Matchweek 2 comes to a close under the lights at Villa Park, where Aston Villa will attempt to regroup against defending champion Arsenal in Monday’s only Premier League fixture. Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on USA Network.
Villa returns home after enduring a difficult afternoon at Brighton in its season opener. A Victor Lindelöf own goal put Unai Emery’s side behind before João Gomes received a red card in the 39th minute, leaving Villa to play the remainder of a 4-0 defeat with 10 men.
The days following that loss brought further changes to Emery’s squad. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez completed a move to Chelsea over the weekend, while Ollie Watkins officially joined Al-Hilal after sitting out the Brighton match. Watkins leaves Villa as the club’s all-time leading Premier League scorer with 91 goals.
Villa has already secured a replacement up front, with Nicolas Jackson arriving from Chelsea on Friday. Jackson could make his debut Monday alongside fellow newcomers Leon Goretzka and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki as Emery begins reshaping his lineup.
Arsenal experienced none of the same difficulty in its opener. Kai Havertz scored after 15 minutes against Coventry City before Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard sealed a 3-0 victory at Emirates Stadium. The result continued the defensive standard that carried Arsenal to last season’s title, when the Gunners allowed a league-low 27 goals across 38 matches.
Mikel Arteta’s roster also experienced some changes over the weekend. Arsenal agreed a club-record sale of Gabriel Martinelli to Al-Hilal, while deals were also reached for Gabriel Jesus to join Barcelona and Fábio Vieira to move to Hamburg. None of the three featured against Coventry in the club’s season opener.
Both sides have availability concerns ahead of Monday’s match. Gomes is suspended for Villa, while Amadou Onana, Tammy Abraham, Johan Manzambi and Brian Madjo are sidelined. Arsenal remains without defenders William Saliba and Jurrien Timber, and midfielder Bruno Guimarães faces a late fitness check. Former Villa defender Ezri Konsa is available and could make his Arsenal debut against the club he left earlier this month.
Recent meetings have been tightly contested despite Arsenal entering Monday as a sizable favorite. Villa picked up a 2-1 victory when the clubs last played at Villa Park in December, but Arsenal responded with a 4-1 win at home later that month. Each side has won twice across their last five league matchups, with the other meeting ending in a draw.
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Odds Today
Arsenal is a heavy road favorite for Monday’s match on the three-way moneyline at Hard Rock Bet Sportsbook:
- Aston Villa (+550)
- Draw (+325)
- Arsenal (-200)
Best Bet for Aston Villa vs. Arsenal
Hard Rock Bet’s Stats Hub features matchup trends and other useful data for every game on the Premier League schedule – don’t forget to check it out before placing any EPL bets this season, like the one below:
Both Teams to Score – No (-110): Arsenal has won each of its last six Premier League matches at night to nil, a streak that fits the defensive consistency Arteta’s side has maintained entering the new season. Additionally, Both Teams to Score has failed to hit in five of Arsenal’s last six Premier League matches overall.
The Gunners surrendered only 27 goals while winning the Premier League last season, fewer than any other club. They picked up right where they left off against Coventry to begin the new campaign, limiting the newly promoted side while beginning their title defense with a clean sheet.
Villa, meanwhile, enters its home opener still searching for its first goal of the season. Emery’s side could not find the net at Brighton and must now rebuild its attack following Watkins’ departure. Jackson offers a new option at striker, but he has had only a few days to train with his teammates before potentially making his debut against the league’s defending champion.
Arsenal is priced at -200 to win, but the Both Teams to Score market allows us to lean on the Gunners’ strong defensive form without requiring them to cover a spread or win the match outright. With Arsenal consistently keeping opponents off the scoresheet and Villa still searching for its first goal of the season, we’ll make Both Teams to Score – No (-110) our best bet for Monday’s match.
- Best Bet: Both Teams to Score – No (-110)
Betting Splits at Hard Rock Bet
Arsenal has pulled in nearly all of the three-way moneyline action ahead of kickoff:
- Arsenal has captured roughly 95.4% of all tickets and 97.3% of the handle.
- Aston Villa is drawing just 3.7% of the bets and 1.9% of the money wagered.
- The draw accounts for the remaining 0.9% of tickets and 0.7% of the handle.
Top 5 Most-Bet Player Props
Saka accounts for four of the five most popular player props for Monday’s match at Hard Rock Bet:
- Kai Havertz – Over 0.5 Shots on Target
- Bukayo Saka – Over 0.5 Shots on Target
- Bukayo Saka – Over 1.5 Shots on Target
- Bukayo Saka – Over 1.5 Shots
- Bukayo Saka – Anytime Goalscorer
Aston Villa vs. Arsenal Match Info
- 📍 Location: Villa Park, Birmingham, England
- 📅 Date: Monday, August 31
- ⏰ Start Time: 3 p.m. ET
- 📺 Where to Watch: USA Network
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