A round-up of the latest Arsenal news as Mikel Arteta backs one under-fire Gunners star and Paul Merson issues a warning ahead of Sunday’s match against Aston Villa.
Paul Merson issues a warning ahead of Arsenal vs Aston Villa
Highbury legend Paul Merson has issued a ‘turn the lights off’ warning ahead of the Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa. The Gunners play host to the Villa Park club on Sunday. It is a crucial encounter for both side’s respective targets for the end of the term.
A win against Aston Villa will return Arsenal to the top of the Premier League table. But Unai Emery will want to upset his former team with the claret-and-blue club able to edge clear of Tottenham Hotspur for fourth place as they fight for qualification for the Champions League.
The Villans have already beaten the Gunners once this term after John McGinn sealed a 1-0 win in December. But Merson does not predict a repeat, having backed Mikel Arteta’s team to win 2-0 when Arsenal host Aston Villa – especially given how Villa coped with Brentford.
Merson has told Sportskeeda: “I watched Aston Villa against Brentford and if they play like that against Arsenal, turn the lights off.
“I have to go with the home side here as they have been unbelievable, especially since the turn of the year and their record at Emirates Stadium makes for impressive reading.”
Read more about what Merson has had to say about Arsenal vs Aston Villa, here.
Mikel Arteta comes to Oleksandr Zinchenko’s defence at Arsenal
Coach Mikel Arteta has come to the defence of Arsenal left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko. He believes the 27-year-old has a ‘very important’ role to play at Emirates Stadium during their Premier League run-in. Zinchenko has received some criticism for his recent performances.
Arteta has fielded Zinchenko in 32 of Arsenal’s 44 fixtures so far this term. The Ukraine hero has missed nine games through injury and been an unused substitute in three. One of those appearances on the bench came at Manchester City, with Arteta using Jakub Kiwior instead.
Centre-half Kiwior even started ahead of Zinchenko against Bayern Munich in the first leg of Arsenal’s Champions League quarter-final. But Arteta would revert the decision at half time, and has also now come to Zinchenko’s defence as he believes in what the player can deliver.
“He’s very important,” Arteta said in his press conference. “You have to ask the players to play to their strengths. I think Alex has got the personality to play in any game, under any condition [and] be himself. That’s a big thing to have.”
Read more about what Arteta has had to say about Arsenal defender Zinchenko, here.
Rio Ferdinand picks the two games Arsenal will lose in the title run-in
Manchester United icon Rio Ferdinand expects Arsenal to lose two of their last seven games in the Premier League run-in. He believes the Gunners will get maximum points in their four remaining fixtures at Emirates Stadium but away games may derail Arsenal’s bid for the title.
Aston Villa kick off Arsenal’s run-in on Sunday when Unai Emery’s squad go to north London. Chelsea, AFC Bournemouth and Everton also visit the Emirates to round out the term. While Arsenal will hit the road to take on Wolves, Tottenham Hotspur and also Manchester United.
It is Arsenal’s two derbies on the road to Tottenham and Manchester United that Ferdinand expects the Gunners will lose. Ferdinand backs Spurs to win the north London derby 2-1 and his former side beat Arteta’s men 3-2 in his set of quick-fire early predictions for TNT Sports.
Read more about Ferdinand’s prediction for the Premier League title run-in, here.