Since we beat the Villans on their own patch back in February, Unai Emery’s team have gone on to win all 14 of their home league encounters including Wednesday’s dominant success over Manchester City, and will break a club record should they make it 15 in a row at our expense.
However we have won each of our last four meetings with Villa, but if we are to repeat that feat we’ll have to do so without Mikel Arteta on the touchline as he will watch on from the stands after picking up a ban for accumulating three yellow cards this term.
Emery’s Villa real deal
Leon Bailey celebrates scoring Aston Villa's winner against Manchester City
Having ended last season by winning 10 of their final 15 fixtures, Villa have continued that form into this campaign by forcing their way into the fledgling title race, while also reaching the knockout stages of the UEFA Conference League with a game to spare.
Heavy defeats at Newcastle United and Liverpool in their opening four games proved to be an exception, as they have gone on to win eight of their subsequent 11 matches.
Their only other league loss came at Nottingham Forest last month, and Villa Park has become the fortress of all fortresses as they have won all seven Premier League games on home soil.
The last of those saw them claim a 1-0 success over reigning champions City in midweek thanks to Leon Bailey’s goal, in what was their most eye-catching display during the Emery era, increasing expectations in the second city that something special could be brewing for the claret and blues.
What the managers say
Unai Emery
Emery: “I’m going to be very deeply analysing how we can face the match tomorrow, hopefully being better in our performances individually and collectively. How we finished the match on Wednesday is very important because they did an amazing effort, but a hard effort. What the managers say
Unai Emery
Emery: “I’m going to be very deeply analysing how we can face the match tomorrow, hopefully being better in our performances individually and collectively. How we finished the match on Wednesday is very important because they did an amazing effort, but a hard effort.
"If you want to play at this level, playing against the best teams in the world in the Premier League, the challenge is very hard. Our ambition is for an exciting moment with our supporters with the rivals we want to face and how we can face them. Tomorrow is another step ahead, playing against maybe the best team in this season in the Premier League.”
Up next
Arteta: “Tactically [Villa] are really well set up, they do two or three different things, they are really brave to play from the back. They really attack you because they have players between the lines that can hurt you; they have players in open spaces that are constantly threatening you.
“But not only that, the spirit that they have created, the atmosphere, the intensity, and the belief that they have at the moment that they can go on and beat anybody.
“It’s a great place to go, one of my favourite grounds, a very English ground and a great atmosphere to play football in.” - read every word from Mikel’s pre-match press conferenceTeam news
Tomiyasu post-Lens interview
Following the Luton game, Arteta suggested that Takehiro Tomiyasu is set for a few weeks on the sidelines due to a calf injury, joining fellow full-back Jurrien Timber in the treatment room.
Thomas Partey, Fabio Vieira and Emile Smith Rowe are our other absentees as they continue to rehab from their respective ailments.
Emery will be without long-term injury casualties Tyrone Mings and Emiliano Buendia who picked up knee injuries earlier in the campaign, while winger Bertrand Traore has a knock and is unlikely to feature.
Talking tactics
Ollie Watkins
Adrian Clarke: Villa usually line up in a narrow 4-2-2-2 formation but as they showed against Manchester City last time out, they can also revert to a 4-5-1.
Pushing their back four up as high as they can, and tucking their wide players infield, Villa deliberately turn the middle third into a crowded place where it is hard to put your foot on the ball. This helps them create valuable turnovers, but holding such a high line comes with an element of risk.
Captain John McGinn is a player we must keep close tabs on. He drifts in from the left into some great pockets of space, and from those areas the Scot has the talent to provide goals and assists. Another key strength is the pace and movement of Ollie Watkins, who has scored eight Premier League goals at a rate of one every 163 minutes.
Knowing he will tirelessly run the channels; Emery’s side are able to go from back to front quicker than most Premier League teams. In fact, no one has produced more direct attacks than Aston Villa (38) in the season so far.
A key battleground to look out for is Declan Rice versus Douglas Luiz, two of the strongest all-round central midfielders in the country. The Brazilian is enjoying a fine campaign as the heartbeat of Emery’s side, and it will be fascinating to see who gains the upper hand in their duel.
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