack of clinical finishing with their chances in front of goal. Against one of the best defences from last season, they’d need to take each and every chance to stay in the game. Another aspect is to dominate physically in the centre of the park, with Onana leading as the midfield general against the maestro Declan Rice.
This game could give Arsenal massive momentum going forward with the fixtures they have coming their way. Being clinical and capitalizing on all the chances that come their way is going to be decisive for both sides.
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Key Players
Ollie Watkins
Villa’s main attacking outlet was in prime form last season. With 19 goals and 13 assists, he led the charts for the most contributions in the league last season. His clinical finishing and ability to get into the right spaces at the right time have made him a game-changer. His aerial presence from corners or free-kick situations can be a threat to Arsenal. Watkins’ playmaking and link-up play allow him to hold off defenders and create chances for his teammates too. Can Arsenal’s renowned defence keep him out of the game, or will he score again like he did last season?
Kai Havertz
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Arsenal’s main strike force leading from the front had a fantastic start to the season in the first game after heading one goal and assisting the other. Although he’s been used as a LCM/SS hybrid this pre-season in order to accommodate Jesus as a CF, he’s expected to start as a CF. As much as Havertz looks imposing on the ball, his physical attributes make him a real danger man in set pieces on both halves of the pitch. Off the ball movements, late box crashing and clinical link-up play can be vividly expected from Kai Havertz vs Vila – a side he has never gotten a G/A against
Aston Villa vs Arsenal – Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Arsenal: Martinez, Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne, Tielemans, Onana, McGinn, Bailey, Rogers, Watkins.
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Arsenal predicted lineup vs Aston Villa: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, TImber; Partey, Rice, Odegaard; Martinelli, Havertz, Saka.