Overview
- The Premier League fixture is set for Monday, 31 August 2026 with an 8:00 p.m. BST kick‑off at Villa Park and live coverage on Sky Sports.
- Arsenal published a confirmed starting XI on their official X account and Ezri Konsa is available to play against the club he left this summer.
- Arsenal arrive in form after a Community Shield win and a 3-0 opening‑day league victory, giving Mikel Arteta selection options including Bruno Guimarães returning to training.
- Aston Villa suffered a 4-0 defeat to Brighton in their season opener and have lost several key players over the summer, leaving Unai Emery to rebuild a largely new first team.
- Villa are expected to hand debuts to recent signings such as Zion Suzuki, Leon Goretzka and Nicolas Jackson, and João Gomes will miss the game due to a reported three‑match suspension.