3 lessons Arsenal must learn from recent Aston Villa defeats

Arsenal head into the second gameweek of the 2024/25 campaign with some demons to face head on.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa were the only team in the Premier League last season to complete the double over Mikel Arteta's Gunners - crippling the north London club's title charge as they finished two points adrift of perennial champions Manchester City.

After falling to a 1-0 defeat at a daunting Villa Park, Arsenal were beaten 2-0 at home during the run-in - their only blip during an otherwise imperious run of form down the stretch.

Emery's Villa are an excellent side, and they'll be competing in this season's Champions League as a result. While we're at such a primitive stage in the 2024/25 campaign, City's unrelenting ability to claim victories means Arsenal can ill-afford to lose early ground in what's set to be another hotly-contested title race.

Villa's success in this fixture last season means a vengeful Gunners are travelling to Villa Park looking to put a few things right. Here are three things Arteta's side must've learned from last season's defeats to Emery's canny Villans when they visit the West Midlands on Saturday.

1. Resist early Villa Park wave

You did not want to play Aston Villa at Villa Park for large swathes last season. Yes, their home form did desert them at times down the stretch, but Villa Park was an atmospheric haven to begin 2023/24.

With the club resurgent under Emery's wily tutelage, a hopeful Villa faithful responded, turning Villa Park into a fortress. Both Arsenal and Man City succumbed to 1-0 defeats in the space of a few December nights.

While we're not yet under the lights, this Saturday evening fixture is Villa's first on home soil. An ebullient fanbase, one preparing for the rigours of Champions League football, are going to be in full cry.

Thus, it's going to be important for Arsenal to ride an early wave. As good as the Gunners are, we can't expect them to assert all-out control for the contest's duration. Villa will have their moments and spells, and a fast start on their Villa Park bow is expected.

In the corresponding fixture last season, Arsenal were playing catch-up from the seventh minute after John McGinn opened the scoring.

Settling the crowd early will be key to the Gunners enjoying success. Security in possession is a prerequisite against an aggressive Villa side, with turnovers bound to be celebrated like goals in the opening stages. The visitors can't allow the home crowd to build up ahead of steam.

2. Villa's finishers will make Arsenal pay

While they fell to two defeats, Arsenal's performances against Villa last season were far from terrible. After falling behind early, the Gunners did a fine job of stabilising and finding control at Villa Park, not allowing the mid-blocking hosts to transition with any success.

Then, in the first half of the reverse fixture at the Emirates, Arsenal spurned a couple of golden opportunities to take the lead. Kai Havertz had particular joy from a deeper position exploiting Villa's high defensive line.

According to FBRef, Arsenal created 3.0 xG (1.6 at home, 1.4 away) in the two games against Villa but failed to find the target.

Martin Odegaard squandered a huge chance to equalise at Villa Park, while Havertz rightfully had a goal disallowed late on. Who knows how society would've responded had the typically clinical Leandro Trossard scored from close range at the Emirates to ignite a comfortable home win over Emery's side which would've lifted Arteta's men to the title?

A flat, insipid second half meant a completely decent first-half display was lost to the annals.

Arsenal were made to pay for their profligacy last season, and Villa will make them suffer again on Saturday if they're similarly wasteful. In Ollie Watkins and ball-striking monster Jhon Duran, Villa boast a pair of the sharpest finishers in the division. The latter averages a mere 117.6 minutes per goal in the Premier League, while Watkins has five goals in nine outings against the Gunners.

3. Do not play Oleksandr Zinchenko

It was Zinchenko's performances against Villa last season that saw his stock take a considerable dive among Arsenal supporters. However, an impressive pre-season saw the Ukrainian begin 2024/25 in Arteta's XI and he's certainly in contention to start on Saturday.

However, the manager would be taking a notable risk by deploying Zinchenko at Villa Park.

The full-back was a busy boy in the two meetings, with Leon Bailey creating McGinn's opener (and winner) at Villa Park down Zinchenko's flank. Given the defender's struggles one-on-one, Villa will relentlessly target Zinchenko given Arsenal's security elsewhere.

In possession, Zinchenko could not provide the requisite control in the middle of the park. His pass completion rate over the two matches last season was 83.7%, down from his season average of 87.6%. The perks he usually supplies were vastly outweighed by the drawbacks, and I fear that will be the case again on Saturday. I've got a vision of Amadou Onana picking a Zinchenko pass off in the congested centre, releasing Bailey in transition and the Jamaican breezing past the flailing Ukrainian before teeing up one of Villa's marksmen.

Just start Jurrien Timber, Mikel. Don't give Villa a sniff.

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