Dec 25
Match Preview: Aston Villa v Arsenal (Premier League)
The race for a Champions League place hots up on Boxing Day when third-placed Aston Villa entertain an Arsenal side that are three points and two places below Martin O’Neill’s team.
Since suffering successive defeats to Newcastle United and Middlesbrough in early November, Villa have embarked on an impressive six-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, although they have lost two UEFA Cup games in that sequence.
The improvement started at the Emirates Stadium when a Gael Clichy own goal and late Gabriel Agbonlahor strike sealed a 2-0 win for O’Neill’s side, since when they have beaten Everton, Bolton and West Ham as well as drawing 0-0 with Manchester United and Fulham at Villa Park.
Exciting youngsters Agbonlahor and Ashley Young have played a key part in the recent revival and the duo have already scored 14 Premier League goals between them so far this term.
John Carew (back) and Wilfred Bouma (ankle) remain on the injury list but otherwise O’Neill has a full squad to choose from.
Arsenal’s stop-start season has left them in grave danger of not finishing in the top four for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign.
However, they are unbeaten in four league matches with victories against Chelsea and Wigan Athletic being followed by draws against Middlesbrough and Liverpool.
It already looks as though the second half of their season will be a battle to finish fourth with their chances of clinching a first Premier League title since 2004 seemingly dashed.
Injuries have hurt the Gunners more than most teams this season and their woes intensified on Sunday when captain Cesc Fabregas limped out of the 1-1 draw with Liverpool after suffering a medial knee ligament problem.
The Spaniard joins Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Theo Walcott (shoulder) and Eduardo (broken leg), in the Emirates Stadium treatment room, while Emmanuel Adebayor is suspended following his red card in Sunday’s draw.
Gooner Talk’s Predicted Starting XI
Almunia
Sagna – Djourou – Gallas – Clichy
Eboue – Denilson – Song – Nasri
Bendtner – van Persie
Match Prediction: Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal – Strong defensive display from Arsenal isn’t enough as Villa show their array of attacking talent with an Agbonlahor brace.
Gooner Streams will provide live stream links of this Premier League clash on GoonerStreams.com. Post-match highlights will be avaliable at midnight on Gooner Talk for those of you who were unable to watch the game.
Leave your views and predictions of tomorrow’s game – which kicks off at 17:15 BST time – in the comments section below.
Isn’t Bendtner injured? Anyway I think it will be Diaby behind RVP but I’m hoping Vela.
I’ve got my last few predictions close or spot on like the Liverpool one so I’m hoping my 2-1 win prediction is correct.
I hope Ramsey will start as a Cm and Eboue on the right wing.
Denilson isn’t good enough as a cm or a wing.
3-0 or 4-0 Villa. We have no match winners.
I just hope Eboue doesn’t start on the wing. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if Wegner plays the following:
Almunia
Sagna – Djourou – Gallas -Clichy
Eboue – Denilson – Song – Nasri
Diaby
van Persie
Just thought this up, who knows?:
Almunia
Sagna – Djourou – Gallas- Clichy
Denilson – Song
Nasri – Diaby – Vela
van Persie
Almunia
Sagna – Djourou – Gallas- Clichy
Song
Eboue – Denilson – Nasri
Vela
van Persie
Merry Christmas guys, forgot to add it to the article.
I think it will be 3-1 for villa. We have a serious problem.( the likes of agbanohor and young who can shoot at any time.) Let’s face it, we are not good enough and if we finish fourth, then we will be very lucky though very unlikely.
is there ANY truth in these arsharvin rumours??? or is it just known that wenger thinks hes a good player..
No way is this going to be a big victory for us. I’m hoping we can win this, but see a draw at best. I agree you shouldn’t really be good enough atm, but the Villa always have a knack of messing it up at just the wrong time.
Maybe that gives you mugs a bit of hope eh?
Whatever, I’m looking forward to a good game.
Fabianski
Sagna – JD – Gallas – Clichy
Denilson – Song
RvP – Nasri – Vela
Bendtner
4-5-1 come 4-3-3. Maybe Diaby in there but nowhere near either wing. But Wenger will probably go for a totally different and wrong team.
Wenger will do what he always does; He will pick the 11 senior players next in line on his pecking-order whether they have to play out of position or not. If the brainless and defensively dire Diaby is going to play then I hope that it is in the attacking third because he is a menace to his own team anywhere else. The important thing is not to push up to play offside because Villa love to have room to run beyond the defence. They are not very good at passing through a retreating defence though.
villa have come upstuck at home against teams that play very deeply and dont allow them space to run into, and without john carew they cant simply hoof balls into the box, so play a deeper line and dont allow them space to run into behind..then play them at their own game and counter
The latest rant by AW that it’s not the end of the world indicates he is fearful that the gunners may not qualify for the cl.He goes on to compare BM and AC being out of the cl. Well that to me shows he is apprehensive about the gunners chances. Outwardly he maintains a brave stance that the gunners can win the title.
Well he has only himself to blame for the current slump. When the likes of Flamini and company left he electd to buy kids and now he’s paying the price. It’s clear to all that his buy kid policy aint working.
Hopefully he will wake up in Jan.
If Diaby plays, we will lose. He is the worse player in our squad. Absolute rubbish. He has one brilliant game and then his touch become like a cancer, giving the ball away and killing every attack. Our best bet would be to player Vela in there somewhere along with Ramsey to add some pace and creativity. As much as Wenger goes on and on about having faith in his kids he seems to never play any of them. Rather he would stick in shit like Diaby and Eboue just because they are next in line in the pecking order rather then ever really giving the likes of Ramsey and Vela a run out. Watch that bloody croc play Diaby now that Cesc is out rather then Ramsey. Yeah, Arsene knows….wankers
TheBrain; Bendtner and Toure are both fit for the match.
2-0 to the Arsenal, have a good feeling about today. Clean sheet seems risky on the pace that Villa have but think we can doit. Diaby will play in place of suspended Ade as I think Wenger knows he cannot lose this match so wont risk two strikers
We won’t win at Villa, Wenger (Mr Stubborn) will not buy anybody of note & we won’t (can’t believe I ‘m writing this) finish 4th, all because Wenger is being Stubborn. A BLIND MAN!!!! can see we need to buy, but will he? Don’t bet on it.Keeping faith with the kids is admirable but misguided as they (by & and; large) have not stepped up to the plate. It’s all very well beating Preimership teams in the Carling Cup, but it’s different when a team is scrapping for points. THATS WHEN THE KIDS NEED TO STEP UP!!! All this ‘Hype’ about them but I’m not seeing them light up the premier league. I know thats alot to ask but if there is no one else then you have to stand up & be counted & too many times this season the team as a whole has been found wanting.T his team is not up to the club standard, the quality is not there and we are in danger of falling into the ‘mini-league’ below 4th spot. I don’t know what Wenger is thinking (even GOD DOESN’T KNOW) BUT HE NEEDS TO REALISE THE FANS WILL NOT PUT UP WITH THIS FOR TOO MUCH LONGER and sooner or later will point the finger of blame. GET IT TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!
welll, weve lost it for sure now, no clichy and silvestre at left back???? he is gonna be DESTROYED by young and milner (if they swap over)…our team has never been this poor in all the years ive supported arsenal (teams under wenger)
im not glad he is injured, but i am glad he has gone off, Song is possibly the worst centre mid we have had in Wengers reign, cant pass, cant hold it up. terrible first half, but we have nicked one
what a crock of shit:)
Wrighty currently slating the side on talk sport
Very Nice Site! Thanx!
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