Aston Villa vs Arsenal Pre-Match Thread

[ChicagoLion]

They have a few injuries and have a CL game this week.

We go into this game with some confidence and a shout. 1-1

[Goldie.7]

0-3 them

We haven't beat these feckers at home since 1998 and before that 1992.

Draw would be ace.

[atomicjam]

2-1 Villa win

[timeoutbigbar]

My first game of the season, unfortunately I can see it being our first defeat.  I'd take a point right now.

[jeowje]

0-3 them

We haven't beat these feckers at home since 1998 and before that 1992.

Draw would be ace.

We did beat them twice at home in 1998 in the league at least!

[jeowje]

A win would be huge... Am not confident, but i just have a feeling that somehow we will do it this time... 2-0, spirited display and jubilation with a late second from Delph to settle things after nervously soaking up a lot of arsenal pressure second half.

[robbo1874]

Villa 3 Arsenal 2

Bergkamp for them and Joachim and Dion for us.

We have a good chance here with them having a injuries in defence, according to media reports.

My initial thoughts were the wheels are going to come off for us in this match, but i've decided to jink it and go for a villa win.

[Goldie.7]

0-3 them

We haven't beat these feckers at home since 1998 and before that 1992.

Draw would be ace.

We did beat them twice at home in 1998 in the league at least!

Everyone who played that December night was all also English I believe, I think we tried the same thing again in the season and got hammered. That was the last time that's happened since.

[Legion]

Dave should be doing these...

It would have been 2-0 to Villa but the karmic balance has now been somewhat shifted...

[Matt Collins]

I was thinking I'd take a draw to keep the momentum going.

But there are some positive signs about arsenal's form. They've only won one leage game - and relied on a last minute winner v Palace, though their other fixtures were quite tough. They've conceded two goals in each of their last three games too.

They've also got a tough champions league game away at Dortmund tonight, where they'll face a really high intensity side. And they've got big injury doubts at the back for that game and possibly for Saturday.

I'm not suggesting this will be easy at all. But I reckon our best chance is to take advantage of potential leggy players and a vulnerable underbelly and go for the jugular from the off like we did v hull and Liverpool

Same starting xi. Diamond in midfield with Richardson at the tip, exploiting their lack of defensive midfield.

I doubt we'd be able to play an hour of complete defence this week though. You've got to keep pressing the defence of arsenal

[WestleyArmsAV]

When was the last time we played Arsenal at 3pm on a Saturday at VP? In some bizarre way I wonder if the normal kick off time will have a positive effect as we've won a few 3pm games at the Emirates in recent years.

Think this might be a game where we get a reality check, Arsenal will get chances on the counter attack and our defence could struggle in one v ones against likes of Alexis and Ramsey so 1-3 Arsenal.

I'm going to test my memory and say it was a 2:2 Savo gettingva brace and that wanker dixon getting a late equalizer. Sunny day too.


2:2 again.  Gabby and Cleverly.

[ciggiesnbeer]

Probably a loss but I would really like to beat Arsenal. More than any other top 4 club actually.

[Matt Collins]

When was the last time we played Arsenal at 3pm on a Saturday at VP? In some bizarre way I wonder if the normal kick off time will have a positive effect as we've won a few 3pm games at the Emirates in recent years.

Think this might be a game where we get a reality check, Arsenal will get chances on the counter attack and our defence could struggle in one v ones against likes of Alexis and Ramsey so 1-3 Arsenal.

I'm going to test my memory and say it was a 2:2 Savo gettingva brace and that wanker dixon getting a late equalizer. Sunny day too.


2:2 again.  Gabby and Cleverly.

For half an hour in that arsenal game I really thought we were turning into a top class side. Despite some impressive seasons since then I've never really thought that since. We never really played the kind of football top sides do under JG or MON, even when we were in the top four

[gabbythelegend]

0-3 them

We haven't beat these feckers at home since 1998 and before that 1992.

Draw would be ace.

We did beat them twice at home in 1998 in the league at least!

Everyone who played that December night was all also English I believe, I think we tried the same thing again in the season and got hammered. That was the last time that's happened since.

Also known as the 'Santa Claus off the Trinity Rd stand' game...

[Andy_Lochhead_in_the_air]

3-2 win

Simmons, MacLoed, Cropley for us.
Armstrong and Keown for them.