Arsenal seeks to close the gap with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Saturday when it faces Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium.
The Gunners will need to service Brentford earlier today if they are to move closer to Liverpool in the table, provided they can avoid slipping up against the Villans of course. Arsenal have painful memories of this particular match last season Where Unai Emery's Villa dealt them a fatal blow in the title race.
Arsenal can build on confidence Wednesday's victory in the North London derby Against Tottenham Hotspur, even if they were far from their best, they earned bragging rights. Injuries continue to make Mikel Arteta's life more difficult and he will need to improve his team selection for the arrival of seventh-placed Villa.
Here's how Arsenal He could line up this weekend.
Goalkeeper: David Raya – The Spaniard was not too busy in the north London derby, but produced an impressive comeback save to deny Dejan Kulusevski. He may be called into work more frequently on Saturdays.
Right-back: Joren Temper – Temper is Arsenal's only right-back option and has been forced to play a lot of football over the past month. However, he performed admirably despite the heavy workload.
Centre-back: William Saliba – the Real Madrid goal He will be tasked with containing Ollie Watkins on Saturday, who has now registered two goals and two assists in his last four games. John Duran will prove a similar handful off the bench.
Center back: Gabriel – Gabriel put in a tremendous performance against Tottenham and Arsenal need their Brazilian star more than ever given the attacking difficulties they have been facing in recent weeks.
LB: Miles Lewis Skelly – Lewis Skelly has gained invaluable experience this season and put in an excellent performance against Tottenham. Having performed admirably against a tough Spurs attacking line, he will be tested by the likes of Morgan Rogers and Leon Bailey this weekend.
Midfielder: Martin Odegaard – Odegaard's performance improved greatly on Wednesday and helped Arsenal win, as the agile Norwegian scored a goal Innovative display and distinctive size In the midfield.
CM: Thomas Partey – He will need to provide significant support to Arsenal's backline against Villa, who are often lethal on the counter-attack. Mikel Merino sniffs around his starting spot.
CM: Declan Rice – Rice was unable to replicate his impressive debut season for most of the season, but he produced an emphatic turnaround against Tottenham. Villa's engine room is full of impressive options, including one-time Arsenal target Amadou Onana, and Rice will need to take control of the midfield battle.
Right wing: Leandro Trossard – He scored the winner against Tottenham on Wednesday with a powerful shot, although it should have been saved by Antonin Kinski. A performance that strengthens the Belgian's confidence, who needs to step up in attack Injuries.
ST: Kai Havertz – Havertz has come under fire in recent weeks for his profligacy and can have few complaints after some woeful errors. However, he has secured a starting place in Gabriel Jesus' absence and is always working relentlessly off the ball.
Left wing: Gabriel Martinelli – He was surprisingly omitted from the squad on Wednesday but Raheem Sterling's disappointing performance in the derby will only ensure Martinelli's return. That should give Matty Cash a tough afternoon.
