"This is another tricky game for the Gunners" - Chris Sutton predicts result for PL fixture between Arsenal and Aston Villa
Former Chelsea forward Chris Sutton has backed Arsenal to get a win against Aston Villa in their Premier League match at the Emirates on Sunday (April 14).
The Gunners currently sit atop the Premier League table with 71 points from 31 matches, leading Liverpool by a +9 goal difference. Villa, meanwhile, are on the hunt for a Champions League spot as they boast a return of 60 points from 32 matches in fifth place.
They trail fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur by a +3 goal difference, although Spurs have a game in hand. This match will certainly be hugely important for both teams for different reasons, but Sutton believes Arsenal will have too much in their armory for the Villans.
The Gunners come into this match on the back of a hard-fought 2-2 first-leg draw in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on April 9. Predicting a 3-1 win for Arsenal against their upcoming opponents, the pundit wrote in his BBC column:
"This is another tricky game for the Gunners with former boss Unai Emery returning to the Emirates. Aston Villa beat them before Christmas and they are very dangerous coming forward.
"Villa have definitely got a goal in them, but I don't think they are going to outscore Arsenal. There is too much at stake now for Mikel Arteta's side, and the Premier League leaders have too much to lose."
Villa boss Unai Emery was, of course, Arsenal's manager from the summer of 2018 to November 2019. He was in the Villans' dugout when they beat Arsenal 1-0 at Villa Park in the reverse fixture earlier this season.
Cesc Fabregas says Arsenal could be a 'threat' after first PL title win
Former Arsenal midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes this season's potential Premier League title win could be the first of many big trophies for Mikel Arteta's side.
Arteta became the club's manager in December 2019 and has since led them to two Community Shields and one FA Cup title. He came close to winning the Premier League last season, only for Manchester City to win the title by five points.
Arsenal now have the title in their hands once again, with just seven games remaining in the campaign. Speaking to the PA News Agency (via BBC) before the Aston Villa fixture, Fabregas said:
"Obviously you can imagine what it will mean - more than just winning a title but the belief will be back, the trust between the players and the staff and the fans and the whole club... If they can manage to win the first one [under Arteta], I believe it could become a constant threat for Arsenal to be challenging for all the top titles."
The first step towards ending a 20-year-old league title drought would be to defeat Aston Villa, whom they beat in each of their last four league games before this season.