Arsenal and Aston Villa go head-to-head at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night in what promises to be an critical match in the Premier League title race.
This is a must-win game for both teams as Manchester City lurk just two points behind the Gunners at the summit, with Villa just one point behind City and three behind the league leaders.
Arsenal vs Aston Villa – Match preview and team news
Date: Tuesday, 30th December
Kick-off: 8:15pm BST
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
Last meeting: Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal, Premier League, 6 December 2025
Arsenal team news
Arsenal’s injury crisis continues to hamper Mikel Arteta’s preparations for this crucial encounter. Kai Havertz remains a major doubt after sustaining a knee injury, though the German playmaker is expected to be included in the squad after returning to full training recently.
Jurrien Timber could make his return from a muscular issue sustained against Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup, though he remains a doubt heading into Tuesday’s clash. Riccardo Calafiori is similarly sidelined after feeling something in the warm-up against Brighton and is a doubt but there’s a chance he might start.
Gabriel Magalhães has returned from an adductor injury earlier than expected and made his first appearance as a substitute against Brighton, marking his return from injury suffered on international duty in November. William Saliba remains fully fit and available for selection. Ben White and Cristhian Mosquera are ruled out for several more weeks.
Declan Rice is expected to feature despite being substituted late in the Brighton victory; the midfielder assured he is “fine” and will be included in the starting lineup.
Aston Villa team news
Aston Villa will be significantly weakened by the absence of six players for their visit to the Emirates Stadium. Starting with injuries, Ross Barkley, Pau Torres, and Tyrone Mings are all expected to be out for the game on December 30th, with Unai Emery informing the media that Torres could be sidelined for another two weeks, Mings for three, and Barkley for even longer.
Additionally, Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara are suspended after receiving bookings in the Chelsea victory, representing significant losses given that both have featured regularly this season. Evann Guessand is away at the Africa Cup of Nations competing with his nation. Harvey Elliott faces an illness doubt ahead of the encounter.
Form
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s side suffered a 2-1 loss at Villa Park on December 6, with Emi Buendía scoring an injury-time winner to inflict Arsenal’s first defeat since August. However, the Gunners have bounced back impressively since that setback, winning all three Premier League fixtures since then, to maintain their position at the summit. Arsenal’s most recent outing saw them narrowly edge Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 at home on Saturday.
Aston Villa
Unai Emery’s side has enjoyed an exceptional run of form, extending their winning streak to an impressive 11 consecutive victories across all competitions, matching a club record previously set in 1914 and 1897. In the Premier League alone, Villa have won eight consecutive matches for the first time and the first time in their top-flight history since a run of nine victories between October and December 1910.
Villa’s most recent outing saw them stage a remarkable comeback at Chelsea, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
