Arsenal vs Aston Villa Match Preview
Brian Moore, Dec 25th 2009
It’s a battle for third place in the table. Arsenal’s play has been less than stellar lately and they’ll see Aston Villa as a stiff test of their mettle; Villa have already beaten Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea this season, and they’ll see a win over Arsenal as proof of their top four credentials.
A melee resulting from Samir Nasri's alleged stamping on the ankle of Richard Garcia marred Arsenal’s most recent outing,..a 3-0 victory over Hull City. But the Gunners, despite the tally of goals they achieved, were far from their best against lowly Hull, and manager Arsene Wenger will undoubtedly have vented his spleen following the match.
Currently in third place in the table and a full seven points behind the leaders, the Gunners’ recent form will render them potentially vulnerable to an Aston Villa squad that will be looking to leapfrog into the third spot.
Arsenal have already dropped four games this season, and they've notched just 3 wins in their last six matches. There is a lot of quality on their bench, but injuries have prevented the Londoners from gaining momentum.
Robin Van Persie is probably out for the season due to ankle surgery; there is a remote possibility of his reappearance in April or May, but Arsene Wenger isn’t counting on it.
Rosicky, Bendtner and Clichy are also on the disabled list.
They key injury now, however, must be that of Cesc Fabregas, who is listed as doubtful for the Villa match. Febregas’s midfield leadership and control will be sorely missed if he is unable to appear against Villa.
The Midlands Rising
It's a good year for Birmingham clubs thus far in the season. Birmingham City recently achieved a club record five consecutive Premier League wins and have now gone nine games undefeated. Meanwhile, cross-town rivals Aston Villa sit fourth in the Premier League, on even points with Arsenal. And not to be outdone, Villa too are looking to acquire a fifth consecutive win.
Will the real Big Four please stand up?
Having beaten the others of the Big Four this season--for now considered to be Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool--Villa will be confident of their potential against the Gunners.
Unlike his opposite number, Villa manager Martin O’Neill is likely to have a full squad available to him, since Emile Heskey’s injury last week was less serious than originally thought. Even so, O’Neill has a ready stand in for the big center forward if he needs one: the even bigger center forward John Carew, whose experience and skill are well known quantities.
A pivotal Match for both clubs
A win by Villa puts them above Arsenal in third place, and third place in the English Premier League is Champions League territory, sacred ground not normally associated with teams from Birmingham. It would also bolster Villa’s confidence for their return match against Liverpool on Tuesday. The Villains will be hopeful of defeating the Scousers a second time this season. For Arsenal a win puts breathing space between themselves and Villa. They still have a game in hand so a loss may not be a complete disaster. Yet Arsene Wenger has acknowledged that his club have little room for mistakes as they head into the New year. The reality is that if they hope to catch Chelsea, Arsenal will have to beat Villa.
