(4-3-3) Vs (4-2-3-1) Ødegaard vs Watkins”, Predicted Arsenal line up vs Aston Villa

Predicted Arsenal lineup against Aston Villa: (4-3-3) versus (4-2-3-1) Ødegaard versus Watkins. Arteta is poised to utilise a 19-year-old defender in the absence of William Saliba.

Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery aims to secure another victory at his previous venue as he leads his team against Arsenal at the Emirates in Saturday evening’s Premier League match.

Both teams achieved victory in the midweek meetings, with the Gunners securing a pivotal 2-1 win in the North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, while Villa inflicted a 1-0 defeat on David Moyes during his return to Everton.

This season, Arsenal has repeatedly failed to exploit errors made by their championship competitors. However, after Nottingham Forest, Chelsea, and Liverpool all squandered points on Tuesday, Mikel Arteta’s team seized the opportunity effectively.

Following consecutive defeats in the EFL Cup and FA Cup, Arsenal faced a Spurs team with two consecutive victories in knockout competitions. However, form became irrelevant when Dominic Solanke’s own goal and Leandro Trossard’s strike rendered Son Heung-min’s opener inconsequential.

A multitude of potential assaults diminished in the latter half for Arsenal, underscoring their necessity for a clinical striker in the January transfer window; yet, Arteta’s squad appeared secure in maintaining their narrow advantage and has reclaimed the runners-up spot in the Premier League standings.

Moreover, the deficit to leaders Liverpool has been reduced to four points, although the Reds still possess a game in hand against Everton scheduled for next month. Consequently, the Gunners are now officially the top team in the Premier League based only on home performance.

Arteta’s team has secured an exceptional 24 points from a potential 30 at their Emirates venue, remaining unbeaten in the Premier League this season; yet, many Gooners will recall the match that ultimately cost them the title in 2023-24.

Having fulfilled his Arsenal revenge mission following his premature exit in 2019, Emery dealt a significant damage to the Gunners’ Premier League aspirations last April, orchestrating a 2-0 victory for Villa in what is still the hosts’ latest defeat in the top league at home.

Reproducing that outcome is feasible for the West Midlands team, who have relegated their dismal fall to the past and travel to North London following a third consecutive victory across all competitions.

Commencing 2025 with consecutive 2-1 victories against Leicester City and West Ham United in the league and FA Cup respectively, Villa also triumphed by a single goal at Goodison Park on Wednesday, where Ollie Watkins inflicted a defeat on Moyes in his second tenure as Everton manager.

Consequently, Emery’s seventh-placed team is merely three points behind the Champions League positions, and their victory in Merseyside concluded a dismal away streak for the Lions, who had previously suffered five consecutive Premier League defeats on opposing grounds without securing a single clean sheet since their triumph at the Emirates last April.

Arsenal has already rectified that significant defeat with a 2-0 victory at Villa Park in August, which remains the Lions’ sole Premier League home loss this season. Correcting the mistakes from last season’s home embarrassment would further validate their title aspirations.

Wednesday’s victory against Tottenham was Arsenal’s inaugural match following Gabriel Jesus’s devastating ACL injury, which will certainly sideline him for the remainder of the season while Arsenal seeks reinforcements in January.

Jesus is one of five confirmed absentees for Arsenal on Saturday, joining Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Ethan Nwaneri (muscle), Ben White (knee), and Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee), while Riccardo Calafiori is in a fight against time to recuperate from a muscular issue.

Should the former be excluded, local talent Myles Lewis-Skelly is likely to maintain his position at left-back following an impressive performance in the North London derby, whilst Raheem Sterling did not replicate such influence and will likely relinquish his position to Gabriel Martinelli.

Aston Villa will likely be without Pau Torres (foot), Ross Barkley (calf), and John McGinn (thigh) for the foreseeable future. Additionally, the former Arsenal manager indicated that defender Diego Carlos is experiencing “a small injury” prior to the victory against Everton.

Nonetheless, the Brazilian publicly contradicted Emery’s assertion on social media amidst conjecture on a potential transfer to Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce; in transfer news, Jaden Philogene was confirmed as an Ipswich Town loan acquisition on Wednesday evening.

Jhon Duran is still anticipating his inaugural Premier League minutes of 2025, having remained an unused replacement at Goodison Park following the completion of his suspension. However, ardent Arsenal supporter Watkins, who netted Villa’s second goal at the Emirates last season, will undoubtedly maintain his position in the forward line.

Saturday’s match may witness Donyell Malen making his debut for Villa against the club he represented as a young player from 2015 to 2017; nevertheless, the recent acquisition from Borussia Dortmund is unlikely to be considered for an immediate starting position.

Potential starting lineup for Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Trossard

Aston Villa’s potential starting lineup: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Rogers, Tielemans, Bailey; Watkins