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Arsenal travel to Villa Park on Monday, where they will face a depleted Aston Villa side in their second game of the new Premier League season.
The Gunners enjoyed the perfect start to 2026-27, beating Coventry City 3-0 on August 21, whereas Villa endured a nightmare in gameweek one, losing 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion on August 23.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal key stats
- Both teams have scored in six of Aston Villa's last seven domestic matches at home.
- Arsenal have scored one or fewer goals in 12 of their past 15 matches.
- Nicolas Jackson has averaged 0.43 goals per 90 in the Premier League.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal preview: A key test for the Champions
Aston Villa vs Arsenal — Tale of the Tape
| Villa | vs | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| 17th | Position | 6th |
| 0 | Points | 3 |
| 0 | Goals For | 3 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 0 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 1 |
| 11th | Home / Away Rank | 9th |
Aston Villa's disruptive summer shows no signs of slowing down, with striker Ollie Watkins closing in on a move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal.
The Englishman is not the only player to head for the exit door given he has followed in the footsteps of Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers and Ezri Konsa, while goalkeeper Emi Martinez has agreed to move to Chelsea.
Boss Unai Emery has been reinforced with a number of arrivals, including Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, but whether his new-look squad are ready for Monday remains to be seen.
Villa's 4-0 defeat to Brighton last weekend was made worse by the fact that midfielder Joao Gomes was sent off, though Leon Goretzka could come into the starting lineup.
It is far too early to say that a match at Villa Park could be decisive in the title race, but winning at a difficult away venue would make Arsenal's start to the season an incredible one.
The Gunners' record at the stadium since the appointment of Emery is mixed, with the club losing twice and winning twice, while they have won three times in seven games against the Lions since the Spaniard took charge, suffering three defeats and drawing once.
Mikel Arteta's side are seen as favourites for the title, though with the transfer window set to close on Tuesday, they have failed to adequately strengthen their forward line, with the likes of Julian Alvarez, Morgan Rogers and Vinicius Junior proving elusive.
The Londoners will have to rely on their defence to get over the line this season once again unless something dramatic happens before deadline day, and that could allow the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea to capitalise.
Centre-back Ezri Konsa joined Arsenal this summer, and he is in line to make his debut for the Gunners against his former club on Monday considering William Saliba remains sidelined.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal form guide & betting tips
| Villa | vs | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
L |
Form | W |
| 0 | Points | 3 |
| N/A | Form Table | N/A |
| 0 | Goals For | 3 |
| 4 | Goals Against | 0 |
LL |
Form (All Comps) | W |
Whispers predicts: Aston Villa 1-1 Arsenal
Monday's game is difficult to predict, though the bookmakers feel differently, with an Arsenal win priced at 1/2 (1.5), while a draw is only priced at 31/10 (4.1).
Irrespective of what happens, backing Both Teams to Score at 10/11 (1.91) makes sense due to the fact both teams have scored in six of Villa's last seven domestic matches at home.
Given Arsenal have scored one or fewer goals in 12 of their past 15 matches, it could be sensible to predict Under 1.5 Goals for Arsenal at 23/20 (2.15).
With Villa having signed Jackson from Chelsea, there could be value in backing Nicolas Jackson to Score at Anytime at 27/10 (3.7).
> Both Teams to Score at 10/11 (1.91) | Likelihood: Probable
> Under 1.5 Goals for Arsenal at 23/20 (2.15) | Likelihood: Probable
> Nicolas Jackson to Score at Anytime at 27/10 (3.7) | Likelihood: Outsider