Hipster Gooner: Preview: Aston Villa v. Arsenal

Nothing happened in this match last year. Some people got hurt, I think. Pic via Daily Mail.

Villa Park, Birmingham

Saturday, November 27

12:45 GMT, 7:45 a.m. EST

Predicted Line-Up

guesses in red

Fabianski

Sagna - Squillaci - Djourou - Gibbs

Song - Wilshere

Walcott - Nasri - Arshavin

Chamakh

Subs from: Szczesny, Koscielny, Clichy, Denilson, Rosicky, Bendtner, Van Persie

Out: Fabregas (hamstring), Eboue (knee), Diaby (ankle), Almunia (elbow), Vermaelen (Achilles)

Arsenal News and Notes

Cesc Fabregas's hamstring injury will keep him out for two weeks, which means he will hopefully be available for Arsenal's December 13 trip to Old Trafford. Fabregas missed the trip to Old Trafford last year with a different injury.
Emmanuel Eboue will be out for four weeks with a strain to his medial knee ligament. This is considerably good news, as a tear would have probably meant the end of his season.
Aaron Ramsey and Manuel Almunia both played for the reserves side on Tuesday, but are both still a ways away from a first team call up. I'd think Christmas for Ramsey. UPDATE: Or, you know, he could be loaned out to Nottingham Forest. That's really stunning...
No real word on Gael Clichy's back injury, which forced him to miss the trip to Braga. Arsene Wenger is hopeful he'll return.
Laurent Koscielny has picked up five domestic yellow cards, which should mean a one match ban for accumulation. I, however, can't find any evidence to support this. Considering he's already served two bans for red cards this year, I'm not sure how this rule is applied. Anybody?
Arsenal have lost two straight across all competitions for the second time this season and second time this month. Arsenal last lost three straight in April, crashing out of Europe before losing at Spurs and at Wigan. That week felt just as bad as this week has, so far.
Since a 2-1 win at Aston Villa in December of 2007, Arsenal have drawn all four league matches they have played in the city of Birmingham.

Aston Villa News and Notes

Aston Villa currently leads the league in injuries, which is a big reason why they signed Arsenal legend Robert Pires on a six-month deal. Pires came on after 68 minutes of Villa's 2-0 loss to Blackburn last weekend and essentially did nothing. He will certainly be in the squad on Saturday.
Three players may return for Villa at the weekend, including John Carew (calf), James Collins (calf), and Habib Baye (ankle).
Carlos Cuellar (calf) and Nigel Reo-Coker (knee) are close to returns as well.
Longer-term injuries include Marc Albrighton (appendicitis), Emile Heskey (knee), Fabian Delph (knee), captain Stiliyan Petrov (knee), Steve Sidwell (Achilles), and Andreas Weimann (ankle).
Aston Villa have won just one of their last eight league fixtures, a home win over a depleted Blackpool side that was still too close for comfort.
Of those seven non-wins, four were draws, and Villa were able to hold Chelsea and Manchester United to one point at Villa Park. However, the Villans did blow a 2-0 lead in ten minutes against United.

Match Facts

Arsenal took four points from Aston Villa without conceding a goal last year. The Gunners won 3-0 at the Emirates, during which Cesc Fabregas made a cameo appearance of the bench, picked up a brace, then re-injured his hamstring. The reverse fixture was a 0-0 draw at Villa Park.
Arsenal have drawn two straight matches at Aston Villa, last having won there 2-1 on December 1, 2007.
Aston Villa have not won a home league fixture against Arsenal since December 13, 1998. Arsenal have won five and drawn six at Villa Park since. That match was a 3-2 Villa win, where a Dion Dublin brace canceled out a brace from Dennis Bergkamp.

The Referee

The referee is Mark Clattenburg.
Clattenburg last took charge of an Arsenal match when the Gunners won 3-0 at Manchester City, a match where City had a man sent off five minutes into play. He also awarded Arsenal a penalty, which Cesc Fabregas proceeded to telegraph.
For Villa, he took charge of their 2-1 loss at White Hart Lane.

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