Aston Villa vs Arsenal Premier League preview: How to watch, lineups, changes & prediction

Arsenal play their second match in just 64 hours, and their third in six days overall, when they travel to Aston Villa for Saturday’s Premier League clash. Here is the match preview.

As much as you can mentally prepare yourself for a defeat, one that feels inevitable against one of the finest sides on the continent, it doesn’t stop it being an unwelcome feeling.

Liverpool were left frustrated and slightly worried after an opening 45 minutes from Arsenal that showed plenty of grit and encouragement, which saw the hosts head into half-time slightly on top. The Gunners didn’t overly threaten but to compete as they did demonstrated how far they have come in a short space of time.

Martin Odegaard then spurned a glorious chance to take the lead in the second half – although Lacazette’s pass wasn’t the best – and just three minutes later the sucker punch came. There was only ever going be one winner from there.

https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1504252262679339010

Aston Villa vs Arsenal Premier League preview: How to watch, predicted lineups, Mikel Arteta rotating his side & score prediction

But there is no time to sulk. There is probably not even any time whatsoever to dissect the performance and see where improvements can be made.

The team must not only play on Saturday lunchtime, but away from home as well. Villa at Villa Park is a fixture with potential banana skin written all over it. Steven Gerrard’s side are in strong form despite falling to defeat at West Ham last time out, with individuals such as Matty Cash, Philippe Coutinho and Jacob Ramsey all finding their stride of late.

Having played so few games on account of the lack of European football, postponements and early FA Cup exit, suddenly Arsenal are having to play three times across a time period where they would usually be playing only once.

A reaction is utterly paramount. For all the excitement and belief that has followed this team throughout the winter, the mood can shift in an instant if they suffer back-to-back defeats. If they were to lose this game then Tottenham have the chance to go level on points later on Sunday when they host West Ham.

Arsenal have to take the spoils. No tepid 1-0 defeats like on this ground last season. For morale and confidence heading into the international break before an April packed full of games, that’s imperative.

How to Watch on TV

When Is Kick Off? Saturday 17 March
What Time Is Kick Off? 12:30 (GMT)
Where Is it Played? Villa Park
TV Channel/Live Stream? BT Sport (UK) fuboTV (USA)
Referee? Andy Madley
Who is on VAR? Jonathan Moss

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Arsenal Team News vs Aston Villa – Any Knocks or Injuries?

It would appear that fatigue is going to be the Gunners’ biggest enemy when they make the trip up to Birmingham on Saturday, with the short turnover time between matches, especially with one of them coming against a side of Liverpool’s quality, exhausting for anyone.

Mikel Arteta knows this, with his substitutions clearly reflecting what and who he wants to play in the game.

Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Alexandre Lacazette all came off in the defeat to Liverpool, with none of the players seeming to have any issues, and instead them coming off to give some rest before the weekend.

The situation is as you were with injuries as Takehiro Tomiyasu remains the only absentee. However, speaking recently, Arteta provided some welcome news on the right-back.

"“We have been trying to push him, but with the handbrake a little bit because we need to be careful as we don’t want to get another injury with him,” he revealed."

Hope is that he may be fit, although the international break looks set to be his chance to recover further.

As for the hosts, Calum Chambers is hoping to be fit to face his old side after picking up a blow to the face against West Ham, while Lucas Digne will miss out with a hamstring injury and Douglas Luiz is another doubt with another facial injury.

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Arsenal Predicted Lineup to Face Aston Villa – Rotation?

Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Chambers, Mings, Young; McGinn, Sanson, Ramsey, Coutinho; Watkins, Ings

Arsenal: Ramsdale; Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Martinelli

Aston Villa vs Arsenal Score Prediction

This is a bigger game than Liverpool. This is the biggest game of the season now.

What dropping points would do here both for their top four rivals as well as their own confidence could heavily swing the tide. It’s all about recovering well and reacting immediately with a result at Villa Park, one where the scoreline is all that matters. Performance comes second in this one.

Even if Arsenal had beaten Liverpool this game was one where a slip-up felt highly plausible. You know at some stage that this team would drop points in a game they’re fancied in, and a raucous Villa Park against a team in a strong run of form has all the hallmarks of an unwanted outcome.

Add to that the travel up to the midlands having just played an energy sapping game against Liverpool and the worry creeps in.

What are the positive omens? Well, Villa tend to buckle against those at the top end of the table with them losing every top-eight clash against sides not called Manchester United. The other reassuring aspect is that Arsenal are themselves playing brilliantly right now. That mustn’t be forgotten.

Had they have produced the performance against Liverpool against any side in the Premier League other than Manchester City they would be three points better off. Thomas Partey is in the form of his life and both wide players can cause anyone problems.

Lacazette will sharpen his elbows for Mings and Chamebrs while Odegaard will relish getting on the ball more in dangerous positions, having been starved of that in midweek, and even if they’re shattered the team will be well up for this one.

However, it’s tough to shake the crippling worry. A fixture that draws concern even before a ball is kick in the season could be a costly one. The fear has set in for an upset and a result that foes against the run of play.

Score Prediction: Aston Villa 2-0 Arsenal