Arsenal head into the weekend in second place in the Premier League table, but confidence at the Emirates might not be as high as you might expect after a midweek derby success against Tottenham and Aston Villa could frustrate the Gunners in Saturday's 17:30 kick-off.
The Gunners overcame Spurs 2-1 and are unbeaten at home in the league this season, but they have not been at their free-flowing best in recent outings.
Villa are stronger at home than on their travels but they are heading to London after successive victories over Leicester, West Ham and Everton and should give Mikel Arteta's team a real test.
Arsenal vs Aston Villa tips
- Draw - 31/10
- Ollie Watkins anytime goalscorer - 13/5
- Spotlight Enhanced Bet Builder - Aston Villa to Win or Draw, Ollie Watkins 1+ Shots on Target, Amadou Onana to be Shown a Card - was 11/1 now 13/1
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Villa can take heart from past performances
Arsenal won the teams' first meeting this season 2-0 in August with second-half goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey but that was a close contest and Villa are capable of taking a point from the return fixture.
The Villans did a league double over the Gunners last season and their 2-0 win at the Emirates in April ultimately proved to be the result that cost Arsenal the title, as the Gunners won their subsequent six league games but still finished two points behind Manchester City.
Arsenal have won seven and drawn three of their 10 home league matches, but the performances of Brighton, Liverpool and Everton in denying victory to the Gunners should give Villa hope of at least doing the same.
The north London side lost 2-0 at home to Newcastle in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final before going out of the FA Cup in a shootout against Manchester United, and their derby success over Spurs was not as smooth as it arguably should have been.
Watkins could add to goal tally
Ollie Watkins has scored in two of his last four appearances against Arsenal, including the second goal in last season's win at the Emirates, and the Villa striker is worth backing to strike against his boyhood club again.
The England forward took his Premier League tally to nine for the season with the winning goal in Wednesday's 1-0 win at Everton and has also notched on the road at Ipswich and Brighton this season.
Arsenal have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last five games, while Villa have been shut out in only one of their last 10 matches, so taking their star man to get on the scoresheet appeals.
Onana a prime card candidate
For a bet builder on the Emirates action that pays out at 11/1, take Villa to win or draw, Watkins to have at least one shot on target and Amadou Onana to receive a yellow card.
The chances of Villa picking up at least a point and Watkins having another strong game are outlined above, while it's worth adding a card for Villa's Belgian midfielder Onana into the mix.
Onana was the only Villa player booked in the teams' first meeting this season, while he picked up his fourth caution of the campaign in Wednesday's win over Everton, having his name taken after just eight minutes at Goodison Park for a foul on Idrissa Gueye.
He rode his luck with some borderline challenges after that and looks like a prime candidate to pick up a caution on Saturday evening.
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