Don’t look now, but here comes Aston Villa! Unai Emery’s side got off to a very slow start this season, but they have steadily climbed the Premier League table as summer turned to autumn and then fall now turns to winter. Emery has just three injury concerns right now, and it’s the usual suspects, bascially, in Emiliano Martinez, Ross Barkley and Tyrone Mings. So they’re in a good spot, fitness wise, for this first place versus third place matchup.
Yes, you read that right- Aston Villa at Arsenal is a matchup of #1 vs #3 in the table right now.
Arsenal at Aston Villa FC FYIs
Kick: Sat. Dec. 6 12:30pm, Villa Park, Birmingham, UK
Team News: Arsenal Aston Villa
PL Form: Arsenal WDWDW Aston Villa FC LWWWW
PL Standing: Arsenal 1st, 33 pts Aston Villa FC 3rd, 27 pts
Google Result Probability: Arsenal 50% Aston Villa FC 23% Draw 27%
In other words, no more added hype needed.
Aston Villa Team News
Let’s start with the shot-stopper, as Emery gave an update on his injury yesterday: “Martinez was not ready to play, and had some pain in his back.”
He’ll need to pass a late fitness test in order to feature here.
Meanwhile Mings (thigh) is out for the rest of the month, so we won’t see him again until 2026, with Emery stating on Tuesday: “Tyrone is out for tomorrow, I think four weeks more to be available.”
As for Barkley, they don’t really know, with Emery saying a couple days ago: “Ruled out as well is Ross Barkley, his [knee] injury is more than we expected. I don’t know exactly, but maybe 8-10-12 weeks. Hopefully, a little bit less.”
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN.