Arsenal v Aston Villa

Headshot

V

Sunday

Arsenal v Aston Villa, 1.30pm

Arsenal will be waiting on the fitness of Cesc Fabregas for the visit of Aston Villa. Fabregas missed the 3-0 win over Hull last week with a minor hamstring strain but may have recovered sufficiently for Sunday's game.

Tomas Rosicky (hamstring), Nicklas Bendtner (groin) and Robin van Persie (ankle) remain sidelined, along with Gael Clichy (back) and Johan Djourou (knee). Armand Traore could be ready to return.

Emile Heskey is Aston Villa's biggest injury worry, having tweaked a groin muscle during their 1-0 home win against Stoke.

Arsenal (from): Almunia, Silvestre, Vermaelen, Gallas, Sagna, Song, Denilson, Fabregas, Diaby, Nasri, Walcott, Arshavin, Fabianski, Vela, Eduardo, Wilshere, Eboue, Ramsey, Senderos.

Aston Villa (from): Friedel, Guzan, Luke Young, Beye, Cuellar, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Ashley Young, Petrov, Milner, Sidwell, Reo-Coker, Downing, Delph, Gardner, Agbonlahor, Heskey, Carew, Clark.

looking forward to this match, should be a good match

Ill go for a draw

therokerroar

2-1 Arsenal.

I'll go 2-1 to the gunners

leninbenjamin

Hoping for an Arsenal win, but I'm thinking a score draw is the more likely outcome.

Ush1

Headshot wrote: »

looking forward to this match, should be a good match

Ill go for a draw

lol, score draw I presume so!

If Fabregas is back, I'll go for an Arsenal win.

ROCKMAN

Looking forward to it myself, Think it will be a tough but very good game , Can see The Gunners shave it
2-1 . me thinks

Peyton Manning

Hope this is as good as last years game. Im pretty sure it was a boxing day fixture aswell last year, right? Remember watching it at a bar in Lanzarote. It was so warm. So warm....

cson

Yeah Diaby scored two crackers to put us either 2-0 or 3-1 up and then Gallas gave away a penalty, and we threw it away by giving up another goal in the last few minutes.

Paleface

I'm really not confident of an Arsenal win due to the simple fact that Villa are a great team. In my view its no different to playing one of the other big 4. Those games are very unpredictable and largely hinge on who gets it right in the split second that it matters.

If Arsenal win it their title aspirations are as good as anyones.

If Villa win it they are on course for their best season in years and who knows where they will end up.

I think if Diaby has one of his on form days he'll get a goal and could prove the difference to win it for Arsenal.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!

Helix

lot of people talking up the villa in the media at the minute, which generally means complete capitulation. whether that happens in our next 2 games or not will not only define our season but our progress to date

i think we CAN get 4 points from the next 2 games, hopefully starting with a win tomorrow. but if arsenal beat us its absolutely imperative we do the scouse on tuesday

Tomthepost

Can see Arsenal sneak a draw and deny triple crown winning Aston Villa the Grand Slam.

Peyton Manning

Tomthepost wrote: »

Can see Arsenal sneak a draw and deny triple crown winning Aston Villa the Grand Slam.

Actually when is the last time a team beat all of the "big 4" in one season? Better yet, when is the last time a team beat all 4 of them in a row (i.e. without playing one of return fixtures in between)...?

Would be a magnificent achievement for Villa. I'll be backing for the tomorrow for that reason alone.

tony1kenobi

70/1 for 5-0 or 5-1 to arsenal. I stuck a fiver on each. Free money......maybe.

Helix

tony1kenobi wrote: »

70/1 for 5-0 or 5-1 to arsenal. I stuck a fiver on each. Free money......maybe.

id have done a dance for you for that tenner

wouldve been better value

Tomthepost

tony1kenobi wrote: »

70/1 for 5-0 or 5-1 to arsenal. I stuck a fiver on each. Free money......maybe.

Great bet! What are the odds on Bernard Dunne being the next WBC or WBA Heavyweight World Champion? I reckon its worth sticking a fiver on each.

Headshot

Helix wrote: »

id have done a dance for you for that tenner

wouldve been better value

Deal Helix but you have to post the video on the sf

I want you to do the Macarena

tony1kenobi

h f*ck it lads....it's christmas and I only got a jumper.....maybe there is a nice surprise for me tomorrow!!.......

