He is the only Arsenal player that I’m afraid of at the moment, I watched their game against Wolves and He seems to be scary Infront of goals” Aston Villa star Martinez reveals the only Arsenal player that will be a threat to their defense on Saturday
He is the only Arsenal player that I’m afraid of at the moment, I watched their game against Wolves and He seems to be scary Infront of goals” Aston Villa star Martinez reveals the only Arsenal player that will be a threat to their defense on Saturday
It may be just the second game of the Premier League season but with the margins so fine during a title race, every single match has huge levels of importance. The Gunners travel to Aston Villa knowing that anything other than a win could have dire consequences come the end of the season in their third attempt to topple Manchester City.
Villa were the only side who managed to beat Arsenal home and away last season and were by far the biggest obstacle to the Gunners lifting the title, which ended up being just a two-point gap to Pep Guardiola’s side. Unai Emery has had Mikel Arteta’s number as the two have met on several occasions with the Arsenal manager winning just once.
Last season Arsenal lost 1-0 following an early John McGinn goal and a few controversial decisions and missed chances. Gabriel Jesus was not awarded a penalty despite Douglas Luiz clearly bringing him down in the area while Kai Havertz was punished for a harsh handball (which according to the letter of law was indeed handball) to prevent a last-minute equaliser
This time around, Arsenal travel there motivated and emboldened to change the record. Villa meanwhile will certainly be looking to build on their opening day win over West Ham United without Luiz in their side but backed by summer signing Amadou Onana.
Mikel Arteta needs to get his team right and despite winning against Wolves, there are some changes I would be keen to make were I in his position. Oleksandr Zinchenko had a good first half against Wolves but faded in the second and made some defensive mistakes that perhaps a better side, like Villa, would punish.
Jurrien Timber came off the bench and impressed, a single mistake in possession was nearly punished however his overall performance in both offensive and defensive thirds make me think he would be the better pick for Saturday evening. It would of course depend upon his fitness status and whether or not he is ready to start the game.
