Aston Villa v Arsenal: Confirmed team news as key trio return for Gunners
Arsenal are at Aston Villa this lunchtime. Get all the team news here...
Arsenal have the chance to pull eight points clear at the top of the Premier League – for a few hours at least – when they visit Aston Villa.
The Gunners, who beat Brentford on Wednesday night, open the weekend action with a trip to Villa Park to face a home side who showed their mettle by hitting back from 2-0 down to win 4-3 at Brighton.
A win for Mikel Arteta’s men would pile the pressure on second-placed Manchester City, who face Sunderland later this afternoon.
Villa start the weekend in third, a point behind City, having won their last six in all competitions.
It has been a remarkable turnaround for Villa, who did not win their first league game until the end of September.
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ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS
Goalkeeper Emi Martinez is back after missing the game at Brighton with a back injury.
Midfielder Ross Barkley and defender Tyrone Mings are out until 2026 with injuries.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Hemmings, Buendia, Malen, Sancho
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber all return after being rested for the Brentford game. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Cristhian Mosquera drop to the bench.
Leandro Trossard is fit enough to start on the bench alongside 16-year-old Marli Salmon.
Gabriel Jesus and Max Dowman have not been included in the matchday squad and will instead play for the under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United as they look to build up their fitness.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly
How to watch Villa v Arsenal: TV channel, online live streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:30 GMT (07:30 ET / 04:30 PT), with live TV coverage in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Aston Villa v Arsenal stats
Only Chelsea and Liverpool have attempted (3.274) and completed (2,916) more passes between 15 and 30 yards in distance in this season’s Premier League
Helped by a 70% victory ratio in the Europa League, Emery won 55% of the games during his tenure at Arsenal, which began in May 2018 and ended in November 2019 after a seven-match winless run
Villa have not conceded at home in the league in more than four hours and 42 minutes of football, last doing so in their 2-1 win over Burnley on October 5
They have won eight straight home games in all competitions since a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on August 31
Only Arsenal (19) and Manchester City (18) have bettered Villa’s total of 16 points at home in the league in 2025/26, while the Gunners (2) are the sole team to have conceded fewer than the Villans (5) in their own stadium
Of the players to have scored at least four goals in this season’s division, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (1.11), Brentford’s Igor Thiago (0.87) and Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi (0.88) have averaged more goals per 90 minutes than Villa’s Donyell Malen (0.77)
Arsenal have conceded four fewer goals (7) than any other side in this season’s Premier League
Their expected goals allowed total of 7.2 is the best in the division and 7.9 ahead of their next-nearest rivals in that respect, Manchester City
They have have won 11 and lost one of their last 21 league games on the road
Arteta’s team have won 16 of the 17 games in all competitions in which they’ve led this season, as well as all 15 when they’ve scored the opener