Arsenal vs Aston Villa: Preview, predictions and lineups
- Arsenal head into gameweek 33 top of the Premier League table
- Gunners remain in control of their title destiny with seven games left to go
- Villa hoping to bounce back after recent drop in form saw them lose ground in top four race
There could be huge moves at the top of the Premier League table on Sunday when title-chasing Arsenal host top-four hopefuls Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners head into this round of fixtures top of the standings and in control of their own destiny, but a single slip-up could see them fall as low as third if both Liverpool and Manchester City pick up results elsewhere.
As for Villa, their crushing 3-3 draw with Brentford last time out saw Unai Emery’s side lose control in the race for the top four, and they are now relying on a slump from Tottenham Hotspur in what appears set to be a two-horse race for fourth place.
Here’s all you need to know about this one.
What time does Arsenal vs Aston Villa kick-off?
- Location: London, England
- Stadium: Emirates Stadium
- Date: Sunday 14 April
- Kick-off Time: 16:30 BST / 11:30 ET / 08:30 PT
- Referee: David Coote
- VAR: Peter Bankes
Arsenal vs Aston Villa H2H Record (Last Five Games)
- Arsenal: 4 wins
- Aston Villa: 1 win
- Draws: 0
Current Form (all competitions)
|
Arsenal |
Aston Villa |
|---|---|
|
Arsenal 2-2 Bayern Munich – 09/04/24 |
Aston Villa 2-1 Lille – 11/04/24 |
|
Brighton 0-3 Arsenal – 06/04/24 |
Aston Villa 3-3 Brentford – 06/04/24 |
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Arsenal 2-0 Luton Town – 03/04/24 |
Man City 4-1 Aston Villa – 03/04/24 |
|
Man City 0-0 Arsenal – 31/03/24 |
Aston Villa 2-0 Wolves – 30/03/24 |
|
Arsenal 1-0 Porto – 12/03/24 |
West Ham 1-1 Aston Villa – 17/03/24 |
How to watch Arsenal vs Aston Villa on TV and live stream
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Country |
TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
SKY GO Extra, Sky Ultra HD, Sky Sports Main Event, BBC Radio 5 Live, Sky Sports Premier League |
|
United States |
Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, SiriusXM FC, nbcsports.com, NBC Sports App, USA Network, Telemundo |
|
Canada |
fuboTV Canada |
Arsenal team news
Mikel Arteta declined to offer much of an update on the fitness of centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes, who played the full 90 minutes against Bayern Munich after shaking off an injury scare and is likely to retain his place in the team.
Namesake Gabriel Jesus admitted recently that he cannot remember the last time he played without pain, but without any fresh developments at this stage of the season, don’t expect him to spend any time on the sidelines.
Long-term absentee Jurrien Timber remains unavailable.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Aston Villa
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Jorginho, Odegaard, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Trossard
Aston Villa team news
Midfielder Douglas Luiz, a target for Arsenal in the transfer window, will miss out through suspension, which could force an entire rethink for Emery if John McGinn is pushed into a deeper midfield role to cover.
Boubacar Kamara, Emiliano Buendia, Tyrone Mings, Matty Cash and Jacob Ramsey all remain unavailable for selection.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Arsenal
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Diaby, Zaniolo, Bailey; Watkins
Arsenal vs Aston Villa score prediction
Luiz’s absence is an enormous blow for Villa, particularly if the influential John McGinn has to drop deeper and sacrifice his attacking output.
With Villa looking a little disjointed at the best of times in recent weeks, Arsenal should fancy their chances of a comfortable victory to move them one step closer to realising their Premier League title dreams.
Arsenal also head into the game with an extra two days of rest after Villa’s Conference League outings on Thursday, which will only boost their chances of winning.
Prediction: Arsenal 3-1 Aston Villa
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Aston Villa – Premier League
- Arsenal head into gameweek 33 top of the Premier League table
- Mikel Arteta eyeing improved performance after 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich
- Gabriel Jesus left fans concerned by admitting he is playing through pain
Arsenal’s next test on their quest to lift the Premier League title comes in the form of a visit from Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Gunners head into gameweek 33’s action top of the standings with a slim advantage over Liverpool and Manchester City, both of whom play earlier in the weekend, so they cannot afford to drop points at this crucial stage of the season.
Here’s how Mikel Arteta could set up for this one.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya – Raya’s run without conceding a goal came to an end at the hands of Bayern Munich in midweek but he hasn’t shipped a Premier League goal since February 24.
RB: Ben White – A new-found attacking freedom has seen White elevate his game to new heights in recent weeks, and Arsenal will hope for more of the same here.
CB: William Saliba – There’s no denying that Saliba didn’t have his best game against Bayern but that was nowhere near enough for Arteta to even contemplate dropping the Frenchman.
CB: Gabriel – Despite a fitness scare, Gabriel played 90 minutes in midweek. Arteta declined to give any further update during Friday’s press conference, suggesting the centre-back is still going strong.
LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – Jakub Kiwior was run ragged during his time on the pitch against Bayern, with Arteta likely to keep faith with Zinchenko here.
DM: Jorginho – Is Jorginho tired? Sure, but at this point of the season, with big games coming thick and fast, Arteta may avoid making too many changes in the hope of handing Jorginho a rest in the second half if all goes to plan.
CM: Declan Rice – Another who could do with a rest, Rice rarely gets substituted if Arsenal aren’t several goals clear in the late stages.
CM: Martin Odegaard – Arteta has spoken highly of Emile Smith Rowe recently but will likely keep Odegaard in the team until the job is done.
RW: Bukayo Saka – Saka impressed against Bayern and Arteta will hope for more early goals from his starboy.
ST: Kai Havertz – Gabriel Jesus’ recent admission that he is playing through pain won’t help his chances of displacing Havertz.
LW: Leandro Trossard – Gabriel Martinelli is still finding his feet back from injury, while Trossard netted off the bench against Bayern. This should be a simple decision for Arteta.
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Premier League predictions: Gameweek 33
- Premier League title race continues with big games for Arsenal, Liverpool and Man City
- Newcastle host Tottenham to open up Gameweek 33
- Man Utd visit Bournemouth before Chelsea take on Everton on Monday night
The 2023/24 Premier League season continues to accelerate towards what is shaping up to be a truly epic finale.
The title race could yet deliver more drama in Gameweek 33 as Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City all jostle for first place. With European qualification and relegation also still to be decided, there’s plenty for teams up and down the land to fight for this weekend.
Here’s 90min’s predictions for Gameweek 33.