Aston Villa vs Arsenal preview, team news, prediction, kick-off, channel

Team news, stats and prediction ahead of Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the Premier League on Tuesday (kick-off 8.15pm).

• Premier League restart: The live games on Sky Sports
• Get Sky Sports - All channels £18 a month
• Premier League table | Fixtures | Live on Sky

Team news

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Aston Villa welcome back Kortney Hause for the vital Premier League clash with Arsenal. Hause has been absent with a rib injury but is back in the fold, though Neil Taylor (hamstring) continues to miss out.

Bjorn Engels will miss the final two matches of the season with his Achilles problem and Tom Heaton and Wesley (both knee) are long-term injury victims.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Arsenal will be without Shkodran Mustafi for the trip to Villa Park. The defender suffered a hamstring injury in the FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City and will miss the game.

Cedric Soares is available after being cup-tied at Wembley while Eddie Nketiah returns following a three-match ban but Pablo Mari (ankle), Bernd Leno, Gabriel Martinelli and Calum Chambers (all knee) are definite absentees.

How to follow

Live Premier League

Aston Villa vs Arsenal is live on Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Main Event from 8pm; kick-off 8.15pm. Sky Sports customers can watch in-game clips in the live match blog on the Sky Sports website and app. Highlights will also be published on the Sky Sports digital platforms and the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel shortly after the final whistle.

Charlie's prediction

Aston Villa played pretty well at Everton. The late Theo Walcott goal was a real slap in the face for them, dropping points so late on. They had to change their style and swamp their defence, but they do have issues doing that. They cannot get themselves over the line in back-to-back games.

It now a game where they have to open up, and that suits Arsenal. They will still make mistakes but their organisation and shape is better. Kieran Tierney and Hector Bellerin can put Arsenal on the front foot, while Dani Ceballos is erratic but is a bag of energy - Villa will have a problem to see how deep they will play and protect.

Nicolas Pepe has been a bit better, but Buyako Saka could come back in or even Reiss Nelson. I do expect Arsenal to win this - they need to go after a Europa League spot still, especially if they lose to Chelsea in the FA Cup final, who should still get a top four spot. Arsenal want improvement in the Premier League, and it will be another win for them here.

CHARLIE PREDICTS: 1-3 (14/1 with Sky Bet)

Watch the Premier League live on Sky Sports

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Latest confirmed Premier League games live on Sky Sports
• Liverpool trophy lift to be live on Sky Sports on Wednesday July 22
• All matches on final weekend of Premier League season will kick off at 4pm on Sunday July 26
• In total, Sky Sports is showing 64 matches from the Premier League's restart - 39 exclusive to subscribers and an extra 25 available on Sky's free-to-air channel 'Pick'
• Get Sky Sports - £18 Premier League and Football channel offer

It's set to be an enthralling finish to the season and you can follow all the drama with Sky Sports as the battle for survival and the race for Europe reaches a climax.

Sky Sports has launched a host of innovative new features and updates to give fans an even more immersive experience and share the moments live with family and friends on virtual platforms.

You can also follow the action with our dedicated live blogs on the Sky Sports website and app, and watch free match highlights from every game shortly after full-time on our digital platforms and YouTube channel.

Opta stats

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

• Aston Villa are winless in their last 17 Premier League home games against Arsenal (D7 L10) since a 3-2 victory in December 1998.
• Arsenal have won their last seven meetings with Aston Villa in all competitions by an aggregate score of 23-3.
• Arsenal have won 12 away Premier League matches at Villa Park - at no venue have they won more (also 12 at Goodison Park). The only team they've won more away games against are West Ham (13 - 11 at Upton Park, 2 at London Stadium).
• Among the 50 Premier League fixtures to have been played at least 40 times, only Aston Villa vs West Ham (36.6%) have seen a lower percentage of home wins than Arsenal vs Aston Villa (36.7% - 18/49). However, the home side has triumphed in three of the last four meetings, as many as in the previous 17 between the teams.
• Arsenal are unbeaten in their final away game in each of their last nine Premier League seasons (W6 D3), since losing 1-2 at Blackburn in 2009-10.
• Arsenal have lost three of their five Premier League away games since the restart (W2), as many as they had lost on the road in their first 13 this season (W2 D8 L3). Meanwhile, this could be their first season where they failed to win away against all three promoted clubs since 1989-90, following a defeat at Sheffield United and a draw at Norwich earlier this term.
• Aston Villa have picked up four points in their last two Premier League games (W1 D1), twice as many as they'd won in their previous 10 combined (D2 L8).
• Arsenal have had four English players aged under-21 score in the Premier League this season (Eddie Nketiah, Joe Willock, Bukayo Saka, Reiss Nelson), the first team to achieve this in a season since Middlesbrough in 2007-08 (David Wheater, Ben Hutchinson, Lee Cattermole and Adam Johnson).
• Since his league debut for Aston Villa in January 2017, Conor Hourihane has provided more assists in league competition (inc. play-offs) than any other Villa player (21).
• Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette has scored in his last two away Premier League games, having found the net just once in his previous 24 on the road. The Frenchman is looking to score in three consecutive away league games for the first time since January 2017, when he played for Lyon in Ligue 1.

Swans to Glide into play-off spot?

Do not miss your chance to land the £250,000 for a sixth time this season on Saturday. Play for free, entries by 3pm.