Arsenal take on Aston Villa at Villa Park this lunchtime needing a win to get them back in the hunt for European qualification.
Gunners boss Mikel Arteta is without number one goalkeeper Bernd Leno after he was sent off during the defeat at Wolves last time out. Mat Ryan has recovered from a minor knock to make his debut between the sticks so Alex Runarsson is on the bench.
Arsenal failed in their attempts to overturn David Luiz’s controversial dismissal on Tuesday night so Gabriel comes in for his compatriot to start alongside Rob Holding in the middle of defence. Hector Bellerin and Cedric Soares make-up the back four with Kieran Tierney still out.
Thomas Partey once again partners Granit Xhaka in midfield so Dani Ceballos has to settle for a substitutes role this afternoon while Mohamed Elneny and Martin Odegaard also miss out on the starting eleven with Emile Smith Rowe keeping his place.
Nicolas Pepe starts in the Arsenal attack along with the in-form Bukayo Saka. Alexandre Lacazette once again leads the line up front so Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Willian and Gabriel Martinelli have to settle for places on the bench.
As for Aston Villa, Jack Grealish captains the hosts once again with Ross Barkley also supporting striker Ollie Watkins so Anwar El Ghazi and Morgan Sanson are named among the subs.
Here are the confirmed line-ups:
Aston Villa
Martínez, Cash, Konsa Ngoyo, Mings, Targett, Nakamba, McGinn, Traoré, Barkley, Grealish, Watkins
Subs: Ramsey, Davis, El Ghazi, Hassan, Sanson, Douglas Luiz, Engels, Heaton, Ahmed El Mohamady
Arsenal
Ryan, Bellerin, Holding, Gabriel, Cedric, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Smith-Rowe, Pepe, Lacazette
Subs: Runarsson, Chambers, Mari, Elneny, Ceballos, Ødegaard, Willian, Martinelli, Aubameyang.
