Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: Odds, Predictions and Live Stream Info for EPL Clash
Slumping Aston Villa travel to London to take on Arsenal on Sunday in Week 23 of the 2014-15 Premier League season, with kick off at the Emirates Stadium scheduled at 1:30 p.m. GMT.
The Gunners need to win to keep pace with Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, who all comfortably won their Matchday 23 matches on Saturday. On paper, Villa shouldn't present too much of a challenge—the club hasn't won a league match since early December.
That winless streak is reflected in the odds currently available for this fixture, so let's have a look at the complete odds, courtesy of OddsShark.com:
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| Arsenal (-303) | Draw (+375) | Aston Villa (+900) |
| 100-303 | 15-4 | 9-1 |
Match Info
Date: Sunday, February 1
Time: 1:30 p.m. GMT/830 a.m. ET
Venue: Emirates Stadium, London
TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 1 (for UK viewers) and NBCSN (for U.S. viewers), with mobile coverage available via the Sky Go app and NBC's Live Extra service.
Watch Out for Carles Gil
If new Aston Villa winger Carles Gil's early performances are any indication, the Claret and Blue may have bagged themselves a massive steal in the January transfer window.
The former Valencia man has impressed with pace, a direct approach to goal and an opportunistic style of football. For a club desperately lacking in the scoring department, Gil is a breath of fresh air.
The 22-year-old is enjoying life in England so far, as he told AS (h/t HITC Sport's Freddie Shires):
"I was already very happy with how they treated me and the confidence they had given me, but now much more having been able to score and help the team.
Since the signing they have shown great confidence in me. From the beginning they have been very on top of things like sorting out an apartment, car and telephone, and that means I only have to worry about football.
"
Stylistically, Gil's pace and his tendency to cut inside is a bad matchup for Arsenal's full-backs, who like to bomb forward and help out on the attacking end. But as Villa's primary—and perhaps even only—creative threat, it's pivotal the Gunners keep a close eye on him, even if it means sacrificing one of the backs.
Bleacher Report's James McNicholas agrees:
No, the Gunners shouldn't worry too much about Villa, whose league form is pedestrian at best. But as Arsene Wenger told the Daily Mail, no Premier League team should be underestimated:
Guarding the Spaniard closely and not playing too carelessly will be the key for the Gunners on Saturday.
If David Ospina is Fit, He Starts
When Arsene Wenger spoke encouraging words about Wojciech Szczesny earlier this week, certain fans and media outlets saw it as a sign the Poland international is set to reclaim his spot in goal for the Gunners.
ITV Sport shared the manager's interview via Twitter and immediately linked it to an open competition between Szczesny and David Ospina:
Those exact words were, per ITV:
"He is 100 per cent committed in training and works harder than ever.
For me that is the most important when a player is questioned at some stage, how he responds shows you his strength of character, and on that front Wojciech has done extremely well until now.
At the moment, the competition is there. I just always have to make the decision who plays the next game.
"
That's hardly a ringing endorsement. Commenting on a player's work ethic in training after a series of disappointments is what coaches and managers do—right before they hand the starting position to the guy who's actually looked good in the past couple of weeks.
Ospina has started three league matches for the Gunners. In those three matches, the team didn't concede a single goal. If the Colombian is fit to start, there's no logical reason to bench him. And according to ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery, he is:
This shouldn't even be a topic of discussion. Unless Szczesny looked like the reincarnation of Lev Yashin in training this week, Ospina will be the starter on Sunday.
