Aston Villa play host to second-placed Arsenal on Saturday lunchtime in a tie that will be full of intrigue and narratives, as Unai Emery welcomes his old side to the midlands to take on his current outfit.
The Gunners come into the game without a win in four games across all competitions, and having just seen Manchester City steal top spot in the Premier League away from them with a 3-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium in midweek.
They will need a response, with Manchester United now breathing down the Gunners’ neck, but will face a well-organised Villa side who have slowly but surely climbed up the table since the arrival of Emery, and will be desperate to grab a result in front of their home fans.
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Aston Villa could be boosted by the return of defender Tyrone Mings after the former Villa captain missed out on their trip to the Etihad with a knock.
‘He has a small injury, and he tried to be [fit], but he is not ready for this match. He is resting, and hopefully, in the next week, he will come back’, Villa boss Unai Emery explained at the time.
There could be more good news for the midlands outfit too, with Bertrand Traore having returned to full training last week and potentially able to take a spot among the substitutes.
Diego Carlos remains sidelined with an injury sustained at the beginning of the season, but could return to the fold next weekend, while backup goalkeeper Jed Steer remains sidelined through injury.
