Arsenal faces Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in a key match for the Premier League title race.
Both teams need a win, as Manchester City is just two points behind Arsenal, while Aston Villa is one point behind City and three behind the leaders.
Arsenal vs Aston Villa – Match Preview and Team News
- Date: Tuesday, 30th December
- Kick-off: 8:15pm BST
- Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
- Last Meeting: Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal, Premier League, 6 December 2025
Arsenal Team News
Arsenal continues to deal with injuries as Mikel Arteta prepares for this important game. Kai Havertz is a doubt due to a knee injury, but he is expected to be in the squad after returning to full training.
Jurrien Timber may return from a muscle injury but is still uncertain for Tuesday’s match. Riccardo Calafiori is also a doubt after a warm-up issue against Brighton but might still start.
Gabriel Magalhães has returned early from an adductor injury and played as a substitute against Brighton. William Saliba is fit and available, while Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera will be out for several more weeks.
Declan Rice is set to play despite being substituted late in the Brighton game; he confirmed he is “fine” and will start.
Aston Villa Team News
Aston Villa will be without six players for the trip to Emirates Stadium. Ross Barkley, Pau Torres, and Tyrone Mings are expected to miss the match due to injuries, with Torres sidelined for two weeks, Mings for three, and Barkley for longer.
Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara will be suspended after receiving yellow cards in the Chelsea match, which is a significant blow since both are key players. Evann Guessand is away at the Africa Cup of Nations, and Harvey Elliott is uncertain due to illness.
Form
Arsenal
After a 2-1 loss to Villa on December 6, where Emi Buendía scored an injury-time winner, Arsenal has bounced back by winning all three subsequent Premier League matches. They are currently at the top of the table, with their latest win being a close 2-1 victory over Brighton.
Aston Villa
Villa is on a remarkable run, with 11 straight wins in all competitions, matching a club record from the past. In the Premier League, they’ve won eight consecutive matches, marking their best streak since 1910. Their latest game saw them come back to win 2-1 against Chelsea.
Predicted Lineups
Arsenal: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Gyokeres, Eze
Aston Villa: Martinez; Bogarde, Konsa, Lindelof, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Buendia, Rogers; Watkins
How to Watch Arsenal vs Aston Villa?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on Sky Sports Premier League.
See Also – When does the 2026 January Transfer Window Open?
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