Premier League Game of the Week: Can Arsenal storm Aston Villa's fortress?

In many ways, Villa’s redemption is Emery’s redemption, too. Both suffered humiliating defeats in the league; both never stopped fighting to get back to the top. And in Arsenal, Villa and Emery will face down their biggest demon yet. The Villans have lost their last four matches against Arsenal; Emery has not been able to beat them with any club since they dismissed him in 2019.

Will this weekend be the time it all changes? It’s hard to know for sure. But we do know this: Aston Villa vs. Arsenal should be one for the history books. Here’s what were keeping an eye on:

Result — Villa might be winless in four against Arsenal, but it’s on a 14-game unbeaten streak at Villa Park. With spirits high after Wednesday’s Man City spectacle, it’s as good a time as any to back the Villans extending that victorious streak. They’re at +230 to win this one at home; if they play like they did against the Citizens, those odds look tasty.

But can Villa’s less-than-perfect defense keep out the likes of Martin Odegaard and Gabriel Martinelli? (It did just fine against Erling Haaland and Phil Foden, mind you, but neither was playing at their best.) Villa supporters looking for a slight Arsenal hedge might want to consider betting on them to win with at least one Arsenal goal; at +450, it feels like a decent shout.

Cards — Unai Emery isn’t the only ex-Gunner on the Villa squad. Talismanic goalkeeper Emi Martinez spent nearly eight years as a backup keeper with Arsenal before moving to Villa, getting his big break and, oh yeah, winning the World Cup on penalties.

One thing Martinez excels at is game management; he’s a master troll who won’t hesitate to cause some trouble if it means throwing his opponent off its rhythm. (Just look at that World Cup final for proof.) Martinez is at +333 to be carded at any point—we think those are decent odds for a goalkeeper with his, ahem, particular set of skills. 

Goalscorers — Poor Kai Havertz has had a rough go of it with Arsenal. His problem is his uniqueness: he simply doesn’t look or play like any other striker on earth, and coach Mikel Arteta has struggled to find a formation that makes the most of his skills. But Havertz’s uniqueness could be his greatest asset in this match, because no one will flummox Villa center-back Ezri Konsa more than lanky, idiosyncratic Havertz. He’s entered a bit of a goalscoring purple patch; at +300 to score in this game, we’re keeping our eyes on him.