ARSENAL are back in control of their Premier League title destiny and will be desperate to avoid a slip-up when Aston Villa come to the Emirates Stadium.
Liverpool's thrilling 2-2 draw at Old Trafford last Sunday saw the Gunners stay at the summit on goal difference so if they win their final seven games the crown should be theirs.
But Mikel Arteta's side have the toughest run-in of the three contenders with this clash against fifth-placed Villa followed by trips to Tottenham and Old Trafford in the final few weeks.
With all three Premier League title-chasers also in European action this week, this could be a weekend where we see a few twists due to tired limbs.
The Gunners had a tough shift on Tuesday as they battled out a 2-2 Champions League draw with Bayern Munich, a game that saw a scorer bet land for our man Mark.
But Arsenal are fortunate that they take on an Aston Villa team who were in Europa Conference League action on Thursday against Lille, giving them two fewer days to recover for this game.
That lack of recovery time could have an impact and Unai Emery's men are also in poor form in the Premier League, having followed up a heavy defeat at the Etihad by drawing 3-3 at home with struggling Brentford.
That slump has allowed Tottenham to leapfrog Aston Villa into fourth place so Emery needs to rouse his squad to stop a superb campaign from petering out.
How the bookies view it
Arsenal are heavy favourites and their best price is just 2/7 with Bet365. Aston Villa are as big as 10/1 at Ladbrokes while the draw pays 21/4 with Unibet.
Recent head to head
There hasn't been much between these sides in recent years, with the last nine meetings producing five Arsenal victories and four Aston Villa wins. Emery's side beat the Gunners 1-0 at home earlier this season but Villa lost 2-1 on their last visit to the Emirates.
Players to watch
I'd imagine both managers will freshen things up a little after gruelling midweek European games. Leandro Trossard's goal off the bench against Bayern Munich could earn him a start and the Belgian is 17/10 at Unibet for anytime scorer.
Italian midfielder Nicolo Zaniolo could come in for Aston Villa and always looks a threat whenever I see him. He's 4/1 at SkyBet to either score or assist while Bet365 have him at 9/4 just to have a shot on target.
Anything else catch the eye?
With Aston Villa tired and in poor form, this could be a comfortable afternoon for Arsenal. Backing them to be winning at half-time and full-time could pay off and it's 20/23 with Coral.
Captain John McGinn should be at the heart of the midfield battle for Aston Villa. He's usually decent value for a card and backing him to go in the book pays 12/5 with Unibet.
I'd expect the Gunners to have most of the pressure so backing them in the corner markets could be a smart move. Arsenal -4 in the corner handicap pays 21/20 at Bet365 while over five first-half match corners is 6/5 with the same firm.
This English Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa will be played on Apr 14, 2024 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Arsenal vs Aston Villa prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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