Tim Iroegbunam set to start as Emery makes two changes – Aston Villa predicted XI v Arsenal
Unai Emery could be set to give Tim Iroegbunam yet another Aston Villa start in place of the suspended Douglas Luiz for the game against Arsenal on Sunday (14 April).
The 20-year-old was handed his first start of the season against Manchester City and impressed supporters despite a 4-1 defeat.
This change is necessary due to Luiz receiving his 10th yellow card of the season against Brentford which will see him miss two Premier League games.
With injuries being rife in the Villa squad, there isn’t much that the Spaniard can do by the way of changes to his starting XI.
Emi Martinez is expected to maintain his place in the side after a near-perfect performance in the Conference League against Lille. According to FotMob, he made six saves and prevented 1.67 xG and was disappointed to concede from a sloppy corner.
Against the French outfit, Ezri Konsa was on good form as he won 10 out of his 13 duels while making six defensive actions [FotMob].
With Clement Lenglet injured, Diego Carlos and Pau Torres are set to keep their place at the heart of the Villa defence. The Brazilian was certainly at fault for their goal as he lost his man. The Spaniard was positive on the ball as he had an 83 per cent pass accuracy and even created a chance after driving forward [FotMob].
The 50:50 decision between Lucas Digne and Alex Moreno is one that Emery has rotated between week on week. Moreno came on against Lille and could start v Arsenal and against the pace of Bukayo Saka, meaning French defender Digne is expected to be dropped to the bench.
Tim Iroegbunam to get Aston Villa start v Arsenal
With Luiz suspended, Ireogbunam could get a start in the midfield alongside Youri Tielemans and John McGinn. Against an elite Man City side he still managed an 86 percent pass accuracy and five defensive actions, according to FotMob.
Alongside him, the duo of Tielemans and McGinn are expected to keep their places and potentially play deeper to accommodate the youngster.
The wingers in the Villa side could stay the same with Leon Bailey and Morgan Rogers performing well against Lille. The Englishman had 100 per cent dribble and long pass success while also making four defensive actions when tracking back [FotMob].
Up top, Ollie Watkins is likely to go in search of his 29th goal involvement of the season against the club he supports. He was once again superb against Lille as he got on the scoresheet after just 13 minutes. The England international was quiet in the second half and was replaced late on my Jhon Duran.
In other Aston Villa news, Villa forward Watkins won’t push for the exit door this summer despite his latest comments
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