There is no doubt that should Arsenal enjoy any success this season they will look back at the moment their former player Emmanuel Adebayor was dismissed 18 minutes into a frenetic north London derby as a huge turning point.

Lying comfortably outside the top four after a patchy run of form, 1-0 down at home to their bitter rivals having started with uncertainty and little rhythm to their play, the Togolese striker gave their league campaign the slice of luck that could now kick-start a decent run. As Tottenham struggled to adapt before halftime, Arsenal suddenly went through the gears and effectively put the win beyond doubt with two goals in five minutes. Now faced with a visit to Villa Park and a side who have only beaten them twice in their last 21 league meetings, the Gunners have an opportunity to extend their streak. Paul Lambert’s side have now slipped into the relegation zone after Reading’s second win of the season, and will be missing the former Norwich manager from the dugout for this game after he received a one match touchline ban.

Villa’s performances have been spirited under Lambert, but since being 2-0 against Manchester United two weeks ago, they have conceded 8 goals without reply. The endeavour is not in question, but there is no doubt that Aston Villa no longer possess the quality within their squad to consistently hurt top class opposition. In spite of the emergence of some impressive talent from within their youth team, their squad lacks players of proven Premier League pedigree. Darren Bent continues to struggle for fitness and form, new signing Benteke still has yet to universally convince, and Gabby Agbonlahor hasn’t found the net on a regular basis for several seasons.

There is no doubt that punters think twice before marking Arsenal down for an away win on their coupons these days, and rightly so. Koscielny and Mertesaker began to look secure once they had only Jermaine Defoe to contend with on Saturday, and have shown themselves both to be prone to error. However, whilst Arsenal are still not yet the side to achieve the kind of success their supporters traditionally demand, if they are anywhere near their best they should have more than enough to come through here. With the Gunners unlikely to keep a clean sheet away from the Emirates this year, a bet on both teams to score may suit those put off by a short outright price on the away side. Make no mistake though, these two teams will be focussed on different ends of the Premier League this year, and Villa fans should not consider themselves too good for the unthinkable to happen.

For a first goalscorer, it is hard to look anywhere other than Spaniard Santi Cazorla, easily Arsenal’s player of the season to date. At the heart of everything the team has produced offensively and unafraid to shoot from range, he would be a sensible pick to score first or at any time in the match, along with an away win for the north Londoners.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal Betting Tips

Santi Cazorla to score first at 8/1 with Sky Bet – click here, sign up, get a no deposit free £10 bet

Arsenal to win the match at 8/11 with Paddy Power – click here, sign up, bet £10, get £20 free

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