Overview
Repeating the same mistake as his predecessor Thomas Frank, Brentford coach Keith Andrews chose to arrange a deep defensive formation, under pressure and waiting for a counter-attack opportunity against Arsenal at the Emirates. However, this plan quickly backfired when Mikel Merino headed the opening goal very early.
Arsenal were under more pressure in the second half, but the defence lacked both Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba to stand firm. In extra time, Bukayo Saka scored the winning goal for the "Gunners".
The day before, Manchester City's thrilling 5-4 victory over Fulham helped Pep Guardiola's army get close to Arsenal. But thanks to three key points against Brentford, Mikel Arteta's side have re-established a five-point lead in the Premier League, taking their win tally this season to 10.
Arsenal are still the only team in the Premier League 2025-2026 to have not conceded 10 goals. And the win over Brentford was the first time they have kept a clean sheet in five games in all competitions.
Since Dominik Szoboszlai broke through with a beautiful free kick in August, Arsenal have been unbeaten in 18 consecutive matches in all competitions. However, Arteta and his team will now face the only team with more impressive form than them in the last 6 weeks of the Premier League.
Since the 1-0 win over Manchester City, Unai Emery's Aston Villa have created their most impressive comeback after a disappointing start to the season. Now, a place in the Champions League is in their hands.
The Midlands side showed their strong rebound with a dramatic 4-3 win over Brighton at Amex. In that match, the Seagulls led by 2 goals but conceded four in a row before finding a third equalizer too late.
Thanks to Chelsea's surprise defeat to Leeds United, Villa overcame The Blues to take third place in the Premier League table, 6 points behind Arsenal.
The victory on the South Coast also marked Villa's sixth consecutive win in all competitions, and the fourth consecutive win in the Premier League. Their home record at Villa Park has long been considered an important launching pad.
Reuniting with his former team, Emery has brought a series of 8 consecutive wins at home - conceding only three goals during this period. However, Arsenal won 2-0 at Villa Park in August 2024, before the two sides drew 2-2 in a match with 4 goals at the Emirates in January.
Personnel situation
Cristhian Mosquera was injured in the first half of the win over Brentford. Declan Rice also had to leave the pitch due to a calf problem.
After the match, Rice reassured fans when he said he was fine, so Arteta would likely have the midfielder's service at the weekend. However, Mosquera, along with William Saliba and Leandro Trossard, are all players who are uncertain to play.
If Mosquera does not recover in time, Arteta is at risk of missing 3 central defenders, because Gabriel Magalhaes will definitely be absent until after Christmas. However, Jurrien Timber is still a quality alternative.
In another development, Kai Havertz has had a problem recovering from a knee injury and is racing against time to return before Christmas.
On the Aston Villa side, goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was forced to withdraw from the squad for the match against Brighton due to a back injury, and Emery confirmed that his number one goalkeeper will also not be present this weekend.
Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings are not expected to return before the new year, but the home team's spirit is still high to be ready to welcome the top team.
Expected lineup:
Aston Villa: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Kamara, Tielemans, Buendia, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino, Saka, Gyokeres, Eze.
The match between Aston Villa and Arsenal takes place at 19:30 on December 6 (Vietnam time).
