The second matchday of the 2026-27 Premier League season concludes with Aston Villa vs Arsenal.
It is the latest edition of the ‘Unai Emery derby’, with the teams arriving at Villa Park on Monday evening in differing situations.
Champions Arsenal look well placed to retain their title, while things are getting a bit chaotic at Villa – made worse by the heavy defeat suffered at Brighton last Sunday.
But this is a fixture which rarely follows the pre-game script, and nearly always delivers high levels of drama!
Our full match preview can be viewed below, where you will find our sports betting picks based on the latest Premier League odds.
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Where can I watch Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the UK?
Aston Villa vs Arsenal will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with kick-off scheduled for 8pm UK time.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Preview
Recent results
After losing 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Super Cup final, Europa League holders Villa endured a horror show on their Premier League bow for 2026-27. Emery’s men lost 4-0 at Brighton, with Jack Hinshelwood scoring two of the goals inside a minute. To make matters worse, summer arrival Joao Gomes was also shown a red card for kicking out an opponent. A day to forget, and that is putting it lightly!
In stark contrast, Arsenal collected their second 3-0 victory in a row last Friday evening. After cruising past Manchester City in the Community Shield, Mikel Arteta’s men gave newly-promoted Coventry a Premier League reality check at the Emirates. Goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard secured the win – and sent a clear message to the rest of the division!
Head-to-head record
Aston Villa claimed a dramatic 2-1 victory in this fixture last season, courtesy of a strike from Emi Buendia with virtually the last kick of the game.
Arsenal then responded brilliantly to record a 4-1 triumph at the Emirates just a few weeks later.
But overall, the Gunners have won just two of their last six top-flight meetings with Villa.
Team news
Amadou Onana, Johan Manzambi, Brian Madjo and Leon Bailey are ruled out for Aston Villa, while Gomes starts a three-match ban following his needless red card vs Brighton.
Jurrien Timber and William Saliba remain long-term absentees for Arsenal, while summer arrival Bruno Guimaraes is a major doubt to feature at Villa Park.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Odds
*All odds are subject to change
Aston Villa are big underdogs to win their first home match of the season, priced as high as 5.90. A victory for Arsenal is at odds of 1.49, while the draw is 4.20.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Betting Tips
Both teams to score – No @ 1.77
Villa’s attack looked blunt at best vs Brighton, which is perhaps not surprising. Morgan Rogers’ departure remains a significant blow, while the situation surrounding Ollie Watkins’ future could not have come at a worse time. And attack-minded issues are far from ideal when coming up against the division’s best defence, one which has kept five clean sheets in the last six Premier League outings.
Arsenal to win and both teams to score – No @ 2.40
Expanding further on the points made above, the five matches in which Arsenal kept a clean sheet also saw them claim the victory – meaning this selection would have landed. So maybe it is an avenue worth pursuing here.
Anytime goalscorer – Kai Havertz @ 2.50
After a solid World Cup 2026 campaign, in which he scored three goals in four matches for Germany, Havertz looks primed to take the Premier League by storm as Arsenal’s No9. He scored against both City and Coventry, the latter strike taking him to three goals in his last six top-flight appearances. And after watching Villa’s defensive nightmare at The Amex, Havertz must surely be licking his goal-scoring lips!
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