Arsenal legend Paul Merson has predicted his former club will bring all three points back from their trip to Aston Villa in the Premier League this weekend. Merson has backed the Gunners to nick a narrow 2-1 win at Villa Park.
After falling just a couple of points short in the Premier League race last season, Arsenal is determined to bridge the gap this time around. However, beating Manchester City is easier said than done, as there is hardly any margin for error. The North London club must get as many points as they get, ensuring they keep the pressure on Man City from the first game to the last.
Mikel Arteta’s side began the 2024-25 Premier League season with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday, August 17. On Matchday 2, they face a stiffer challenge away at Villa Park. Like Arsenal, Aston Villa also enjoyed a winning start to the season, beating West Ham United 2-1 at London Stadium. With former Gunners boss Unai Emery at the helm, Villa will fancy themselves getting a good result against the Premier League aspirants.
Paul Merson Predicts Narrow Arsenal Win Against Aston Villa
Merson, who won two English top-flight titles with Arsenal, believes Arteta and Co. must get a good result away in Birmingham.
Predicting the game’s outcome, Merson wrote in his Sportskeeda column:
“This is a massive game. Arsenal got done for the double by Aston Villa last season and that cost them the title. If Arsenal lose and Manchester City win this weekend, the Gunners could suffer in the title race. Mikel Arteta’s men also face Tottenham Hotspur and City in September, so it’s not an easy run-in from here. If things don’t go their way, Arsenal could even be out of the title race by October!
“I’m not even exaggerating, the next four fixtures starting with Villa on Saturday are all tough for them. If you lose two of them, it’s over. They’ve been linked with a move to sign Mikel Merino and I can understand why. Arteta probably looked at the team and thought, ‘I can’t really play Partey every week’.”
He added:
“Arsenal will be playing a lot of matches this season. And with certain players coming on the back of Euro 2024 and Copa America campaigns, it could catch up to them. I’ve liked their transfer business, they’ve recruited well. I’m going to go for an Arsenal win in this one, but I do think Villa can score.”
Prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
As Merson noted, Villa beat Arsenal in both Premier League games last season. In December, Villa secured a 1-0 win at Villa Park. In April, Arsenal succumbed to an even more disappointing 2-0 defeat at the Emirates Stadium.
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