Unai Emery faces another rematch with his former employers as Aston Villa host Arsenal in the Gameweek 15 curtain-raiser.
Kick-off at Villa Park is at 12.30pm GMT.
These are the top two clubs in the Premier League form table, no matter if you’re measuring by six, eight, 10 or 12 matches.
Villa have won eight of their last nine league fixtures, with the Gunners unbeaten in 11.
READ RAINY’S PRE-MATCH PREAMBLE HERE!
TEAM NEWS
Emi Martinez has made a quick recovery, having pulled out the Aston Villa starting XI in midweek. He starts against his old club.
Marco Bizot stands down.
Emery’s one other change sees Youri Tielemans come in for Evann Guessand.
After their midweek rests, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Jurrien Timber are back in Mikel Arteta’s line-up at Villa Park.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli drop to the bench, while Cristhian Mosquera, who Timber replaces, is reportedly out for 6-8 weeks with an ankle injury.
Declan Rice is passed fit after a minor fitness scare in midweek.
There’s still no William Saliba but Leandro Trossard, who, like the French centre-back, was described as “days” away on Friday, makes the bench.
Mikel Merino starts up top again.
LINE-UPS
Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen, Onana, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Hemmings, Buendia, Malen, Sancho.
Arsenal XI: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino.
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly.
