Aston Villa v Arsenal live: Rice starts as injury-hit Gunners look to maintain gap at top of Premier League | OneFootball

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Arteta hails 'immense' Merino in win over Brentford

Arsenal travel to the midlands for today’s early kick-off as they face Aston Villa in the Premier League.

The Gunners come into the weekend’s fixtures sitting top of the table and holding a five-point lead over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. Mikel Arteta was left disappointed by a 1-1 draw with Chelsea last weekend but his team responded with a 2-0 victory over Brentford on Wednesday.

Mikel Merino and Bukayo Saka were on the scoresheet as Arsenal won their 10th league game of the season to maintain their title credentials but further injuries hit in that clash as Cristhian Mosquera joined fellow centre-backs Gabriel and William Saliba, while there was even concern for Declan Rice who was withdrawn late on thanks to a stiff calf.

They face a tricky task against Unai Emery’s Villa. A blockbuster 4-3 win over Brighton has propelled them into the top three and with the advantage of a home fixture they could prove troublesome for the Gunners. Villa have won their last six matches in all competitions including victories over Wolves and Leeds in the league.