EPL: Gunners aim to continue resurgence in tricky tie

After a difficult start to 2025, Mikel Arteta will be hoping a midweek win the north London derby acts as a catalyst for Arsenal’s revival, and they can make it two wins on the spin when they host Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Gunners turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead in the space of four first-half minutes on Wednesday to help ease the disappointment of their FA Cup exit last weekend, which followed on from their first-leg defeat in the EFL Cup earlier that week.
Despite their win, clean sheets continue to elude the usually sound defensive unit. They have conceded in seven of their last eight in all competitions, and that is something former Gunners boss Unai Emery will hope to exploit.
Aston Villa continued their own revival with a win at Goodison Park on Wednesday to make it four games unbeaten, but a trip to the Emirates is a big step up from the quality of their recent opponents.
Still, the Villans have scored seven goals in these four games and will fancy their chances of getting on the scoresheet on Saturday evening.
Both teams to score has landed in six of their last eight in all competitions and in four of Arsenal’s last five, so that looks a solid bet, while I’m backing Arsenal to win in the correct score market.
The hosts have averaged exactly two goals per game at home in the league this term and Aston Villa have lost five of their last six top-flight away days. They have conceded exactly twice in two of these, including a 2-1 loss at Nottingham Forest in December.