Arsenal vs Aston Villa Premier League preview, team news and prediction

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Arsenal and Aston Villa will face off for the second time in just four weeks as both Premier League title contenders battle for three crucial points at the Emirates on Tuesday evening. Less than a month after Villa’s triumph in Birmingham, the two sides meet again, with Arsenal still leading the league and Villa riding an impressive wave of form.

Shortly after being briefly overtaken by Manchester City, Arsenal reclaimed top spot on Saturday with a hard-fought 2-1 home victory over Brighton & Hove Albion. Responding to City’s win at Nottingham Forest, the Gunners took the lead through a powerful strike from Martin Odegaard and benefited from yet another own goal. Although Brighton set up a tense finish with a late reply, Mikel Arteta’s side held on to secure their fifth consecutive win since their stoppage-time defeat at Villa Park.

The Gunners have now won nine of their last ten Premier League matches at the Emirates, including their last six in a row—their best home run since 2022. Sitting two points clear at the top—and three ahead of Villa—Arsenal can guarantee they end 2025 as league leaders by extending this streak on Tuesday.

However, Villa have proven to be a tricky opponent in recent meetings; Arsenal have lost three of their last five encounters with the Midlands club, collecting just four points in that span. On a positive note for the hosts, they have won their final league match in four of the past five years, while Villa have managed only two wins in their last 13 year-ending fixtures.

Aston Villa, nevertheless, travel to North London with confidence, having taken four points from their last two visits to the Emirates—a 2-0 win in April 2024 and a 2-2 draw earlier this year, the latter featuring a spirited second-half comeback. Under Unai Emery, Villa have developed a knack for turning games around: not only did Emiliano Buendia’s last-minute goal seal their recent win over Arsenal, but the team has also rescued points from losing positions against several other opponents.

Most recently, super-sub Ollie Watkins came off the bench to score twice at Stamford Bridge, as Emery’s tactical changes inspired a 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea. Villa have now recovered 18 points from losing positions this season—more than any other Premier League side. Their current run of eight straight league victories is their best since 1910, and an 11-match winning streak in all competitions equals a club record set in 1897 and 1914.

It’s a remarkable turnaround for a team that sat 18th and winless after five games; since then, Villa have amassed more wins (12) and points (36) than any other Premier League club. Now, Unai Emery returns to the Emirates, where he has enjoyed relative success since his departure, knowing that another victory would bring Villa level on points with his former club.

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