The focus of the battle in the English Premier League, Arsenal sit at home to face Aston Villa. Arsenal is aiming for the title race, while Villa has the advantage of two days' rest. This will undoubtedly benefit their form. And after this tense week, Bayern of the Europa League are back in strong form. Bayern will be looking to extend their lead in the early stages, scoring at least 1.5 goals at half-time.
Arsenal is in a three-way tie with Liverpool and Manchester City in the Premier League, and the competition is extremely fierce. Fortunately, the team's injury situation has improved dramatically, and with Xaviers playing as a center forward, the team's performance has become stronger and stronger. In the past 7 league matches, they contributed 9 threatening attacks (5 goals and 4 assists), including a big win and assist against Brighton in the last round. With the team's balanced offense and defense, it's no wonder that their results are soaring. Entering 2024, they have 10 wins and 1 draw in 11 rounds of league matches, with the only draw coming against rivals Manchester City, if they can achieve 5 consecutive undefeated matches at home.
On the other hand, Bayern can only draw 2-2 in the next round of the UEFA Europa League last eight. Arsenal must capitalize on the opportunity and aim to score more goals in the first half to seal a quick win and allow their starters to rest.
Aston Villa, on the other hand, have to fight for a top four finish and their first home win has given them a lot of confidence. Coach Emery is eager to get revenge on his old team, but his form has dropped significantly. Only one win and two losses in the last five league matches, conceding a goal in each of them. Last week's close 2-1 win over Lille in the first round of the European Association's top eight was marred by two days less rest than Arsenal. To make matters worse, the absence of midfielder Douglas Reus through injury has left the defense with problems once again. He scored 1.5 goals in one half, and Arsenal's onslaught was too much for him to handle.