........I couldn't get a bet on getting a bj off Mila Kunis by close of play tomorrow......so I went with the 5 nil option.

monkey9

tony1kenobi wrote: »

h f*ck it lads....it's christmas and I only got a jumper.....maybe there is a nice surprise for me tomorrow!!.......

........I couldn't get a bet on getting a bj off Mila Kunis by close of play tomorrow......so I went with the 5 nil option.

WTF???? :pac:

Is someone...eh, is someone on the Christmas sherry tonight??!!

Hank Scorpio

3-1 arsenal

Time Magazine

As a Villa fan, I cannot see us winning this.

However, Villa have not conceded in the past four matches. We have the best defence in the league. Bar the disaster against Wigan at the start of the season, we have scored in every match.

A draw at 11/4 on Paddy Power is looking a steal.

OPENROAD

Half Time / Full Time

Villa/Arsenal @ 20/1

Helix

OPENROAD wrote: »

Half Time / Full Time

Villa/Arsenal @ 20/1

honestly, if we take the lead i cant for the life of me see us losing the game tbh

i think its got a draw or arsenal 1/2-0 written all over it

we're always at our most susceptible when we have a bit of expectation hanging over us... id like to think itll change this season but honestly, its just ingrained in the club to bottle things when we get into a decent position in this past century. hopefully this will be a turning point though

One Cold Hand

I think this has a score draw written all over it, and I'd be happy with that. I just hope we don't go there looking for a draw, cos that's when we'll be stuffed. We have go and try to win.

Spiritoftheseventies

Paleface wrote: »

I'm really not confident of an Arsenal win due to the simple fact that Villa are a great team. In my view its no different to playing one of the other big 4. Those games are very unpredictable and largely hinge on who gets it right in the split second that it matters.

If Arsenal win it their title aspirations are as good as anyones.

If Villa win it they are on course for their best season in years and who knows where they will end up.

I think if Diaby has one of his on form days he'll get a goal and could prove the difference to win it for Arsenal.

COME ON YOU GUNNERS!!!!

A bit early to be calling Villa a great team seeing they haven't actually won anything. O'Neill seems to be doing a good job there but next two games will give us a better idea where team is in terms of pecking order.

Peyton Manning

bayviewclose wrote: »

A bit early to be calling Villa a great team seeing they haven't actually won anything. O'Neill seems to be doing a good job there but next two games will give us a better idea where team is in terms of pecking order.

To be fair, having already beaten Liverpool, Chelsea and United, most people know where Villa stand. They're the best side outside the "big 4" by a long shot imo. They are close to breaking up that group, and as soon as they figure out how to stop losing silly games they should be winning, they'll be a regular fixture in the title chase.

One Cold Hand

Archimedes wrote: »

To be fair, having already beaten Liverpool, Chelsea and United, most people know where Villa stand. They're the best side outside the "big 4" by a long shot imo. They are close to breaking up that group, and as soon as they figure out how to stop losing silly games they should be winning, they'll be a regular fixture in the title chase.

What Villa need is to not have a bad run, or to limit it to only a couple of games. We doing as well as this for about 2 thirds of last season, but the entire final third of the season was a disaster. That's the difference between the 'Big 4' and the rest imo, consistency over the course of the season, and depth of squad.

Spiritoftheseventies

Archimedes wrote: »

To be fair, having already beaten Liverpool, Chelsea and United, most people know where Villa stand. They're the best side outside the "big 4" by a long shot imo. They are close to breaking up that group, and as soon as they figure out how to stop losing silly games they should be winning, they'll be a regular fixture in the title chase.

yes but tellingly rafa has suggested that spurs or City may be our biggest rivals for fourth spot. Engaging in some early mindgames ahead of Tuesday no doubt.

SDTimeout

It seems everyone but arsenal fans are confident for this.

I'm nervous and excited at the prospect of cesc not playing. If he doesn't the pressure is on Diaby to show consistantcy because otherwise if ramsey is playing alongside him then he will have to up his game as ramsey is on the verge of leaping diaby in the pecking order. If he hasn't already in some peoples estimations.

Saying that i do think we will win and it will be pretty.

