Aston Villa v Arsenal Match Preview: Gunners Face First Away Test of the Season

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Arsenal return to Premier League action on Monday night when they travel to Villa Park to face Aston Villa, with Mikel Arteta’s side looking to maintain their perfect start to the new campaign.The Gunners have had an unusual 10-day break since their last game, but plenty has happened during that time, including significant transfer activity involving both clubs.Perhaps the most intriguing move of all ahead of Monday’s meeting is Ezri Konsa swapping Villa Park for Arsenal, meaning the defender could make his Gunners debut against the club he has just left.Arsenal aiming to maintain their winning startArsenal head to the Midlands having started the season positively, while Aston Villa will be desperate to respond after suffering a heavy defeat in their Premier League opener.Unai Emery’s side lost 4-0 away to Brighton, with all four goals arriving before half-time.That came after Villa lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup and followed a summer of considerable change at Villa Park.Emery guided Villa to an excellent campaign last season, finishing fourth in the Premier League and winning the Europa League with a 3-0 victory over Freiburg in the final.However, many of the players responsible for that success have subsequently departed.Morgan Rogers moved to Chelsea, Youri Tielemans joined Manchester United and Lucas Digne left for Paris Saint-Germain. Konsa is now an Arsenal player, while Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez have also moved on.Only five of the players who started Villa’s Europa League final remain at the club.A very different Aston Villa awaits ArsenalVilla have naturally attempted to rebuild following those departures.Joao Gomes and Johann Manzambi were brought in, while goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, Matteo Ruggeri and Leon Goretzka are among the other new arrivals.Aaron Wan-Bissaka has joined on loan from West Ham, while Alejandro Garnacho and Nicolas Jackson have also arrived on loan.The scale of the changes means Arsenal could face a Villa side very different from the one they encountered last season.Despite their difficult start, Arteta certainly isn’t underestimating Emery or the challenge awaiting his team at Villa Park.The Arsenal boss described his fellow Spaniard as one of the Premier League’s most experienced and successful managers and praised Villa for what they achieved last season.Emery, meanwhile, has called on the Villa Park crowd to get behind his team as they attempt to respond to their opening-day defeat.(Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Arsenal could target Villa’s problems against the pressOne particularly interesting area on Monday could be how Villa attempt to play through Arsenal’s pressure.According to the tactical analysis in Arsenal’s official match preview, Villa struggled significantly against Brighton’s press on the opening weekend.They conceded a league-high 19 high turnovers while attempting to play out from defence, particularly when possession was moved into central midfield.That could encourage Arsenal to press aggressively at Villa Park.Arteta’s side enjoyed success with that approach during their 4-1 home victory over Villa last season, particularly during the second half.There is an obvious risk attached to committing players forward to press, but Villa have lost some of the attacking weapons who previously made them particularly dangerous on the counter-attack.Arsenal’s left side could be important againAnother potential route for the Gunners could be switching possession quickly towards the left.Christos Tzolis and Riccardo Calafiori combined effectively against Coventry, with Calafiori’s movement inside helping Arsenal create overloads around the opposition right-back.Villa conceded from a similar situation in their opening league fixture, so it could be an area Arteta’s side look to exploit again.At the other end, John McGinn remains a player Arsenal will need to watch closely.The Villa captain often operates from a narrow position on the right and can find dangerous pockets of space. He has also either scored or assisted in each of his last six appearances at Villa Park in all competitions.Villa Park has not always been kind to ArsenalDespite Arsenal entering the game in better form, recent history suggests Villa Park shouldn’t be taken lightly.Aston Villa have won four of their seven home Premier League meetings with Arsenal since returning to the top flight in 2019.Villa have also won their last three Premier League home matches against the reigning champions.There are, however, some encouraging statistics for the Gunners.Arsenal have won seven of their last 10 Premier League evening kick-offs against Villa, including the last three, and have won their opening away fixture in each of the previous four league campaigns without conceding.Victory on Monday would therefore see Arsenal win their first away league game in five consecutive seasons for the first time.Kai Havertz also heads into the fixture with an impressive away record, having contributed five goals and two assists across his last nine Arsenal appearances away from the Emirates.Villa Park should provide Arteta’s men with a much sterner examination than they faced in their opening fixture, and Emery will be determined to produce a reaction in front of his own supporters.For Arsenal, though, it represents the first opportunity of the season to demonstrate their credentials away from home and maintain their 100 per cent Premier League start.Can Arsenal make it two Premier League wins from two at Villa Park, Gooners? Where do you think Monday night’s game will be won or lost? Let us know in the comments._____________________________________________________________________________________________ADMIN COMMENTSo here are some simple rules which I must insist commenters follow….You agree not to give any personal abuse to other Arsenal fans. Everyone is allowed to hold their own opinions even if you disagree with them. It COSTS NOTHING TO BE POLITE TO OTHER ARSENAL FANS.CALLING ALL ARSENAL FANS! Anyone who would like to contribute an Article or Video opinion piece on JustArsenal, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us through this link…More Stories / Latest NewsAston Villa v Arsenal Match Preview: Gunners Face First Away Test of the Season30 August 2026, 12:00Arsenal Champions League Fixtures Confirmed – Dates and Kick-Off Times30 August 2026, 10:30Arsenal Cannot Afford to End the Window With a Weaker Attack30 August 2026, 9:00The post Aston Villa v Arsenal Match Preview: Gunners Face First Away Test of the Season appeared first on Just Arsenal News.