Reigning champions Arsenal beat promoted Coventry City 3-0 at home two days earlier, scoring through Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard.
Should they win by more than a goal, the Gunners are guaranteed to leapfrog Manchester City at the top of the Premier League.
Euphoria 🆚 Agony
Emiliano Buendia’s last-minute winner against Arsenal brought out every emotion.
🟣 @AstonVilla pic.twitter.com/W4swxcxobP
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2026
Aston Villa confirmed starting team vs Arsenal
Aston Villa starting XI: Suzuki, Cash, Lindelof, Barkley, McGinn, Kamara, Buendia, Jackson, Pau, Maatsen, Hemmings
Villa substitutes: Bizot, Mings, Ruggeri, Garnacho, Abraham, Bogarde, Wan-Bissaka, Alysson, Lynch
Arsenal full line up vs Villa in Premier League
Arsenal starting XI: Raya, White, Mosquera, Gabriel, Calafiori, Rice, Lewis-Skelly, Odegaard, Saka, Tzolis, Havertz
Arsenal substitutes: Arrizabalaga, Hincapie, Konsa, Zubimendi, Guimaraes, Merino, Eze, Madueke, Gyokeres
Where to watch Villa vs Arsenal: TV channel, online live stream
Kick-off on Monday is at 20:00 BST (15:00 ET / 12:00 PT), with live coverage in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra.
Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £27.99 a month for a 12-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Premier League stats
- Arsenal have won their first away game in each of the last four Premier League seasons and kept a clean sheet each time but have never won their opening such match in five consecutive league campaigns before
- They have won 15 Premier League games at Villa Park, which is more than they have at any other away venue in the competition
- Head coach Mikel Arteta is set to take charge of his 250th Premier League game, becoming only the 10th manager in the competition history to oversee 250 games for a single side
- Only Pep Guardiola (70.8%), Alex Ferguson (65.2%) and Jurgen Klopp (62.6%) have a higher win rate among managers with at least 250 games in the division than Arteta’s 60.2% (W150 D48 L51)
- Villa last lost their first two league games in a season in 2019/20 and last lost both without scoring in 2002/03
- The most goals Villa have ever conceded in their first two games was eight in 1982/83, when they were the reigning European champions.
- They have not scored in five of their last six Premier League games in August, including the last four across the last two seasons
- Including his time at Arsenal, Unai Emery has lost 50% of his August games (8/16), which is the Spaniard’s highest percentage in one month in the Premier League
- With wins in four of their seven home games against Arsenal since their return to the Premier League in 2019 (L3), Villa have achieved more such victories than they had in their first 24 against them at Villa Park in the competition (W3 D9 L12)
- The Villans have won their last three Premier League home games against the reigning champions, which is as many as they prevailed in across their first 28 such matches (W3 D10 L15)
- Those wins came against Manchester City in 2023/24 and 2024/25 and over Liverpool at Villa Park last season
- The last team to beat the reigning top-flight champions at home in more successive uninterrupted seasons were Luton Town, who achieved seven in a row between 1985/86 and 1991/92
