Gameweek 15 of the 2025-26 Premier League season commences with a mouthwatering podium battle between first-placed Arsenal and third-placed Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday lunchtime.
The Gunners maintained their unassailable lead at the summit in midweek, seeing off Brentford 2-0, while Unai Emery's men pulled off a tremendous comeback in a seven-goal spectacular with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Match preview
Making the same mistake as his Brentford predecessor Thomas Frank, Bees boss Keith Andrews set his team up to defend, absorb pressure and potentially hit Arsenal on the break at the Emirates, which backfired when aerial specialist Mikel Merino nodded in an early opener.
Arsenal did come under the cosh a little more as the second half progressed, but a Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba-less defence held out before Bukayo Saka belatedly gave the Gunners some breathing space in added time.
Manchester City's extraordinary 5-4 win over Fulham the evening before had taken Pep Guardiola's men to within touching distance of the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta's men have now re-established a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League table courtesy of their 10th top-flight win of the season.
The visitors are already in double figures for victories, but they are the only team in the 2025-26 Premier League yet to concede 10 goals - shipping a mere seven - and Wednesday's clean sheet was a particularly welcome one, their first in five games in all competitions.
Since succumbing to Dominik Szoboszlai's fabulous free kick in August, Arsenal have now avoided defeat in 18 straight games in all tournaments, but Arteta's men now meet the only team to out-perform them in the last six Premier League gameweeks.
© Imago / Sportimage
Top of the top-flight form table since their 1-0 triumph over Manchester City, Emery's Aston Villa have experienced the most remarkable of revivals since their pitiful start to the season, and a spot at the Champions League table is now in their own hands.
The Lions exhibited their powers of recovery to roar to an astounding 4-3 victory at Brighton at the Amex Stadium, where the Seagulls took a two-goal lead, conceded four without reply and found a third too little too late.
Thanks to Chelsea's shock loss at Leeds United on Wednesday, Villa have replaced the Blues on the podium and now occupy the bronze medal placement in the Premier League table, six points worse off than Arsenal and just one adrift of Man City.
Success on the South Coast marked the hosts' sixth win in a row across all tournaments, as well as their fourth on the bounce in the Premier League, and their feats at Villa Park have been well-documented for some time.
Emery reunites with his former club with his side on an eight-match victorious streak on their own turf - conceding just three goals in that time - but Arsenal came up trumps 2-0 at Villa Park in August 2024 before January's four-goal draw at the Emirates.
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Team News
Victory did not come without sacrifice for Arsenal on Wednesday evening, as Cristhian Mosquera suffered either a knee or ankle injury - it is still not clear exactly which - in the first half, before Declan Rice came off with a calf problem.
The latter told a reporter after the game that he was "fine", so Arteta should be able to call upon his most expensive signing for the weekend, but Mosquera joins William Saliba (knock) and Leandro Trossard (muscle) on the doubtful list.
Mosquera missing out could leave Arteta without no fewer than three central defenders, as Gabriel Magalhaes (thigh) will not return before Christmas, but Jurrien Timber is a more than capable alternative.
Kai Havertz, meanwhile, has suffered a setback in his recovery from a knee problem and is facing a race against time to return before Christmas.
On Aston Villa's end, ex-Gunners number two Emiliano Martinez was a late withdrawal from the squad to face Brighton with a back injury, and Emery has suggested that his number one will not be available this weekend either.
Ross Barkley (knee) and Tyrone Mings (thigh) are not expected back before the end of the calendar year, but the home side are otherwise in good nick for the visit of the league leaders.
After Donyell Malen scored his fourth Premier League goal of the season off the bench on Wednesday, the former Arsenal product may have his sights set on Evann Guessand's spot, but he can be sure to face intense competition from set-piece specialist Emiliano Buendia.
Aston Villa possible starting lineup:
Bizot; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Buendia, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
Arsenal possible starting lineup:
Raya; White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Merino; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
We say: Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
While Villa may smell blood against an injury-hit Arsenal defence, the Gunners should similarly sense an opportunity against a permeable and potentially Martinez-less Lions rearguard.
Neither side should come away from the lunchtime clash unscathed, but Arsenal's enviable attacking options - both in the first XI and in reserve - have our backing to snap Villa's magnificent home run and get the title favourites over the line.
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