Kick Off 5:30pm: Aston Villa vs Arsenal
A well-known face… Mikel Arteta will not be on the field against Aston Villa on Saturday due to a touchline ban, but another Spaniard familiar to Arsenal will be.
Unai Emery was in charge at the Emirates Stadium from May 2018 to November 2019, when he was fired following a string of poor results.
Emery returned to England in October of last year, guiding Villa into the top three, just four points behind his previous employers at the top of the table and a potential threat on home soil.
‘If Villa beat Arsenal, they’ll be in the title fight.’
“This is a massive football match,” Sky Sports analyst Paul Merson said ahead of Saturday’s showdown between two of his former clubs. It has the potential to have a significant impact on the Premier League title battle. “If Aston Villa can follow up their win over Manchester City with a win over Arsenal, defeating last season’s winners and runners-up in four days, you have to give them a chance. “I know their away form isn’t great, but when you have an incredible record at Villa Park, if you can improve your away performances, you will win the league.
“A defeat is not the end of the world either. You’d still say they are one of the favourites for the top four, but a win and you have to put them in the mix for the title.
“On the other hand, this is also a huge test for Arsenal. It’s a massive game for them. If they can go and get a win at Villa Park and end the unbelievable home record, you will have to put Arsenal as the No 1 favourite for the Premier League.
“I worry for Villa in this game. It could just be a game too far. A lot of work went into that win over Manchester City. Arsenal also have an extra day’s rest and that makes a huge difference.”
Emery is someone I greatly admire, according to Arteta.
Emery was appointed to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal in 2018, but he was fired 18 months later and replaced by Arteta. Both managers are from the Basque Country, where Julen Lopetegui, Xabi Alonso, and Andoni Iraola grew up. “He’s the most experienced and the most successful one, by quite a long distance, with everything he’s achieved in the game and everything he’s won,” Arteta says of Emery as he begins his own coaching career. He’s someone I respect. “I’ve been following him since he was in Almeria, and he’s always been outstanding for every team. He is constantly improving the players, the team, and the club. “He’s Basque like I am and he is a manager that I really admire for what he has done in the game.” He has done it at various levels in numerous nations and has always been successful. “I am overjoyed for him.”
The Villa squad remains the same.
Emi Buendia and Tyrone Mings are long-term absentees due to knee problems, and Emery is aware that he will need to rotate with their last Europa Conference League group game against Mostar coming up next week.
He went on to say: “We are adding experiences, and experiences in Europe, playing a lot of matches, four matches in 10 days. “I’m going to spend a lot of time thinking about how we can best prepare for the game tomorrow, both personally and collectively.
“How we finished the game on Wednesday was critical because they put in an incredible, but difficult, effort.” The task of playing at this level, against the top teams in the world in the Premier League, is enormous.