Aston Villa v Arsenal team news & stats

Mark Holmes
Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss has fine record at Aston Villa

Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss has fine record at Aston Villa

Arsenal will hope to extend their record at Aston Villa to 17 games without defeat in Sunday’s Premier League clash at Villa Park.

Team news

Jack Grealish will be considered for selection by Aston Villa boss Remi Garde after returning to training with the first-team squad following a punishment for his off-field behaviour.

Leandro Bacuna and Rudy Gestede are both fit for the Villans, but Micah Richards is again a doubt with a knee injury.

Arsenal, meanwhile, picked up no new injuries in their midweek Champions League win over Olympiacos but remain without Alexis Sanchez, Jack Wilshere, Mikel Arteta, Danny Welbeck, Santi Cazorla, Francis Coquelin and Tomas Rosicky.

Kick-off at Villa Park on Sunday is at 1.30pm.

Opta stats

  • Arsenal have lost none of their last 16 Premier League visits to Villa Park (W9 D7). Only three teams have ever enjoyed better runs of away results in Football League history (Liverpool at Sunderland – 20 games, Man Utd at Aston Villa – 20 games, Chelsea at Spurs – 17 games).
  • Aston Villa have earned more points away from home against Arsenal (20) than they have at home (18) in the Premier League era.
  • Aston Villa have gone 14 games without a win, the longest run without a victory in their league history (1888-present day).
  • Aston Villa have won none of their last eight Premier League games at Villa Park (D2 L6).
  • Eight consecutive home games without a victory equals Aston Villa’s longest ever run in the league set in March 1921 and matched in October 1987.
  • Arsenal have lost just two of their last 14 Premier League away games (W10 D2 L2).
  • Petr Cech has kept 168 clean sheets in the Premier League – just one behind the all-time leading goalkeeper in this category, David James (169).
  • Since he first became a regular in the Aston Villa side at the start of 2012-13, Brad Guzan has conceded more goals in the Premier League than any other goalkeeper (202).
  • Olivier Giroud has scored in each of his last four appearances against Aston Villa in all competitions and has currently scored 49 goals in the Premier League.
  • Mesut Ozil has both scored and assisted in his last two Premier League appearances against Aston Villa. Only against Everton (4 – one goal, three assists) has he had a hand in as many goals as he has against Villa (4 – two goals, two assists).

Predictions

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