Watkins (right) could be crucial for Villa at Arsenal today. — Reuters
COMING off hard-earned but deserved midweek victories, Arsenal and Aston Villa clash in what is turning out to be a close-run thing at the top of the English Premier League.
The Gunners, runners-up over the past two seasons, have cut Liverpool’s lead at the summit of the standings to just four points, even though the Reds do have a game in hand.
Arsenal had to come from a goal down to beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at the Emirates while Villa edged out Everton 1-0 on David Moyes’ return as manager of the Toffees at Goodison Park.
Today’s coming together should be another rather fiery encounter as the home team bids to keep the pressure up at the top of the table and Villa continue with their revival after a recent dip in form.
Unai Emery’s Villains have now won two and drawn the other in their last three matches.
That pick-me-up has delighted the Spanish manager, who will no doubt be drilling his side into believing that they can pull into the Emirates, cause some mayhem and then pull out with all three points.
Of course, Mikel Arteta will be telling his squad the same thing as they endeavour to further their own interests.
Gabriel Magalhaes has recently somewhat stood out as a saviour and leading performer in the Gunners’ side.
More will be expected of him and his rearguard teammates as they plot to thwart Villa’s advances, which should be spearheaded by Ollie Watkins.
Among the top marksmen in the English game, Watkins was on target midweek, and Emery will be prodding his star striker to deliver more of the same.
After hanging around in the top four for quite a while in the first half of the season, Villa slipped back and are now seventh in the standings.
Notwithstanding this, they are just three points off fourth-placed Newcastle, who have now won nine games in a row across all competitions.
That’s the sort of form that has propelled the Magpies into fourth spot, a mere five points behind second-placed Arsenal.
They will be expected to see off the resistance of Bournemouth. But it might not be a foregone conclusion, not if Bournemouth play like how they have this season.
Andoni Iraola has been lauded for the job he’s doing at Vitality Stadium, on a budget nowhere near that of Newcastle’s.
Iraola has got his squad playing attractive football and with a sense of taking on and beating any team on their day.
They are on a 10-game unbeaten run, which includes fixtures against Chelsea and Ipswich Town and highlighted by victories over Manchester United and Tottenham.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe will know they have a fight on their hands when the Cherries visit Tyneside, but he’ll be quietly confident of keeping their decent run intact.
He will almost certainly look to Alexander Isak to spur them on.
The Swedish striker has been on fire and got 15 league goals to his credit already – scoring in eight consecutive Premiership games – and also weighed in with several assists.
He is being touted as the best in-form striker in England at the moment.
And were he to continue in that vein, Howe’s team will surely make the top four and earn a Champions League slot again – their target this campaign.
