Arsenal travel to Villa Park this evening looking to build on a winning start to the defence of their Premier League title.
The Gunners kicked off the 2026/27 campaign in impressive fashion, cruising to a routine 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Coventry City last time out.
Mikel Arteta has shown his hand for the away fixture, naming an unchanged starting XI from the team that put Coventry to the sword.
Arsenal face a stiff test against a familiar face in the opposition dugout, with former boss Unai Emery leading Aston Villa into battle against his old club.
David Raya retains his place in goal, continuing his role as first choice between the sticks for the Premier League champions this season.
Riccardo Calafiori has kept his position at left-back, with the Italian holding off competition from Piero Hincapie to start on the left side of defence.
Injuries continue to disrupt Arteta’s defensive options, with both William Saliba and Jurrien Timber still sidelined and unavailable for selection at Villa Park.
Cristhian Mosquera steps into the breach once again, partnering Gabriel Magalhaes in the heart of Arsenal’s backline in the absence of those two key defenders.
Ben White holds his place at right-back, meaning new signing Ezri Konsa must settle for a spot on the bench against the club he left to join Arsenal.
Konsa faces the unusual situation of watching from the sidelines as his new teammates take on Aston Villa, the side he represented before making the switch to the Emirates.
It shapes up as a fascinating contest between two sides with genuine ambitions, as Arsenal look to signal their title-winning credentials with a strong away performance in the early weeks of the campaign.