Aston Villa vs Arsenal: prediction, preview and team news|Premier League 2020-21

Arsenal travel to Aston Villa on Saturday, as Mikel Arteta’s side look to bounce back from their 2-1 defeat at the hands of Wolves on Tuesday.

The hosts were put to the sword by West Ham United on their own turf last time out, whereas Arsenal lost in the league for the first time in 2021 at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Arteta will feel his side were hard done by against Wolves, after David Luiz got controversially sent off for giving away a penalty. The loss snapped Arsenal’s eight-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League and left the Gunners languishing in 10th on the table.

Aston Villa have been out of sorts after their incredible first half of the season. Dean Smith’s side have only managed to win two of their seven games since the turn of the year, losing the other five.

Villa will be going into the game off the back of a 3-1 defeat at the hands of West Ham and will need to turn things around quickly if they are to get anything from the game on Saturday.

With only one point separating the two teams, Saturday’s game is sure to be an exciting one, as both Arsenal and Aston Villa are within touching distance of the top 6 in the Premier League.

Reason for Aston Villa vs Arsenal predictions:

Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score landed in four of Villa’s last seven games.
Over 2.5 goals and both teams to score landed in three of Arsenal’s last five league assignments on the road.
Aston Villa have won two of their last three home games.
Aston Villa have beaten Arsenal in each of the clubs’ last two encounters.
An 11th Premier League victory would be the most by Aston Villa in a season for a decade.
Aston Villa have lost four of their last six games in the Premier League, as many as they had in their previous 18 in the competition.
Aston Villa have lost 16 of their last 18 Premier League matches in February, only beating Norwich City in 2016 and playing out a draw against Cardiff City in 2014. Dean Smith’s side, meanwhile, need just three more points to equal last season’s final total of 35.
Arsenal’s seven-match unbeaten league run was ended by Wolves on Tuesday (W5, D2).
They conceded as many goals in that 2-1 defeat as in their previous seven top-flight fixtures.
The Gunners have scored nine goals in their past four league away matches.
Nine Arsenal players have been sent off since Arteta’s first game in charge on Boxing Day 2019, five more than any other side.

Surprisingly enough, the recent head-to-head record between the two sides favors the hosts. Aston Villa have won 3 out of the last 5 meetings between the two clubs with Arsenal winning the other two.

Villa put Arsenal to the sword earlier this season, with a 3-0 win at the Emirates stadium and will be looking to complete the double over the Gunners with a win on Saturday.

Aston Villa, who won the reverse fixture 3-0, could complete a first league double over Arsenal since the 1992-93 season.

Arsenal haven’t lost three league matches in a row against Villa since 1993.

Arsenal played some lovely football in the first half against Wolves and should be able to blow away this Villa team if they can reproduce that performance on Saturday. However, Aston Villa are a dangerous side and should be able to take advantage of Arsenal’s depleted backline.

Arsenal should have enough to sneak past Aston Villa in the end.

Our Prediction: Arsenal @ 2.67