Jamie O’Hara reveals why Arsenal will be ‘concerned’ ahead of ‘massive’ Aston Villa clash
Arsenal welcome Aston Villa to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, in a huge Premier League showdown in North London.
Aston Villa defeated Chelsea 2-1 last time out, with an Ollie Watkins double sinking the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Chelsea thought they should’ve had a penalty when a cross struck Ian Maatsen’s hand in the box just after the restart, but the officials weren’t interested.
Unai Emery has been receiving major plaudits for his decision to bring Watkins off the bench as well as a tactical tweak in the second half, allowing Aston Villa to keep pace with the Premier League title rivals.
O’Hara outlines Arsenal fear ahead of Aston Villa
Aston Villa now head to the Emirates to take on Arsenal, with Emery’s side looking to extend their remarkable 11-game winning run in all competitions.
However, they’re perhaps in for their toughest test yet in that regard, as they face the current leaders on their home turf – a place where they are yet to taste defeat this season.
But, speaking on Sky Sports News on Monday, Jamie O’Hara believes there will be some concerns surrounding Arsenal, in what he describes as a match that Mikel Arteta’s side must win.
“If you want to win the league, you’ve got to beat the best sides,” O’Hara began.
“I think they’ve (Arsenal) struggled this season against the top teams. They get beat by Liverpool, they draw against Manchester City, get beaten by Aston Villa. So these are moments where Arsenal have got to be like, ‘right, we’re going to win this game, we’re going to win this Premier League.
“Now, when I watch Man City win it, and Liverpool have gone and done it, they’ve gone and beat the best sides. That’s what they do, they turn up, and they win.
“So, I think Arsenal have to win this game against Villa. It’s a massive game for them, and I think there is a bit of concern over the fact they’re not scoring loads of goals.“
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Aston Villa’s recent head-to-head record vs Arsenal
It’s the game of the Premier League season so far between Arsenal and Aston Villa on 30 December, in what is sure to have major implications on the destiny of the title.
The odds will be in the Gunners’ favour given their league position, as well as their unbeaten home record so far this term, making the Emirates as tough a place to go and get a result as a travelling team.
- Arsenal have scored 22 goals at the Emirates this season, conceding just four
- Villa have taken 17 points on the road this term, winning five and drawing two of their nine away games
- Both teams shared 15 shots apiece in the game at Villa Park earlier this month
However, Villa do have the recent bragging rights after their 2-1 win at Villa Park on 6 December.
In fact, Aston Villa have avoided defeat to Arsenal in four of their last five Premier League meetings dating back to December 2023, from which they’ve won three, drawn one and lost one.
Therefore, Emery’s men will rightly be confident they can silence the Arsenal guns.
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