If you can't have hope , what have you got ( sense isn't the correct answer )

flahavaj

bayviewclose wrote: »

yes but tellingly rafa has suggested that spurs or City may be our biggest rivals for fourth spot. Engaging in some early mindgames ahead of Tuesday no doubt.

You'd think he'd have learned his lesson from the last few times he tried this.:pac:

invincibleirish

I think Arsenal are due a win against Villa at the Emirates at some point.

mike65

Draw 1-1.

dannydiamond

I think Arshavin could have a big game for Arsenal. Looks like a man who's going to start scoring.

3-1 Arsenal, Arshavin to net at least one.

One Cold Hand

Archimedes wrote: »

Actually when is the last time a team beat all of the "big 4" in one season? Better yet, when is the last time a team beat all 4 of them in a row (i.e. without playing one of return fixtures in between)...?

Would be a magnificent achievement for Villa. I'll be backing for the tomorrow for that reason alone.

According to the BBC website's preview of the game, Leeds were the last team to beat the 'big 4', in the 1994-5 season. Of course back then, there was no 'Big 4' (Arsenal were 12th, and Chelsea 11th. And Blackburn won the league, with Forest 3rd.)

Spiritoftheseventies

One Cold Hand wrote: »

According to the BBC website's preview of the game, Leeds were the last team to beat the 'big 4', in the 1994-5 season. Of course back then, there was no 'Big 4' (Arsenal were 12th, and Chelsea 11th. And Blackburn won the league, with Forest 3rd.)

But for Arshavin, pool would have done it last season

Frisbee

1-2 Villa, I've been dreading this fixture

NukaCola

Villa will nick it by one goal*



*I'm terrible at Score predictions

Frisbee

I'd be hoping for:

---

Almunia

---

Sagna

---

Gallas

---

Vermalen

---

Traore

---

Diaby

---

Song

---

Fab

---

Nasri

---

Eduardo

---

Arshavin


With that front three constantly switching as against Hull.
Also still not heard anything on the fitness of Traore or Fabregas so Silvestre and Denilson in for them.

One Cold Hand

bayviewclose wrote: »

But for Arshavin, pool would have done it last season

Yeah but Liverpool are in the Big 4??? I'm pretty sure that stat was for teams outside the big 4. Without actually checking, I'm sure united or chelsea have beaten the other 3 teams in the big 4 in one season.

Spiritoftheseventies

One Cold Hand wrote: »

Yeah but Liverpool are in the Big 4??? I'm pretty sure that stat was for teams outside the big 4. Without actually checking, I'm sure united or chelsea have beaten the other 3 teams in the big 4 in one season.

yeah forget about that. I think Villa would be happy enough with two draws from next two games. Arsenal though maybe too strong in attack for them. Will make interesting viewing anyway.

Eire-Dearg

Arsenal: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Vermaelen, Traore, Song Billong, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby, Eduardo, Arshavin. Subs: Fabianski, Fabregas, Vela, Walcott, Ramsey, Silvestre, Eboue.
Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Cuellar, Warnock, Ashley Young, Petrov, Milner, Downing, Agbonlahor, Heskey. Subs: Guzan, Sidwell, Carew, Delph, Reo-Coker, Beye, Collins.

One Cold Hand

Come on Villa!

mike65

Right so Villas best 11 starts today...good.

Headshot

come on villa

a win or draw will do me

leninbenjamin

mike65 wrote: »

Right so Villas best 11 starts today...good.

I'm not sure it is good. I think whoever goes all out today will drop points in the games after, I'd rather see Arsenal play within themselves and get a draw than go all out and use up the tank to get the win.

mike65

Exactly! (Villa play Liverpool Tuesday)

SlickRic

no cesc from the start.

1-1 so.

leninbenjamin

mike65 wrote: »

Exactly! (Villa play Liverpool Tuesday)

Ah, forgot that bit! :pac:

shoutman

Love when Sky sports get things right, with that little segment when "Star pupil" came up, I was expecting them to go on about Gabby or Ash Young. But Milner truely is our best player this year.

Score draw today imo, also LOL at anyone who thinks villa will get demolished today.

Headshot

gone for Dunne to score anytime 10/1

8-10

Headshot wrote: »

gone for Dunne to score anytime 10/1

Nice, have him 25/1 e/w to score first.

SDTimeout

Nervous but looking forward to a good game!, COME ON ARSENAL