Aston Villa vs Arsenal
Aston Villa have suddenly risen to the third spot in the Premier League table after a recent upturn in form. While the others slipped after dropping points, Unai Emery’s men have racked up four wins on the bounce to take their total to 27 points, only six points adrift of frontrunners Arsenal.
The Villans are coming off a thrilling 4-3 win against Brighton at the American Express Stadium, so their confidence is high when they head back to Villa Park to host the Gunners on Saturday afternoon.
As mentioned, Arsenal remain at the top of the English top-flight table, following a 2-0 win against Brentford yesterday. Mikel Arteta’s side has alternated wins and draws in its last five league matches. Otherwise, they would’ve had a bigger cushion and margin for error.
Many teams will watch this game with great interest, with many praying for Arsenal’s downfall, and SBOTOP is here for the preview.
Talking Points
The goals are pouring in for Aston Villa
Aston Villa have hit a purple patch, finding their groove in the final third lately. During their four-game winning streak, the Villans scored 11 goals and conceded only four. Four players were on the scoresheet during their 4-0 rout of Bournemouth. Morgan Rogers bagged a brace in their 2-1 win over Leeds United. Boubacar Kamara scored the winner against Wolves (1-0), and Ollie Watkins (brace), Amadou Onana, and Donyell Malen engineered their comeback win against Brighton last night.
And the Villans are scoring unconventionally. As of this writing, Unai Emery’s men have scored the most goals from outside the box (9) this season. They are the only team to have scored more than half their goals from outside the box at this stage of the season in Premier League history.
Watkins’ two-goal performance against the Seagulls broke his 11-game goal drought, and he’s likely to lead the way again this weekend. He’ll join John McGinn, Morgan Rogers, and Emi Buendia in the final third, with Donyell Malen likely coming off the bench.
Merino is morphing into Arsenal’s top threat
Mikel Arteta faces a lineup dilemma this weekend, which is actually a luxury for other managers, as he must decide who’ll be his No. 9 against Aston Villa. Right now, he will choose between Mikel Merino and Viktor Gyokeres.
Merino is the in-form man between the two, having scored in the past two games against Chelsea and Brentford. This is commendable for the former Real Sociedad midfielder, who is actually playing out of his natural position, having scored or assisted in five out of six starts up front.
Arsenal have deployed Merino as their makeshift striker due to the injuries of Kai Havertz, Viktor Gyokeres, and Gabriel Jesus. However, with Gyokeres and Jesus back in the mix, Arteta might be compelled to hand out minutes to the two to help them regain their rhythm.
History
Arsenal almost completed a league double over Aston Villa last term. The Gunners won 2-0 at Villa Park in August 2024, as Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey were on the scoresheet. However, they couldn’t break down the Villans in the reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium last January, as Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins overturned a two-goal deficit after Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz scored.
Aston Villa have won seven of their past eight English top-flight games, a contrast to a difficult start, which saw them lose their 12-month unbeaten home record and bow out of the EFL Cup before the end of September.
Meanwhile, Arsenal have not lost a game since their 1-0 defeat at Liverpool in the third matchday of the 2025-26 campaign last August. Since then, the Gunners notched 15 wins and three draws across all competitions.
Betting Tip
The Premier League 2025 odds are backing the Gunners to extend their unbeaten run. Arsenal are priced at 1.92 to win, while Aston Villa are 3.73 underdogs, and a draw is pegged at 3.21 in the 1X2 market. The Villans can certainly make this competitive, but the Gunners have enough quality to see this through.
We wouldn’t be surprised if these two sides find themselves on the scoresheet and Premier League 2025 highlights reel on Saturday. Besides our recommended bet, bettors may also consider adding Over 2.25 at 1.83, Over 2.50 at 2.11, Over 2.75 at 2.42, and Total Goal 2-3 at 1.97 to the parlay. Moreover, a Correct Score of 2-2 – the result of their last league encounter – could yield up to 9.20 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
