Minute-by-minute report: Mikel Arteta’s side welcome Villa and former manager Unai Emery as they bid to retake top spot. Join Daniel Harris
Villa are doing a terrific job of closing down the spaces, especially given the game they had on Thursday night.
So I’d expect their focus to be on doing what they do well: stepping on to Villa, sending lots of men forward, and looking to pin them back inside their own half. They know Ezri Konsa won’t fancy being isolated, so might look to attack his flank, and also that Pau Torres isn’t the most physical – I’d not be surprised to see him targeted at set-pieces, nor to have men running down the sides of him.
In attack, meanwhile, I imagine Martinelli is being nursed back to fitness and required in midweek, hence Trossard today, while Jesus’ ability to scavenge is understandably deemed more useful for this match than Havertz’s hold-up play and aerial threat.they make one change from Thursday night’s big win over Lille: Douglas Luiz is suspended, so Nicolò Zaniolo comes in.
Might. Because above them, Manchester City are building momentum; below them, Liverpool are fuelled by messianism and the easiest of the three run-ins; and today,
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