Aston Villa vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and reaction after late goals from Martinez and Martinelli

Aston Villa are looking to avoid consecutive league defeats at Villa Park for the first time since April last year where one of those two defeats was against Arsenal.

Arsenal are without a win in their last three top-flight games, having dropped points in just three of their opening 19 league fixtures this season.

Has their luck run out or can they get back to winning ways today?

By the time Mikel Arteta returned to the Arsenal dressing room, the players were barely saying a thing. The mood was “down”. Arteta attempted to rouse them by saying they just needed to figure out why they lost in order to improve on it, and “move on”.

A problem is now how the season evolves from here, though. Such was the nature of Manchester City’s victory that it’s impossible not to think this is the start of the end. For the first time this season, though, that fear isn’t just because of the champions’ capacity to go on one of those runs.

It is whether Arsenal now go in the other direction. This 3-1 defeat to City made it one point from three in the Premier League, three defeats in the last four in all competitions and no victories at all in any of this.

Aston Villa have suffered back-to-back Premier League losses for the first time since Steven Gerrard’s final two games in charge in October.

The seven goals they have conceded in those two matches is an many as in their previous seven fixtures combined. Can they stop the rot today?

Unai Emery makes a whole heap of changes to the Aston Villa line-up that lost to Manchester City in their last outing. In defence Ezri Konsa is the only man to keep his place as Matty Cash, Tyrone Mings and Alex Moreno all return.

John McGinn and Philippe Coutinho also slot into midfield at the expense of Leon Bailey and Jacob Ramsey.

For Arsenal, Mikel Arteta makes just two changes. Ben White returns at right-back over Takehiro Tomiyasu whilst Leandro Trossard starts ahead of Gabriel Martinelli.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Moreno, McGinn, Kamara, Douglas Luiz, Coutinho, Buendia, Watkins

Arsenal XI: Ramsdale, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko, Jorginho, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Trossard, Nketiah

Arsenal have only won more Premier League away games against West Ham than the 13 victories they have earned at Villa Park.

Will they be adding to that total today?

The venue for this afternoon’s match. Arsenal travel to Villa Park in the hopes of reclaiming top spot in the Premier League.

Arsenal are looking to complete successive league doubles over Aston Villa. Only one of the last 21 meetings between these sides in all competitions has ended in a draw.

Mikel Arteta believes more neutrals want to see Arsenal win the Premier League than their title rivals Manchester City.

The Gunners boss feels people have seen “the way Arsenal do things” as they aim to regain top spot having lost to City on Wednesday night.

They head into the weekend second on goal difference and are in action in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off when they travel to face former manager Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.

City’s 3-1 win at the Emirates Stadium took them ahead of Arteta’s men for the first time since November 5 but they sit atop the table amid allegations of breaches of Premier League rules.