Arsenal are looking to bounce back with a win against Unai Emery's Aston Villa side at the weekend after picking up one point in their last three Premier League fixtures. The Gunners have lost against Everton and Manchester City along with drawing against Brentford, despite a controversial VAR error seeing them drop points against the Bees.
Following the 3-1 loss against City which saw Pep Guardiola's side move top of the league due to their superior goal difference, Mikel Arteta admitted he has more belief that his players can go on to win the title come the end of the season. Defensive errors cost his team the chance of extending their lead in the title race against City on a disappointing night at the Emirates Stadium.
Thomas Partey was ruled out of the clash against the Manchester outfit on Wednesday as a precaution with the midfielder suffering from a tight muscle. Despite his absence, his injury is not thought to be serious and Jorginho put in a solid performance on his full home debut since signing from Chelsea in the January transfer window after completing a £12million move.
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Former Arsenal star Paul Merson and Chris Sutton have offered their score predictions ahead of the Gunners' crucial trip to Villa Park this weekend. Merson told Sportskeeda: "This is a huge game.
"This is a must-win match for Arsenal, and they have to bounce back. If they lose or draw this game, I don't know how they're going to turn it around.
"It's not the worst game in the world for them - I can think of worse places to visit this weekend. Aston Villa were doing things right, but they've gone bang-wallop-crash all of a sudden and have conceded seven goals in just two games.
"This game will pit Unai Emery against Arsenal, and he'll be out to stop them. I wouldn't be surprised if Arsenal don't win this game.
"They're making mistakes and they looked nervous against Manchester City. Pep Guardiola was able to bring on Phil Foden in the second half - Arsenal, in contrast, brought on Fabio Vieira.
"This won't be like the Everton game. Aston Villa are going to play better football - they're not going to kick Arsenal around and resort to long balls. This could play into Arsenal's hands, and I think they should be able to win this game."
Paul Merson prediction: Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal
Speaking to BBC Sport, Sutton said: "This has turned into a crucial game for Arsenal, who are without a win in four matches in all competitions. It's not the case that they have lost form - I was at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday for BBC Radio 5 Live and in the first half they were very good, although Manchester City controlled things after the break.
"It doesn't really matter how well the Gunners play here, though. They just need to find a way to win.
"It's really important for their manager and the fans, but also the players too. They are a young team, who had a fantastic first half of the season, but the longer they go without a victory, the more pressure they will come under.
"Villa will be awkward opponents, however, as they showed when they played City on Sunday. They carried a threat in the second half and could have made it a tense finish.
"I can see them causing Arsenal problems too and my head is telling me this will be a draw, but I am going to follow my heart - and my heart wants there to be a title race this season."
Chris Sutton prediction: Aston Villa 1-2 Arsenal
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