The game of the season – on paper, anyway – of the season so far?
Two of last year’s top four meet at Villa Park in the evening kick-off, which gets underway at 17:30 BST.
Aston Villa were Arsenal’s bogey team last season, inflicting defeats on the Premier League runners-up home and away. The Gunners only lost on five occasions in total.
Mikel Arteta’s side have to go back 18 months for even their last goal against Villa, which came in a 4-2 win in the West Midlands.
Both sides recorded victories last weekend.
Unsurprisingly, their managers have kept changes to a minimum.
Unai Emery, in fact, names the exact same starting XI as last week, with the issue that forced Matty Cash off against West Ham United evidently not serious.
Arteta makes one unenforced change.
It comes at left-back, where we’re probably likely to see a decent amount of rotation this season.
Oleksandr Zinchenko makes way for the more defensively sound Jurrien Timber, who starts his first league match in a year.
The visitors are without Gabriel Jesus, who misses out due to a slight groin issue.
LINE-UPS
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, Bailey, Rogers, McGinn, Watkins.
Subs: Gauci, Carlos, Maatsen, Nedeljkovic, Barkley, Buendia, Jaden, Ramsey, Duran.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Havertz, Martinelli.
Subs: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Calafiori, Jorginho, Nelson, Nwaneri, Trossard, Nketiah.
4 months, 3 days agoNow really need nkunku to haul to lift my spirits.
Probably will get a pointer though