Arsenal will have to be wary of this Villa player that ran our midfield in the reverse fixture.

Just Arsenal News

·18 gennaio 2025

Arsenal will have to be wary of this Villa player that ran our midfield in the reverse fixture.

Off the back of the North London derby success, Arsenal will be hoping to maintain the momentum with a win against Aston Villa as we play host to them this evening. The last time we welcomed them to the Emirates Stadium, at the back end of last season, they inflicted a loss that eventually proved costly, as we missed out on the Premier League title by just two points. Arsenal got a bit of revenge earlier this campaign with a 2–0 win in the reverse fixture, but the real payback should come in the form of a league double, just as they did to us last season. Looking at their current squad, the obvious threat to us will be Ollie Watkins, especially after scoring a match-winner midweek. Even in our earlier meeting this season, he was a huge threat to our backline, and he could have scored a few goals had it not been for very poor finishing.

That said, however, I just don’t see him as the biggest threat from a Villa standpoint—not the one we should worry about most. With such quality within their ranks, we have to accept they have players who can hurt you, especially when you’re not at your best. One such player is Morgan Rogers. If we remember our first meeting of the season, then we’ll know just how good a player he is.

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Rogers ran our midfield ragged at times in that encounter, which is something very few players can do against this Arsenal side. He was electric that day, creating chaos with his exceptional dribbling and close control. It should come as no surprise that he finished the game with more successful dribbles (5) than any other player. I think he’ll be our biggest threat, but it’s not solely due to his performance in the reverse fixture—he’s also currently their most in-form player (arguably)! This is a result of five goal involvements (three goals and two assists) in his last five appearances in all competitions.

Keeping him quiet will be a telling factor in whether we win or not, so it’s absolutely imperative that we do so. A lot of the conversation has been about our need to score more goals, but good defending and keeping clean sheets are just as crucial to our success. We must limit their chances!

BENJAMIN KENNETH

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