Both Aston Villa and Arsenal enjoyed excellent campaigns last year, with Villa qualifying for the Champions League after finishing in the top four, and Arsenal bringing the title race with Man City to the very last day of the season. Both teams have also kicked off this season in victories, with Villa winning 2-1 away against West Ham, and Arsenal securing a 2-0 win against Wolves at the Emirates.
Unai Emery’s side has plenty of attacking talent that will trouble the Arsenal backline, with Ollie Watkins leading the way with 19 goals last season. However, Arsenal were the league’s best defence last season by finding the net 91 times and allowed just 29 goals.
But statistics tell a different story: Villa did the double against Arsenal last season, with a 1-0 win at Villa Park and a 2-0 win at the Emirates, which both in hindsight proved to be a huge blow to the Gunners’ title hopes. In fact, Unai Emery seems to be the deciding factor, as since he took over Aston Villa, he's enjoyed a 67% win rate against his former club, and only a 14% loss rate.
Clearly, we're in for a treat this weekend. Will Emery outwit the Gunners again, or will Arteta finally find his way through Villa's defence? Let us know here!
