Arsenal Welcome Back Saliba as Rice Escapes Suspension for Crucial Villa Clash
Arsenal possess an opportunity to widen their commanding lead atop the Premier League standings, though journeys to Villa Park are rarely straightforward.
The Gunners managed to avoid dropping points at home against Brentford during midweek, ensuring their position at the peak remained five points clear of Manchester City, who appear to be channeling Kevin Keegan's "entertainers" approach.
Nevertheless, Mikel Arteta's squad has faced difficulties against Unai Emery's Villa previously, and an early weekend disappointment would provide the Citizens with an opening, as Sunderland visits the Etihad later that day.
Arsenal are dealing with fitness issues once more, and clarity on available starters may only emerge on game day. Here's the lineup Arteta might deploy at Villa Park.
Arsenal Predicted Lineup vs. Aston Villa (4-3-3)
GK: David Raya—Raya secured his first shutout in nearly a month during Wednesday's match, with a brilliant stop from Kevin Schade making him deserving of the clean sheet.
RB: Jurriën Timber—Arteta attempted to rest Timber midweek, but Cristhian Mosquera's setback forced him to complete the match at center back. Despite Ben White's solid performance, the Dutch defender will probably reclaim his regular position on Saturday.
CB: William Saliba—Saliba's participation appears dependent on Friday's training session, having missed the previous two matches. The French defender is progressing positively, however.
CB: Piero Hincapié—The Ecuadorian is now facing a shortage of defensive partners. Mosquera was ruled out on Wednesday, but Saliba should return at Villa Park.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori—The attacking left back troubled Brentford's defense on Wednesday evening and should retain his place for the weekend. He'll likely encounter Villa's hardworking captain, John McGinn, frequently.
CM: Martín Zubimendi—Opposition teams can exploit Zubimendi when matches become open, and Villa will certainly try to make Saturday's encounter a fast-paced, transitional game.
CM: Declan Rice—Arsenal are concerned about Rice's availability for Saturday, as the midfielder sustained a calf problem during the week. Arteta appeared relatively unconcerned about the issue.
CM: Martin Ødegaard—Arsenal will seek to establish complete dominance in a challenging atmosphere, with their captain playing a crucial part in helping the Gunners maintain possession. He returned to the starting eleven against Brentford.
RW: Bukayo Saka—Saka made an impact as a substitute last time and is guaranteed to return to Arteta's starting lineup.
ST: Mikel Merino—Merino is currently indispensable. The no-longer-improvised striker found the net again on Wednesday, as Premier League defenses continue to struggle with the Spaniard's aerial prowess.
LW: Eberechi Eze—Gabriel Martinelli and possibly Leandro Trossard are options, but we've seen Arteta deploy Eze on the left previously this season and he could begin wide on Saturday. This is likely how he'll coexist with Ødegaard in a match like this.
