Aston Villa - Arsenal. On the eve

Aston Villa and Arsenal will meet in the second round of the new Premier League season, but the starting results of the teams have created a completely different emotional background before the face-to-face duel. Birmingham endured a nightmare start to the league, going down 4-0 to Brighton, while the reigning champions made a confident start to their title defense with a 3-0 victory over Coventry. At the same time, the match at Villa Park promises to be not so unambiguous, because the hosts are traditionally able to add in big matches, especially against the Gunners. ASTON VILLA - ARSENAL MONDAY 31 AUGUST 22:00 ▪️ VILLA PARK, BIRMINGHAM ▪️ HEAD REFEREE - JARRED GILLETT ▪️ LIVE ON SETANTA SPORTS For Unai Emery, this summer has become extremely difficult. After finishing fourth last season and winning the Europa League, Aston Villa's squad has undergone massive changes, with several key players leaving the club at once, including Morgan Rodgers, Youri Tielemans, Luca Digne, Ezri Konza, Ollie Watkins and Emiliano Martinez. Only part of the foundation remained from the team that triumphed in the Europa League final three months ago. Unsurprisingly, the rebuilding has hurt the start of the new season - but Villa Park could be the place for a quick reaction. Aston Villa has already managed to strengthen with new players, and on the eve of the match, the club officially completed the registration of several transfers. Goalkeeper Dzion Suzuki is expected to make his debut, while Leon Gorecka and Nicholas Jackson could also make their first appearances for Birmingham. Meanwhile, Juan Gomez will miss the match due to suspension after being sent off against Brighton, Amadou Onana remains sidelined with a serious injury and Tammy Abraham's participation is questionable. At the same time, special attention should be paid to John McGinn - the Scot has scored or assisted in each of the last six matches at Villa Park in all competitions. Arsenal approach the trip to Birmingham in much better spirits. Mikel Arteta's side have already lifted the FA Super Cup trophy before making a confident start in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Coventry. In the two official matches of the season, the Londoners scored six goals and did not concede a single one, and most importantly, they demonstrated their readiness to immediately join the fight for another championship title. The match against Villa will be a much more serious test, especially given the difficulty of the trip. It will be a special night for Arteta as the Spaniard will make his 250th appearance in charge of the Premier League. In addition, Arsenal can set a club record: victory in the first away game of the season will be their fifth in a row. Special mention should go to Kai Havertz, who has been effective in seven of Arsenal's last nine away matches - five goals and two assists. Bruno Guimaraes, who has recovered from a groin problem, could also return to the squad. Ezri Konza, who recently joined from Aston Villa, is also available to make his debut, while Jurrien Timber and William Saliba remain sidelined. Despite Aston Villa's poor start, Arsenal should not expect an easy ride. Birmingham have won four of their last seven home games against the Londoners in the Premier League, with a 2-1 win at Villa Park last season. An even more interesting trend is against the reigning champions: Aston Villa have won at home against the Premier League winners for three consecutive seasons. Arsenal, in turn, have their own trump card - seven wins in the last ten evening meetings with Villa and four consecutive victories in the opening away matches of the season with a "dry" score. So Villa Park will be a real test of character for both teams, with the hosts looking to rehabilitate and the visitors looking to confirm their title favourites. According to bookmakers, Mikel Arteta's wards have more chances of success today. For example, Arsenal's victory in regular time is offered at odds of 1.53, while Aston Villa's potential success is estimated at 6.50. The probability of a draw is represented by a coefficient of 4.50. 📋 GUIDELINES ASTON VILLA : Suzuki - Cash, Lindelof, Torres, Ruggeri - Bogarde, Camara - Buendia, Barkley, McGinn - Jackson. ARSENAL: Raya - White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori - Rice, Lewis-Skelley - Saka, Edegore, Tsolis - Havertz ⚔️ PERSONAL MEETINGS 📊 CURRENT FORM forecast 1:3