Arsenal want to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool this Saturday against Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners will need a favor from Brentford at the start of the day if they want to move closer to Liverpool in the table, assuming of course they can’t slip up against the Villans. Arsenal have sad memories of this very game last season when Unai Emery’s Villa dealt them a fatal blow in the title race.
Arsenal can build on the confidence gained in Wednesday’s north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur, even if the team were far from at their best to secure the prestige. Injuries continue to make Mikel Arteta’s life more difficult and he must put his team selection into action for the arrival of seventh-placed Villa.
This is how Arsenal could play this weekend.
TW: David Raya – The Spaniard wasn’t overly busy in the North London derby but produced an impressive reflex save to deny Dejan Kulusevski. He could definitely be used more often on Saturday.
RB: Jurrien Timber – Timber is Arsenal’s only senior right-back option and has had to play a lot of football over the last month. However, despite the significant workload, he performed excellently.
CB: William Saliba – The Real Madrid target on Saturday will be tasked with containing Ollie Watkins, who has now scored two goals and two assists in his last four games. Jhon Duran will provide a similar performance off the bench.
CB: Gabriel – Gabriel put in a monumental performance against Tottenham and Arsenal need their Brazilian superstar more than ever given their attacking difficulties in recent weeks.
LB: Myles Lewis-Skelly – Lewis-Skelly has gained invaluable experience this season and put in an outstanding performance against Tottenham. After putting in a masterful performance against Spurs’ tricky frontline, he will be tested this weekend by the likes of Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey.
CM: Martin Odegaard – Odegaard showed significant improvement on Wednesday to help Arsenal win, with the elegant Norwegian putting in a characteristically imaginative and measured performance in midfield.
CM: Thomas Partey – He will need to provide significant support to Arsenal’s defensive line against Villa, which is so often lethal on the counter-attack. Mikel Merino sniffs around his starting position.
CM: Declan Rice – For much of the season, Rice was unable to repeat his outstanding first term performances, but made a confident transition against Spurs. Villa’s engine room is packed with formidable options, including one-time Arsenal target Amadou Onana, and Rice must dominate the midfield battle.
RW: Leandro Trossard – Scored the winner against Spurs on Wednesday with a fierce strike, even though Antonin Kinsky should have saved it. A confidence-boosting performance for the Belgian, who has to improve despite attacking injuries.
ST: Kai Havertz – Havertz has come under fire in recent weeks for his wastefulness and, after a few dismal failures, can hardly complain. However, he is guaranteed a starting spot even if Gabriel Jesus is not there, and he always works tirelessly off the ball.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli – He was surprisingly missing from the lineup on Wednesday, but Raheem Sterling’s disappointing performance in the derby will only ensure Martinelli’s return. He should give Matty Cash a difficult afternoon.