The Gunners REALLY owe ‘em one.
Arsenal host Aston Villa to close out the calendar year 2025, a clash of first against third in the Premier League table.
Aston Villa are on an 11-match winning streak in all competitions and an have compiled an excellent string of results against Arsenal over the past few seasons. They are a good time riding a hot streak and good fortune. But, like, they’re really not as good as their results suggest. They are winning despite being outplayed, at times comprehensively, in their matches. Arsenal, on the other hand, feel like they’re hanging on to wins but really, they’re thoroughly outplaying their opponents.
At some point, you’d expect those trends to reverse if the clubs keep playing as they have been. Arsenal should start smashing teams and Villa should start dropping points. There is no particular reason that flip in fortunes should or will happen today as opposed to in the next match, the one after that, or sometime vaguely soon-ish. But there is also no reason that it won’t happen today, if that makes sense.
Coming into today, I was pretty confident in a resounding, narrative-shifting Arsenal win. With the Declan Rice news, I’m less confident of that, but I still think the Gunners will deliver. Rice misses out today with a minor knee problem picked up deputizing at right back against Brighton. He was close to being available today, but the club have decided not to risk aggravating / exacerbating the injury and turning what is expected to be a short absence into a significant one.
Hopefully Jurrien Timber is back from the problem that kept him out against Brighton because Ben White only has an outside chance of being available. Otherwise, your guess is as good as mine as to who will start at right back for Arsenal. Riccardo Calafiori is a question mark, too. Cristhian Mosquera and Max Dowman are both out until February.
Kai Havertz is expected to make the bench for today’s match. Gabriel is back from injury — he came on as a substitute against Brighton and a is probable starter today.
Aston Villa are without Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara, who are both serving yellow card accumulation suspensions. Ross Barkley, Pau Torres, and Tyrone Mings are all out with injury.
Lineups will be posted when available.
WHAT: Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
WHERE: Emirates Stadium
WHEN: Tuesday, December 30th 12:15 pm PT | 3:15 pm ET | 8:15 pm GMT
US TV: Streaming on Peacock.
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Category: General Sports
