Aston Villa vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as Leandro Trossard inspires Gunners to win

The Gunners have won 17 of their 19 top-flight matches in 2024, with their only defeat coming at home to Aston Villa in April. They can equal the record of 18 league wins from the first 20 matches of a calendar year, set by Liverpool in 1982 and matched by Manchester City in both 2019 and 2021.

Arsenal have won eight of their nine Premier League away games so far in 2024, drawing the other, scoring 28 goals and keeping seven clean sheets. It is their longest unbeaten away streak since a run of 12 in 2016 under Arsene Wenger.

Aston Villa are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches of a season for a fourth time, having done so in 1995-96, 1999-00 and 2020-21.

They have won their opening home league fixture in each of the past four seasons – and began 2023-24 with eight straight top-flight victories at Villa Park.

Arsenal have won 14 Premier League games at Villa Park, their joint most at an away venue along with Selhurst Park.

Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal last season, accounting for 40% of the Gunners’ Premier League defeats in 2023-24.

Villa have won five of the past nine Premier League meetings, keeping a clean sheet each time. It’s as many victories as they’d managed in their previous 46 attempts against Arsenal.

Neither Fabio Vieira nor Gabriel Jesus are on the bench for Arsenal. Vieira is being rumoured with a move to Porto so as the transfer window comes to a close Arsenal are taking no chances with the midfielder.

Gabriel Jesus meanwhile seems to have picked up an injury (rumoured to be with his groin) and will play no part in today’s proceedings.

Arsenal could lose Fabio Vieira as they move closer to securing Mikel Merino in a midfield shuffle.

Fabrizio Romano reports that the Gunners will send Vieira to Porto on loan.

There will be no buy option, yet the Portuguese club will cover Vieira’s salary for the season.

Unai Emery makes no changes to his Aston Villa side backing the team who defeated West Ham last time out to perform well against Arsenal too.

Mikel Arteta meanwhile replaces Oleksandr Zinchenko with Jurrien Timber at left-back.

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; Onana, Tielemans; McGinn, Rogers, Bailey; Watkins

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Martinelli

Aston Villa midfielder Amadou Onana was the only one of Villa’s eight summer signings to start against West Ham last weekend, when full-backs Ian Maatsen and Kosta Nedeljkovic made their club debuts as late substitutes.

Arsenal don’t have any fresh fitness concerns though Mikel Arteta is unsure whether Jurrien Timber is ready to start as the club carefully manage his comeback from long-term injury.