Key events
Not long now: A couple of minutes behind schedule due to gremlins in the VAR machine, referee Michael Oliver finally leads the players out on to the pitch for the first game of the season at Villa Park.
They don’t come much bigger and Villa won the corresponding fixture last season, although it could be argued that Arsenal deserved at least a draw from that particular encounter.
Mikel Arteta: “Timber has “worked so hard”
“He was very happy with the news and he deserves to start because he’s worked so hard,” says Arsenal’s manager upon being asked about the inclusion of Jurrien Timber, who has fully recovered from the kne injury that kept him sidelined for a year. “He looks really good and he’s got his opportunity today. He’s got a lot of qualities and we think we’re going to need him. He’ll work really well for the game that we have to play here.”
Aston Villa: Unai Emery has said Villa must be mindful of Newcastle’s struggles after qualifying for the Champions League and said his side’s focus is on closing the gap to Premier League title contenders such as Arsenal. Ben Fisher reports …
Unai Emery: “We are very motivated”
“Good afternoon,” says the Villa gaffer in his pre-match interview with Sky Sports. “Yes it is going to be a very difficult match but we are very, very excited. We are very motivated about how we can start playing this season at home with our supporters.
“Against Arsenal, of course we’ll see how we can test ourselves asgainst a team who are going to be one of the favourites to win the Premier League. We have to try to feel strong, to feel comfortable with our supporters and to do our best in everything.”
Today’s 3pm kick-offs have ended: You can join Scott Murray for the post-match reaction on an afternoon when Erling Haaland scored his tenth hat-trick as a Manchester City player, West Ham hit two goals without reply at Crystal Palace, and Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Tottenham Hotspur also recorded their first wins of the season.
Mikel Arteta: “I don’t take things personally”
Arsenal: The Arsenal manager would love to get one over Unai Emery after last season’s losses proved catastrophic for their title hopes, writes Ed Aarons.
Today’s match officials
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Referee: Michael Oliver.
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Assistants: Stuart Burt and Dan Cook.
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Fourth official: Darren England.
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VAR: Peter Bankes.
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Assistant VAR: Eddie Smart.
Emiliano Martinez: “I’m just a normal guy”
Interview: The Aston Villa goalkeeper on his on-pitch persona, competing in the Champions League and facing former club Arsenal. Desperately trying not to laugh while the Argentinian innocently denies being a master of the dark arts: Ben Fisher.
Those teams: Unai Emery fields the same 11 players who started against West Ham last weekend, despite Jhon Duran’s goalscoring contribution from the bench. The Colombian striker was always unlikely to displace Ollie Watkins and will almost certainly have to settle for cameos as long as Villa’s first choice striker is fit.
Mikel Arteta makes just one change to the side that beat Wolves, bringing in Jurrien Timber for Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back. Gabirel Jesus is not in today’s match day squad after picking up a minor groin injury. Eddie Nketiah, who has been linked with a £30m move to Nottingham Forest, is among the substitutes.
Aston Villa v Arsenal line-ups
Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne, Onana, Tielemans, McGinn, Bailey, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Gauci, Diego Carlos, Maatsen, Nedeljkovic, Barkley, Buendia, Jaden, Ramsey, Duran.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Saliba, Gabriel, Timber, Partey, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz.
Subs: Ramsdale, Zinchenko, Kiwior, Calafiori, Jorginho, Nelson, Nwaneri, Trossard, Nketiah.
⚫️ 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗠𝙉𝙀𝙒𝙎 🔴
💪 Timber starts at the back
⚖️ Rice features in the middle
⚡️ Saka out wideReady to work – COME ON YOU GUNNERS!
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 24, 2024
Early team news
Tyrone Mings is back on the training ground grass over a year after suffering last season’s opening-day knee injury that has kept him sidelined since. Having missed pre-season, the central defender is not expected to return to action until some time next month. Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara is also out with a similar injury he suffered in February but is obviously way further behind in his recovery.
Arsenal defenders Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu remain sidelined, while midfielder Fabio Vieira is back in full training after recovering from a groin injury but is unlikely to make today’s squad.
Premier League: Aston Villa v Arsenal
Arsenal travel to Villa Park to face what could be an extremely tough assignment against a team that beat them at home and away last season, doing their title chances irreparable harm in the process. Both sides kicked off the current campaign with victories, with Arsenal seeing off Wolves at the Emirates shortly before Villa beat West Ham at the London Stadium.
Despite their obvious superiority, neither team’s wins were hugely convincing and both Emery and Mikel Arteta will be hoping to see better performances from their respective teams this evening. Kick-off at Villa Park is at 5.30pm (BST) but feel free to stick around for team news and build-up.