Aston Villa vs Arsenal Matchday Stats Preview
Aston Villa did the double over Arsenal last season, accounting for 40% of the Gunners’ Premier League defeats (2/5). They’ve beaten Arsenal in three consecutive Premier League meetings twice before – November 1993 and February 2021.
Arsenal have won 14 away Premier League games against Aston Villa, with those 14 wins at Villa Park their joint most at a single away venue in the competition (also 14 at Selhurst Park).
Aston Villa have won five of their last nine Premier League meetings with Arsenal (L4), keeping a clean sheet each time. It’s as many wins as they’d managed in their previous 46 against the Gunners (D14 L27).
Arsenal have scored 98 Premier League goals against Aston Villa, only netting more against Everton (124), West Ham (109) and Tottenham (105). Only Liverpool and Manchester United (5 opponents each) have netted 100+ Premier League goals against more different sides.
Aston Villa are looking to win their opening two Premier League matches in a season for a fourth time, also doing so in 1995-96, 1999-00 and 2020-21.
Arsenal have won eight of their nine Premier League away games so far in 2024 (D1), scoring 28 goals, conceding three and keeping seven clean sheets. Indeed, the Gunners have kept 21 away clean sheets over the last two seasons (10 in 2022-23, 11 in 2023-24), more than they had in the four previous campaigns combined (20).
Aston Villa are the only side to beat Arsenal in the Premier League in 2024, winning 2-0 in April. The Gunners have won 17 of 19 games this calendar year (D1 L1); in Football League history, the most wins by a side in their first 20 matches in a year is 18, won by Liverpool in 1982 and Man City in both 2019 and 2021.
Since February 17 when Arsenal beat Burnley 5-0, no player in the Premier League has more goals and assists combined than Kai Havertz (10 goals, 7 assists). However, Havertz is yet to score or assist in seven games against Aston Villa, the most he has faced an opponent without doing so.
Among all Premier League players with 5+ goals, Aston Villa’s Jhon Durán has the second-best minutes per goal ratio (six goals, one every 103 mins), behind only Erling Haaland (one every 85 mins). Five of his six goals have been as a sub (83%), the second-highest ratio by a player in Premier League history (min. 5 goals), behind Matt Derbyshire, who scored nine of his 10 goals as a sub.
Bukayo Saka has been on the winning side in 99 of his 171 Premier League games for Arsenal. Victory here will see him become the fourth player to win 100 in the competition before turning 23 after Wayne Rooney, Cesc FÃ bregas and Phil Foden.
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