Nobody talks about Aston Villa being in the title race, do they? That will change if they win this game.
Villa struggled at the start of the season but now they are on this unbelievable run, and this is a real test for Arsenal.
What was Gunners boss Mikel Arteta doing, leaving Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze out of Wednesday’s win over Brentford? They have been the backbone of my Fantasy team this season.
Saka and Eze should be back on Saturday but Arteta has a history of being cautious in big games like this one – look at their draw at Stamford Bridge last week, for example.
A lot of people saw that as a good point and I get why but, as a former player, I know that after playing against 10 men for an hour, I would have come off the pitch feeling disappointed with a draw.
Arteta’s mindset is different. This isn’t a criticism, because it is working for them, but they are quite pragmatic.
I still think they will win the league, and I still believe they are the strongest team with depth in their squad to cope with the injuries they have got at the moment – but they could still end up looking back on that Chelsea game, or their defeat at Liverpool in August, and wish they had gone for it more.
I don’t think they will do that at Villa Park either, and the most likely result is probably another draw, which would be Arsenal’s third in a row on the road.
But I don’t want to go for a draw because it is the biggest game of the weekend and, in any case, I do have a feeling Arsenal will sneak it for what would be a real statement win.
I am sure Villa will have a real go at them, but Arsenal will nullify them and find a way of getting a goal.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-1
Read the full predictions and have your say here
