Premier League title contenders Arsenal and Aston Villa lock horns at the Emirates on Tuesday night as both sides are vying for three points to round off 2025.
Arsenal defeated Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 last time out, reclaiming the top spot on the summit.
[Villa secured a 2-1 comeback win over Chelsea](https://thesportstoday.com/2025/12/27/watkins-double-stuns-chelsea-as-villa-equals-111-year-record/) in their last outing as they equalled their 111-year record of 11 successive victories in all competitions.
**Match preview**
Arsenal have lost three of their last five Premier League matches against Aston Villa (W1 D1) and could see Villa complete a league double over them for the third time in six seasons (also 2020/21 and 2023/24).
Aston Villa are unbeaten in their last two away league games against Arsenal, beating them 2-0 in April 2024 and drawing 2-2 in January last season. They last had a longer run without defeat in the Emirates between 2006/07 and 2008/09 (3).
This is the third time the Gunners have faced an opponent twice in the same month in the Premier League, previously beating Wolves twice in February 2022 and beating Bolton twice in January 2010.
This is the fourth time Aston Villa have faced an opponent twice in the same month in the Premier League, after May 2022 (W1 D1 v Burnley), May 2021 (W1 D1 v Everton) and March 1996 (W1 L1 v Sheffield Wednesday).
Mikel Arteta’s side have won their final league game in four of the last five calendar years, with the exception being a 2-1 defeat at Fulham on New Year’s Eve 2023.
The Villans have won their final league game in just two of the last 13 calendar years (D6 L5), beating Middlesbrough 1-0 in 2017 and Burnley 3-2 in 2023.
This will be Unai Emery’s third away Premier League match at the Emirates since leaving Arsenal, having won one and drawn one with Aston Villa. No former Gunners boss has ever gone three away league games in a row without losing after leaving the club.
Ollie Watkins has scored four goals in five away Premier League appearances against Arsenal, the most any Aston Villa player has netted away at the Gunners.
**Team news**
**Arsenal**
Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt for this fixture after he sustained an injury in Brighton’s win during the warm-up.
Cristhian Mosquera and Ben White are also on the sidelines for the host.
However, the Gunners have received a big boost as Gabriel Magalhaes has returned from injury.
**Aston Villa**
Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara are suspended after they both triggered a one-match ban in their win against Chelsea.
Tyrone Mings, Pau Torres and Ross Barkley are sidelined with injuries.
Evann Guessand is away on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.
**Predicted line-ups**
**Arsenal**: David Raya, Jurriën Timber, William Saliba, Piero Hincapié, Miles Lewis-Skelly, Martin Ødegaard, Martín Zubimendi, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyökeres, Leandro Trossard.
**Aston Villa**: Emiliano Martínez, Lamare Bogarde, Ezri Konsa, Victor Lindelöf, Ian Maatsen, Amadou Onana, Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, Emiliano Buendía, Morgan Rogers, Ollie Watkins.