Arsenal – Aston Villa

The guests will put in a good showing on the league leader’s field.

The London-based Arsenal began this season in its familiar status as the second favorite to win the championship. In six years at the helm of the club, Mikel Arteta has brought it nearly to perfection. A convincing run of results at the start of the football year shifted bookmakers' positions, underscoring the maturity of the capital club in the fight not only for the Premier League title but also for the Champions League. As of today, the Gunners lead in these tournaments, but their position in neither looks secure. Aston Villa has been the main disruptor of the Premier League's status quo. At the start of the season, Emery's team endured one slip after another, but now it is the most stable side in the Premier League. Moreover, the Villans underscore their solidity by beating not only mid-table teams and relegation strugglers. During the first half of the season, Aston Villa, among others, beat Manchester City and Chelsea. Looking ahead to the Emirates clash, the opponents are direct title contenders, and their head-to-head meeting could be considered crucial not only for the upcoming round but also as one of the most important in the entire first half of the season. Bookmakers have identified the home team as the favorites of the upcoming clash, offering odds of 1.46 on their victory. Arsenal rightly leads the Premier League and is playing good football. However, the Gunners still feel uneasy in matches against direct rivals. In the first half of the current season, Arteta's team failed to beat Liverpool (0-1), Manchester City (1-1) and Chelsea (1-1). The upcoming opponent is certainly among the strongest in the Premier League, and a peaceful life for the Gunners is not guaranteed. On the contrary, Aston Villa is finishing the latest stretch of games so well that it rightly stands among the title contenders. Ahead of the previous round's match against Chelsea in London, the Villans approached as underdogs, but not only did they withstand at Stamford Bridge, they handed the favorite a defeat. The victory marked Villa's eleventh in a row, a testament to Emery's players' exceptional readiness for the most testing challenges. Let's bet that the visitors will play a worthy game against the league leader.