Arsenal Face Emery’s Red-Hot Villa Amid Injury Crisis
Arsenal travel to Villa Park in Birmingham, England, this Saturday, 6 December, for a pivotal English Premier League (EPL) clash against Unai Emery’s in-form Aston Villa.
The EPL tableleaders currently hold 33 points, but they face a stern test against a Villa side that has won four consecutive league games and boasts an intimidating eight-match winning streak at home.
Emery – who is seeking to cause an upset against his former club – will have to cope without key players Tyrone Mings and Ross Barkley, who are both out with injuries. Crucially, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is also expected to miss out with a back issue, leaving Marco Bizot in goal.
Meanwhile, Arsenal’s excellent run of 18 games unbeaten has been overshadowed by a mounting injury crisis in defence. While Gabriel Magalhaes is out until Christmas and William Saliba is highly unlikely to feature, the availability of talismanic midfielder Declan Rice is a major boost.
Following a calf issue during the week, Rice told a reporter that he was “fine”, easing fears for Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.
This top-of-the-table battle – pitting Villa’s formidable home record against Arsenal’s title ambitions – is predicted to be a tight affair, with the visitors needing to overcome their personnel shortages to secure maximum points.
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