Fresh from beating Manchester City on Wednesday, Aston Villa has another chance to take down one of the Premier League’s big boys on Saturday as Arsenal visits Villa Park.
Bookmaker Betfred offers odds at 2.05 for Villa to win either half on Saturday, and the odds are at 1.53 for Arsenal to win at least one half.
※ Current Odds Date & Time: December 8th, 10:00 A.M. (EST)
Villa has been in spectacular form throughout the campaign and back-to-back wins against two of the top teams from last season would send out a serious title warning. The last time Villa won 10 from its first 15 outings in a league campaign, the team actually won the title in 1981. So, considering history, the thought of the Villans having a role to play in the race doesn’t seem far-fetched at all.
Unai Emery has done a fantastic job since arriving in Birmingham, and Saturday’s match-up, of course, will mean a little extra for him after working with the Gunners in 2018-2019. Emery has tallied one win, one draw, and one loss in meetings with Arsenal since leaving the club.
Emery’s spell at Arsenal ended on a sour note, but the Spaniard has successfully rebuilt his reputation, joining a special group of managers with his work at Villa. He’s one of just 10 managers to have taken charge of at least 35 games and earn at least two points per game in a spell at a Premier League club. The other nine have all ended up as title winners.
Most of Villa’s success has come on home turf, with the team riding a 14-game winning run in the Premier League. Only City, Manchester United, and Liverpool have had a longer winning streak at home in the league. However, the last visiting side to walk away from Villa Park without a defeat was Arsenal when two injury-time goals gave the Gunners a 4-2 victory in February.
Mikel Arteta’s men have also enjoyed some good form as of late, winning four consecutive league outings. They left it very late on Tuesday against Luton Town, but Declan Rice’s 97th-minute goal will have been a big boost emotionally for the team, and the squad should be full of confidence as Arsenal tops the table with a two-point advantage over the rest of the pack.
Arsenal did the double over Villa last season and has won four consecutive contests in total in the head-to-head meetings. Previously, Villa enjoyed a three-game winning streak in the match-up, with Ollie Watkins averaging a goal per game during the run. Can he become the decisive factor again on Saturday? City nullified him, but he has been in incredible form in 2023-24 with eight league goals and six assists in 15 outings.
