There’s a massive game at the Emirates on Tuesday night as Premier League leaders Arsenal play host to third-placed Aston Villa in what promises to be a fascinating contest.
Arsenal maintained their two-point lead at the top of the Premier League table on Saturday as they defeated Brighton 2-1, on an afternoon in which my main selection landed.
That victory continued their strong record at the Emirates, with Mikel Arteta’s men winning eight of their nine encounters at the Emirates (W8-D1-L0), only dropping points in a 1-1 draw with title-rivals Manchester City.
Aston Villa’s sensational run of form continued on Saturday, as they came from a goal down to win 1-2 away at Chelsea, on an evening I landed an even-money winner.
Unai Emery’s men have now won 12 of their previous 13 Premier League encounters, meaning they currently occupy third position in the Premier League table, just three points behind their hosts.
How the bookies view it: Arsenal favourites
Arsenal have been installed as favourites for this clash, with bet365 pricing a home success at just 4/9.
Despite winning 12 of their previous 13 Premier League encounters, Aston Villa are 6/1 outsiders to leave North London with all three points, whilst the draw is 10/3.
Head to head: Recent advantage for Villa
Aston Villa have become a bit of a bogey team for Mikel Arteta’s men, as they have won three and lost just one of their last five meetings between the pair, including a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture at the beginning of the month.
Players to watch: Trossard to cause more trouble for Villa?
Arsenal have been boosted by the return of Leandro Trossard following a recent injury, which saw him miss three matches, with the Belgian international scoring four goals and providing two assists across his previous nine Premier League appearances.
The ex-Brighton attacker has scored two goals and provided two assists in his previous three appearances against Aston Villa, and I like the 20/21 on offer at bet365 for him to Score or Assist on Tuesday night.
Predicted line-ups:
Mikel Arteta will be without defenders Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera, as well as Kai Havertz, due to injury.
Aston Villa will be without the injured Pau Torres, Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley, Evann Guessand is away to the Africa Cup of Nations, and Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara are suspended.
Arsenal: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Odegaard, Rice, Trossard, Saka, Gyokeres
Aston Villa: Martinez, Bogarde, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen, Onana, Tielemens, McGinn, Rogers, Malen, Watkins
Anything else catch the eye?
Goals have been a feature in Aston Villa’s matches in recent months, with their last 13 Premier League outings averaging 3.23 goals per game.
Over 2.5 Goals has landed in 10 (77%) of those clashes – including in seven of their last eight – whilst six of their previous seven have produced goals at both ends.
Both Teams to Score has also been a winning selection in six of Arsenal’s previous eight Premier League encounters, with Over 2.5 Goals also landing in three of their past four at the Emirates, and I reckon we could see plenty of goals in what promises to be an entertaining encounter.
Interested in why both teams scoring is such a strong angle? Check out our Masterclass on BTTS and sharpen your match-reading game.
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