Overview
- Arsenal’s XI is confirmed with Jurriën Timber and Gabriel starting in defence alongside William Saliba and Piero Hincapié, while Declan Rice is absent with a minor knee problem.
- Aston Villa arrive on an 11-game winning streak as Ollie Watkins starts with Jadon Sancho, Amadou Onana, Lucas Digne and Lamare Bogarde, with Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara suspended.
- Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will be “actively looking” in the January window to address defensive shortages.
- Arteta has acknowledged concern over Viktor Gyokeres’ ongoing lack of open‑play goals despite recent wins.
- AC Milan left-back Davide Bartesaghi is a reported target ahead of January, and the match is live in the UK on Sky Sports Premier League with streaming on Sky Go.