Arsenal head to Aston Villa for their 2nd game of the season as they look to right the wrongs of last season against a team that got the better of them, so let’s look at the latest team news.
After securing a comfortable win against Wolves on the opening weekend, the Gunners have a much tougher task on their hands. Unai Emery’s men were able to do the double against the visitors last season and that put a huge dent in the team’s title aspirations.
There could be a debut for new signing Riccardo Calafiori who has recently arrived from Boglona. The defender would give the backline a little more security.
Though Mikel Merino is all but certain to be part of the Arsenal setup, this match will surely be too soon for him. Regarding Timber’s fitness, Arteta confirmed the defender suffered an issue in pre-season and they will have to bring him back slowly.
Arsenal Fever View:
The two games that the north Londoners lost to Villa last season showed some chinks in the armor of the club. It will be a challenge for Mikel Arteta to get the better of Unai Emery who has proven to be tactically shrewd in the past.
One key problem that was present last season, was the lack of a cutting edge in attack. If the visitors are to get anything from this match, they need to ensure that they take their chances as and when they get any.
If this doesn’t happen, it will give the hosts the confidence to wait for the perfect opportunity to counter and then score from that. Transitions are another area where the Gunners have been vulnerable against Villa and that has to be addressed.
Arsenal and Arteta might want to make their defence a little more solid to counter the attacking threat that Villa possess. The speed and physicality they have will certainly be a problem. If the defence can handle that, then the north Londoners could return with a positive result.
Read More: Arsenal close to signing Mikel Merino
