How Villa could line up vs Arsenal: Emery sticks with winning formula, trio pushing for key roles
How Villa could line up vs Arsenal: Emery sticks with winning formula, trio pushing for key roles
Aston Villa face Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday evening,
and here’s how Unai Emery’s starting line-up could look for the encounter.
After our memorable win at the Emirates last season,
Villa will go in search of a repeat performance and result as we look to extend our current three-game
winning streak across all competitions.
Conversely, the Gunners will want to avenge that defeat and have title ambitions once again this season,
and so we will have to produce a top display if we are to secure a positive outcome and continue our good run.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Emery confirmed that John McGinn, Ross Barkley,
Diego Carlos and Pau Torres have been ruled out, but new signing Donyell Malen is available for selection,
and so it remains to be seen if he comes on from the bench to make his Villa debut and hopefully makes an immediate impact.
No need to change a winning formula for Villa
There is a strong case for Emery to stick with a winning formula after our clean sheet and three points at
Goodison Park in midweek, and so it would come as no real surprise if we name an unchanged line-up.
That would see Emiliano Martinez start in goal, with a back four consisting of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa,
Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne in front of him.
Boubacar Kamara and Amadou Onana will shield that defence in the deep midfield pivot,
while Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Jacob Ramsey could continue to provide support behind
Ollie Watkins in the final third.
That is a balanced Villa side capable of digging in when needed but also has the physicality, athleticism,
pace and movement to control and dominate periods of the game,
and that is what we’ll need to do against a top Arsenal team who will be difficult to contain and break down.
Naturally, such is the strength of our squad now, there will be key individuals pushing to be involved, and that includes Ian Maatsen, Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran, but time will tell if Emery feels as though they give us a better chance of winning in this specific game, against this specific opposition.
If so, then changes will be made as part of a tactical or gameplan switch, and so it’s hoped whoever is named in the Villa starting line-up, does their job effectively and efficiently, and that in turn leads to a strong collective performance to get the win.
Malen will add to an already stacked bench, and so if Villa can keep things tight as we try to register back-to-back clean sheets, our changes in the second half could prove to be decisive, and so everyone must remain ready.
Predicted Aston Villa XI vs Arsenal: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Onana; Rogers, Tielemans, Ramsey; Watkins.
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