Key Takeaways:
- Arsenal and Aston Villa will meet tonight at the Emirates Stadium
- Arsenal currently lead the standings with 42 points, while Aston Villa hold third place with 39
- The previous encounter on December 6 saw Aston Villa secure a 2:1 home victory
Premier League Table: Top Three Before Kick-off
| Position | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 42 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 40 |
| 3 | Aston Villa | 39 |
Match Preview
A highly anticipated encounter is on the horizon as Arsenal prepare to host Aston Villa in the standout fixture of the Premier League’s 19th round tonight at the Emirates Stadium in London.
With only three points separating these two sides in the standings, the contest carries significant weight for the shape of the title race. Arsenal enter the match on top of the table with 42 points, closely trailed by Manchester City with 40 and Aston Villa with 39. Both sides will be looking to assert their credentials in this direct clash.
The perfect present to wrap up 2025 🎁
A top-of-the-table clash between Arsenal and Aston Villa awaits. pic.twitter.com/OvIBJc9gGm
— Premier League USA (@PLinUSA) December 29, 2025
Head-to-Head Performance
Aston Villa claimed a valuable psychological edge less than a month ago, overcoming Arsenal 2:1 on 6 December in Birmingham. The Villans have displayed their dominance in recent meetings, claiming three victories, one draw, and suffering only one defeat in their past five encounters against the Gunners. Furthermore, Aston Villa approach tonight’s match in formidable form with a sequence of eleven consecutive wins across all competitions.
Team News and Injury Reports
Arsenal face squad challenges due to injuries. Jurriën Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are both highly doubtful, though Timber stands a better chance of being available for selection. Ben White, Kai Havertz, and Cristian Mosquera have all been ruled out of contention for this contest.
On the other side, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery is set to be without Tyrone Mings, Ross Barkley, and Pau Torres. Evan Guessand will also miss out due to his international commitments with the Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations. Additionally, Harvey Elliott is not fully fit and remains a doubt for inclusion in the squad.
