Arsenal (a) Preview
- James
- Dec 28, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
Match Details:
Match: #5808
Season: 2025-26
Matchday: #26
League Game: #19
Manager Game: #166
Date: Tuesday, 30 December 2025
Venue: Emirates Stadium
Kick off: 8.15pm
Manager: Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | Hondarribia, 2022-
Officials:
Referee: Darren England | 🏴 | Doncaster, 2017-
Assistants: Scott Ledger, Akil Howson
Fourth official: Thomas Kirk
VAR: Jarred Gillett | 🇦🇺 | Queensland, 2021-
Assistant VAR: Tim Robinson
Fixture History:
Villa’s 207th meeting with Arsenal
Total 🕒 206 | 🟩 W72 (35%) | 🟨 D46 | 🇺(57%) | 🟥 L88 (43%) | ⚽ 285 | 🥅 334 | GD -49
Villa’s last 5 Premier League results vs. Arsenal at The Emirates:
🟨 18 Jan 2025, Villa 2-2 Arsenal, Emirates
Full Match Report:
🟩 14 Apr 2024, Villa 2-0 Arsenal, Emirates
Full Match Report:
🟥 31 Aug 2022, Villa 1-2 Arsenal, Emirates
Full Match Report:
🟥 22 Oct 2021, Villa 1-3 Arsenal, Emirates Stadium
Full Match Report:
🟩 8 Nov 2020, Villa 3-0 Arsenal, Emirates
Full Match Report:
Last Win:
🟩 14 Apr 2024, Villa 2-0 Arsenal, Emirates
Scorer(s): Leon Bailey | 84’ | Ollie Watkins | 87’ |
Assist(s): Lucas Digne | 84’ | Youri Tielemans | 87’ |
Starting Line Up:
GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴 |
CB Pau Torres | 🇪🇸 |
CB Diego Carlos | 🇧🇷 |
LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 🔥 |
M John McGinn | 🏴 |
M Youri Tielemans | 🇧🇪 | 🔥 |
M Morgan Rogers | 🏴 | 🟨 |
M Nicolò Zaniolo | 🇮🇹 | 🔁 |
W Moussa Diaby | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴 | ⚽ |
🔁 | W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | ⚽ | for W Moussa Diaby | 🇫🇷 | 61’ |
🔁 | LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | for M Nicolò Zaniolo | 🇮🇹 | 80’ |
Match Timeline
🟨 | 14’ Booking, Morgan Rogers for being fouled by Bukayo Saka 🕒 | 45’+4 HT Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa 🔁 | 61’ Sub off, Moussa Diaby, Sub on, Leon Bailey 🔁 | 80’ Sub off, Nicolò Zaniolo (injury), Sub on, Álex Moreno ⚽ | 84’ Goal, 1-0, Leon Bailey, Assist by Lucas Digne ⚽ | 87’ Goal, 2-0, Ollie Watkins, Assist by Youri Tielemans 🕒 | 90’+9 FT Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Full Match Report:
What could happen:
Villa could move level on points with leaders Arsenal at the top of the table, or could move six points behind Villa could create a club record 12th consecutive win, or Villa could lose for the first time in twelve
Ezri Konsa 🏴 could make his 150th appearance under Unai Emery 🇪🇸
Full Player Profile: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/ezri-konsa
Amadou Onana 🇧🇪 could make his 40th Premier League appearance for Villa and 30th start in the competition
Full Player Profile: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/amadou-onana
Youri Tielemans 🇧🇪 could make his 115th appearance for Villa
Full Player Profile: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/youri-tielemans
Emiliano Buendía 🇦🇷 could make his 70th appearance under Unai Emery 🇪🇸
Full Player Profile: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/emiliano-buend%C3%ADa
Jadon Sancho 🏴 could make his 15th appearance for Villa
Full Player Profile: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/player/jadon-sancho
Referee History:
Referee: Darren England | 🏴 | Doncaster, 2017-
Full Referee History: https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/referee/darren-england
England has never refereed Villa v Arsenal
But has officiated in twelve other Villa matches with Villa winning four and losing five despite having awarded Villa six penalties to their opponents two.
Referee: Darren England | 🏴 | Doncaster, 2017-
🕒 12 | 🟩 W4 | 🟨 D3 | 🟥 L5 |
🕒 12 | 🟩 W33% | 🟨 D25% | 🟥 L42% |
Cards 🟨 24 | 🟥 1 | 2.08 |
Opposition Cards 🟨 28 | 🟥 1 | 2.42 |
Penalty ⚽ 6 | 🥅 2 |
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟩 🟥 🟩
VAR: Jarred Gillett | 🇦🇺 | Queensland, 2021-
VAR for the day is Jarred Gillett, although Villa have won seven of his twelve games as VAR, when the Aussie gets it wrong he gets it very, very wrong. When he doesn't, he's one of the more balanced officials on the circuit.
VAR: Jarred Gillett | 🇦🇺 | Queensland, 2021-
🕒 12 | 🟩 W7 | 🟨 D1 | 🟥 L4 |
🕒 12 | 🟩 W58% | 🟨 D9% | 🟥 L33% |
Cards 🟨 31 | 🟥 0 | 2.58 |
Opposition Cards 🟨 32 | 🟥 1 | 2.75 |
Penalty ⚽ 1 | 🥅 1 |
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥
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