Arsenal looking to seize opportunity against Luton Town as rivals face-off
Arsenal kicked off a frantic December schedule with a semi-comfortable 2-1 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers, extending their Premier League winning streak to three games on the bounce.
Bukayo Saka handed Mikel Arteta’s side an early lead, smashing past Jose Sa after a ricochet fell kindly to him the Wolves 18-yard area.
Seven minutes later, Gunners skipper Mikel Odegaard doubled their advantage, drilling home a cutback from Oleksandr Zinchenko to cap off a superb, free-flowing attacking move.
Matheus Cunha pulled one back late in the game, pouncing on an error from Zinchenko, but the Gunners remained resilient to see off the challenge from Wolves and secure a third win in a row.
The result saw Arsenal extend their lead at the Premier League summit to two points ahead of Liverpool and three above defending champions Manchester City, who were held to a 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur.
After three consecutive draws, the Cityzens will be desperate to get maximum points on the board when they travel to Birmingham to take on high-flying Aston Villa at Villa Park on Wednesday.
Pep Guardiola’s side can ill-afford any more slip-ups in the title race, setting the stage for a pulsating encounter at Villa Park, and you can witness all the live action by purchasing Manchester City tickets from Seatsnet.com at competitive prices.
While Man City and Villa are trading tackles in Birmingham, Manchester United and Chelsea will face off in a tantalising contest at Old Trafford.
Both sides head into the game in contrasting fortunes, with Man United eager to bounce back from yet another defeat to Newcastle United, while Chelsea will be keen to build on their dramatic 3-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion.
Aston Villa v Manchester City overview
Man City head to Villa determined to snap their three-game winless run in the Premier League, but the hosts will back themselves to pile on their misery with just one point separating both sides ahead of Wednesday’s clash.
Unai Emery’s side saw their four-match winning streak in all competitions grind to a halt last weekend as they came from behind twice to salvage a 2-2 draw against a spirited Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
Heading into a nerve-racking run of fixtures that will see the Villans take on Man City and Arsenal in a three-day span, the draw against Bournemouth can be a bitter pill to swallow.
While Emery’s side managed to retain their top-four spot, defeat against Man City could see them slip down to sixth in the table if Tottenham and Newcastle win their next games on Thursday.
However, bolstered by their exceptional run of form on home turf, the Villans will back themselves to give the champions a run for their money, considering they have won 17 of their last 18 games at Villa Park.
Wednesday’s fixture also gives Villa a chance to rectify their paltry record against Man City, as they have failed to win any of their last 13 Premier League meetings with the champions since September 2013.
Meanwhile, the draw against Tottenham plunged Man City into a three-match winless streak for the first time since 2017 as the Cityzens continue to slip down the rankings.
What would worry Guardiola more is the fact that his side have taken the lead in their last three draws against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham, failing to see out a victory each time, which is uncharacteristic of a Man City side.
Defensive frailties have proved costly for Guardiola’s side, who have conceded ten goals in their last four matches, while they have only kept five clean sheets in 21 competitive fixtures this season.
Nonetheless, the trip to Villa may have come at a perfect time for Man City, considering they’ve won ten of their last 11 meetings with the Villans by an aggregate scoreline of 32-8.
Manchester United v Chelsea overview
Two of the Premier League’s faltering giants face off in a mouth-watering midweek contest as Man United and Chelsea renew hostilities at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils head into the game on the back of a slender 1-0 defeat to Newcastle, while Mauricio Pochettino’s men demonstrated grit and determination to see off Brighton with ten men.
Man United’s injury problems this season have been well-documented, but their fitness concerns pale into insignificance when compared to a decimated Newcastle side, who named academy stars on the bench at St James’ Park.
Nonetheless, Erik ten Hag’s side proved to be no match for the energetic Magpies despite prevailing in five of their last six Premier League outings, including three clean sheets in a row.
Man United have slipped to seventh in the Premier League table ahead of the midweek round of fixtures, five points adrift of the top four. They have scored just 16 times, which is by far the worst attacking return from any top-half team.
Half of their goals have come on home turf, but they’ll need more firepower to edge Chelsea, given that they’ve only managed two wins from their last five games at the Theatre of Dreams.
Chelsea edged Brighton in a five-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge, with Enzo Fernandez finally getting off the mark in a Blue shirt, spurring Pochettino’s side to victory with a brace.
The Argentine’s heroics bumped Chelsea up to tenth place in the Premier League standings, rising above West London rivals Brentford, although the Blues still have a long way to go in their quest for a European slot.
Luton Town v Arsenal overview
Villa are one of the most unpredictable teams in the Premier League, but Arsenal will keep an eye out for a helping hand from the Villans as they take on relegation contenders Luton Town on Tuesday.
Should Villa force Man City into dropping points, the Gunners could potentially extend their lead over the champions to five points, although they’ll still have Liverpool to contend with.
Nevertheless, Arteta’s title-chasing troops are now riding the crest of a wave on the back of five consecutive victories in all tournaments.
The north Londoners are overwhelming favourites to emerge from Kenilworth Road with maximum points in the bag, and their impressive away record emphasises that sentiment.
While they’ve not been at their prolific best on their travels, Arteta’s side boast the best defensive record away from home in the Premier League, conceding just three goals thus far.
Yet, Luton have remarkably maintained an 11-game unbeaten run against Arsenal at Kenilworth Road, including a victory in the 1988 EFL Cup final – marking their first major trophy.
However, their last competitive clash dates back to 1991, and none of the historical facts will matter when a title-chasing Arsenal storm Bedfordshire on Tuesday evening.
