Aston Villa vs Arsenal Prediction: Fascinating battle to ensue at Villa Park

Aston Villa are the form side in the Premier League right now. They made it four wins on the spin after coming from 2-0 down to win 4-3 at Brighton & Hove Albion in midweek. Up next for them is league leaders Arsenal at Villa Park on Saturday (12:30 GMT, TNT Sports 1).

The Gunners were 2-0 victors at home to Brentford last time out, but this is expected to be another tough away trip. My Aston Villa vs Arsenal predictions can be found below, which includes the latest team news and match odds.

Team News

Villa are without the services of Tyrone Mings (hamstring) and Ross Barkley (knee) due to injury. Other than that, Unai Emery should have everyone else available for this crunch clash.

He made a few alterations in the week and despite going behind, his players dug deep to turn the game on its head. He may be tempted to field the same XI here, particularly as Ollie Watkins bagged a brace, having previously managed just one goal in the top flight.

Donyell Malen has been in goalscoring form of late, so he may be handed another role in the team, potentially at the expense of Evann Guessand.

Premier League Odds

William Saliba and Leandro Trossard were absent again for Arsenal against Brentford, but boss Mikel Arteta said that the duo were just days away from being available again. So there is a chance that both could return to the squad on Saturday.

Kai Havertz (knee) and Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) remain sidelined, while Declan Rice (calf) and Cristhian Mosquera (unspecified) picked up fresh injuries on Wednesday and they will need to be assessed ahead of the trip to the West Midlands.

Today's Football Fixtures

Aston Villa vs Arsenal Odds

Villa are on a four-game winning streak in the Premier League and they are 16/5 (implied probability of 23.8%) to come out on top here.

The hosts are also appealing in the Draw No Bet market at 2/1.

Arsenal have drawn their last two away trips in the league and the stalemate is marketed at 5/2. The Gunners are 10/11 to come away with the three points, but Villa have lost just one home match all season across all competitions.

Both Teams To Score - Yes & Over 2.5 Goals @ 7/5

Aston Villa have really pushed on in recent weeks. Who remembers when they started the season without a goal in their opening six matches? A bit of consistency has allowed them to rapidly climb the table and their current winning run has seen them rise to third, just six points behind Arsenal.

This feels like a big fixture in terms of the title race because if the hosts were to win, they might just pull themselves into the conversation. This game being at home is a big advantage for them as they have lost just one of the 10 matches held here in all competitions in 2025/26.

Arsenal's injury troubles are not ideal heading into this one, especially as they have dropped points on their last two away trips in the top flight - including against 10-man Chelsea last weekend.

This is building up to be a massive contest for both clubs, and I think the smart play here will be to back goals.

Combining BTTS - Yes and Over 2.5 Goals appeals because of the talent both these teams have in their ranks and the quality they have been producing so far this term.

This selection has landed in two of Arsenal's previous four road trips in the Premier League, while this has been a successful bet in three of Villa's last four competitive appearances. I think this early kick-off will provide entertainment.

Anytime Goalscorer - Ollie Watkins @ 23/10

Villa fans will have been delighted to see Watkins bag a brace at Brighton because the England international has struggled to replicate the form he has shown in recent years in the early stages of this campaign.

It ended a seven-game drought in the league and he will look to build on his midweek performance against the Gunners. This game is massive for the Villans and Watkins is someone they will look to for inspiration as someone who could be the difference-maker.

The Villa striker has a good record against his boyhood club, with six goals in 11 appearances to date, including one at the Emirates in 2024/25.

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