Aston Villa vs Arsenal Preview: Team News, How To Watch & Prediction

The first away day of Arsenal's Premier League title defence brings them to Villa Park, where the mood in each camp could hardly be more different.

Mikel Arteta’s side have wasted no time settling into the new campaign, following up their Community Shield triumph over Manchester City with a comfortable 3-0 win against Coventry City.

For Aston Villa, the opening weekend was about as tough as it gets. Unai Emery’s side conceded four goals before half-time at Brighton, with Joao Gomes’ red card only deepening the misery as Villa slumped to a 4-0 defeat.

The result came after a summer of upheaval at Villa Park. The Villans have lost a number of key and senior players, including Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne.

Arsenal, though, will be wary of reading too much into a single bad day. Villa did beat the Gunners 2-1 on home turf last season, before Arteta’s men hit back with a 4-1 win at the Emirates later on.

Ezri Konsa could be in line for his Arsenal debut, and the fixture could hardly be more personal, having only left Aston Villa a week ago.

The defender has trained without issue since his arrival and Arteta appears ready to throw him straight into the action at a familiar ground.

“He’s available,” Arteta confirmed. “He’s trained really well and he will be available for selection.”

Bruno Guimaraes is also pushing for a return after sitting out the Coventry win with a groin issue picked up in the Community Shield.

He’s been back on the grass and involved in training, though Arsenal have been careful not to overload him this week.

“We need to manage his load to get to Monday in the best possible condition to be able to get selected,” Arteta said.

Asked whether Guimaraes could be available, he replied: “Yes, potentially available.”

There’s less optimism around Jurrien Timber or William Saliba making a return just yet.

Timber’s recovery appears to be moving in the right direction, having now spent three weeks working outside, with plans to step things up again soon. Saliba, meanwhile, is still being managed carefully with his back problem and looks set for a longer spell on the sidelines.

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are also question marks ahead of Monday. Martinelli left training early on Thursday, while Jesus was absent from the session open to the media. Arteta called both ‘personal situations’ and wouldn’t be drawn on what part, if any, they’ll play at Villa Park.

Villa have had time to regroup since being swept aside by Brighton on the opening weekend, and Emery will be looking for a response at home.

All four goals arrived inside the first half-hour, and Gomes’ red card only compounded the misery. The summer signing will now sit out the Arsenal clash through suspension.

Emery has also had to contend with plenty of movement in his squad.

Konsa is just one of several key departures this summer, with Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne also moving on. Ollie Watkins’ absence from the visit to Brighton, amid speculation over his future, only adds to the uncertainty ahead of Arsenal’s visit.

Villa have brought in Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Alejandro Garnacho and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but the scale of the rebuild was plain to see at Brighton.

Still, it’s important not to lose sight of what Emery achieved last season. Villa finished fourth in the Premier League, lifted the Europa League trophy after beating Freiburg 3-0 in the final, and rounded off their campaign with a win over Manchester City.

Arteta, for his part, is not reading too much into Villa’s opening defeat.

“It’s just one game and that’s it,” he said. “I’m sure he will turn it around.”

Arsenal’s start to the season has been as convincing as they could have hoped.

Six goals, two clean sheets and back-to-back comfortable wins over Manchester City and Coventry have given Arteta’s side an early sense of rhythm. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard have all found the net already.

Villa Park, though, should offer a much clearer picture of where the champions really stand.

Villa were well off the pace at Brighton, but coming home after a heavy defeat can often spark a reaction. Emery has a knack for making things awkward for the Gunners, and it’s worth remembering his side were the last to beat the Gunners in the league before their title push took off last season.

If Villa are still searching for cohesion after so much summer upheaval, Arsenal will sense an opportunity.

Arteta has options in attack. Christos Tzolis has made an instant impression from the left, while Eberechi Eze offers flexibility across the forward line. Havertz, meanwhile, has scored in both of Arsenal’s competitive games so far, making his case for a start in Birmingham.

Konsa’s availability gives Arteta another decision to ponder.

Cristhian Mosquera has looked assured next to Gabriel while Saliba has been out, so there’s no urgent need to change things at the back. Still, Konsa is fit, knows Villa Park inside out, and was brought in to offer exactly this kind of depth.

The Gunners will arrive with more stability and confidence, but Villa have enough quality to punish any hint of complacency.

Aston Villa host Arsenal at Villa Park on Monday, August 31, with kick-off at 8pm BST.

It is the final fixture of Premier League Matchweek Two.

The game will be shown live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR

Coverage will also be available through Sky’s usual streaming services for subscribers.

Villa are unlikely to be as open as they were in that chaotic first half at Brighton, and playing at home should prompt a response.

Arsenal, though, look the more settled side at this stage. The attacking players are fit and firing, the midfield has depth even if Guimaraes is not quite ready and Konsa’s arrival gives Arteta another experienced option at the back.

It might not be as straightforward as the Coventry win, but Arsenal should have enough to make it two from two in the league.