Aston Villa face Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, looking to get their Champions League hopes back on track.
The Villans saw their hopes dented last week after Brentford produced a quickfire turnaround at Villa Park to secure a deserved 3-3 draw
Mikel Arteta’s side are riding high at the top of the Premier League and promise to present arguably Villa’s toughest test to date.With Tottenham Hotspur facing Newcastle United in the early kickoff on Saturday, it could be a must-win for Emery’s men.
How will Aston Villa line up against Arsenal on Sunday afternoon?
Aston Villa News envisages Unai Emery making two changes to the team that beat Lille 2-1 in midweek.
The first will come in defence. Matty Cash returned to training this week and could be set to make his return to the starting XI at The Emirates. Emery told the media on Friday: “We will train tomorrow, and today we recovered with some players. Lenglet and Cash have trained today with the group.”
The 26-year-old could come into the side for Diego Carlos. The Brazilian has played plenty of football of late and could be due a rest, particularly when considering his previous injury record.
Ezri Konsa will shuffle alongside Pau Torres, with Lucas Digne and Emi Martinez making up the remainder of Villa’s backline.
Villa’s midfield will look slightly different at The Emirates, with Douglas Luiz suspended. Tim Iroegbunam could come in for another start after his outing against Manchester City. Emery could be more attacking, but considering the opposition, a defence replacement could be wise. Youri Tielemans and John McGinn will make up the rest of Villa’s midfield.
One further chance could occur in attacking midfield, with Moussa Diaby coming in for ‘powerful’ forward Morgan Rogers. The former Middlesbrough man has been superb of late but could be due a rest on Sunday.
Ollie Watkins and Leon Bailey should retain their places at the top end of the pitch.
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Chris Sutton says how Arsenal’s fans will react to Aston Villa boss Unai Emery on Sunday
Chris Sutton has predicted how Arsenal’s fans will treat Unai Emery on Sunday afternoon.
Aston Villa head to The Emirates looking to get their Champions League hopes back on track after their disappointing draw with Brentford.
Mikel Arteta’s side are top of the Premier League and looking for there first title since 2003/04.
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Sunday’s fixture will be the second time Emery has returned to North London but the first since his return to England.
Chris Sutton predicts how Arsenal fans will react to Unai Emery on Sunday
Sutton has been previewing the massive clash on Sunday evening and has shared his thoughts on how Emery will be greeted at The Emirates.
“A respectful reception. It didn’t work out for him. It was really difficult for him in many respects,” he told the Daily Mail’s ‘It’s All Kicking Off Podcast [8mins].
“You’ll know better than me the rumours coming out of Arsenal. He couldn’t handle big players.
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“I don’t know if that was necessarily fair, but the mood at Arsenal at this moment in time and Arteta possibly winning the Premier League.”
He added: “I don’t think he’ll be booed if that’s what you’re saying. A respectful applause.”
Can Aston Villa cause an upset against Arsenal on Sunday?
A win on Sunday would undoubtedly cause an upset and get Villa’s top four tilt back on track.
Arsenal are in imperious form. It will require a near-perfect performance from Emery’s men if they’re to take anything back to the West Midlands.
During their recent trip to Manchester City, Villa showed they can cause the league’s best problems. Moussa Diaby, Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins will be tough to handle for Arteta’s table toppers.
The away side have also been boosted by the news of Matty Cash and Clement Lenglet potentially being available.
Both players missed Villa’s 2-1 win over Lille on Thursday evening.
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