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Arsenal vs Aston Villa preview: How to watch, lineups, Arteta’s future & prediction

By Ross Kennerley

LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Dean Smith, Manager of Aston Villa shakes hands with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on November 08, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 08: Dean Smith, Manager of Aston Villa shakes hands with Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on November 08, 2020 in London, England. Sporting stadiums around the UK remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 18: Mikel Arteta, Manager of Arsenal reacts during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Crystal Palace at Emirates Stadium on October 18, 2021 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images) /

Arsenal Predicted Starting Lineup to Face Aston Villa – Back to 4-2-3-1?

Arsenal: Ramsdale; Tomiyasu, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Partey, Sambi, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe; Aubameyang

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Targett; McGinn, Nakamba, Douglas Luiz; Buendia, Ings, Watkins.

Arsenal vs Aston Villa Score Prediction

It is growing increasingly difficult to even fake hope at this stage. In the search for progression and improvement, while it’s existed in spits and spats, it isn’t happening soon enough for fans to envisage this season being anything other than more of the same.

How long has Arteta had this full complement of new arrivals available to him? Long enough for there to be signs of gelling and an understanding of the gameplan. Yet what was on display against Crystal Palace was a new set of players doing all the same things Arteta had his previous teams doing.

The same glaring issues in the speed of build up and propensity for going wide were as they were. Even with hundreds of millions of pounds worth of talent, Arsenal were limp and outgunned.

Villa will be a tough Premier League fixture. Make no bones about it. The Villans may be below Arsenal in the table but they’ve been unfortunate on many occasions this season where their performances have warranted more than they’ve earned.

Investing their Jack Grealish money in three new forwards, there is variety to their play and they can attack from all different angles. Emi Buendia will be on the turf many supporters hoped he’d be calling home and Ollie Watkins will want a repeat of the crimes he committed on Rob Holding and Hector Bellerin last season.

Do they have any weaknesses? This season it’s undoubtedly their defence: Tyrone Mings struggles positionally and set pieces have looked all over the shop. Fortunately for them Arsenal couldn’t score from a corner if the other team was sat in the dressing room.

Arsenal have to improve drastically, which includes vastly better individual performances. It just seems like a bridge too far at this point.

Next. 4 tactical mistakes Arteta made vs Palace. dark

Score Prediction: Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa

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