Arsenal and Aston Villa both made winning starts to the new Premier League season as they look to build on impressive campaigns last term.
Both Arsenal and Aston Villa have Champions League football to handle this season but will have big aims in the Premier League.
Arsenal want to finally pip Manchester City for the Premier League title whilst Villa are keen to show that their top-four finish last season was no flash in the pan.
The two sides can be delighted with their start to the campaign with Arsenal beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium as David Raya impressed.
Later on Saturday, Villa went away to West Ham United and claimed a 2-1 win as Hammers target Jhon Duran came off the bench to bag the winner.
Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery both enjoyed solid wins to start the season and will be looking for many, many more this season.
Jamie Redknapp on Arsenal and Aston Villa
The two sides actually lock horns very early in the season.
Arsenal travel to face Aston Villa on Saturday evening and this could be a tricky one for the Gunners.
Villa beat Arsenal at Villa Park last season before then repeating the trick at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal lost just five games all season and two of them came against Villa, making Emery’s men the only team to do the double over the Gunners.
Next weekend’s clash will be a fierce one and Jamie Redknapp believes that the two teams are actually the Premier League’s very best in one area.
Speaking on Sky Sports (17/08, 19:45), Redknapp highlighted that Arsenal and Villa are the ‘best two’ teams in terms of attacking set pieces.
Redknapp watched on as Amadou Onana powered home a header from an early corner to put Villa 1-0 up against West Ham.
The pundit noted that set-piece coaches are becoming increasingly valuable and are bringing extra wins to the likes of Arsenal and Villa.
“It shows you the value of set-piece coaches, I would have said 10 years ago ‘really? We’re going to get to this point?’ But I’m all over it now. They do it so well,” said Redknapp. “Arsenal and Aston Villa are the best two at it and you can see that they’re the details you need to win football matches,” he added.
Arsenal and Aston Villa set-piece dangers
These two sides have become so impressive on set-pieces that their coaches in that field have become noted names – something you don’t see very often.
Arsenal’s Nicolas Jover is the man behind their brilliance; Arsenal scored 20 goals from set pieces last season, the most in the Premier League.
Gary Neville has branded Jover a ‘little nuisance’ at Arsenal, praising him as ‘damn good’ with Arsenal becoming the league’s gold standard from dead balls.
Aston Villa’s set-piece coach is Austin MacPhee and his work saw Villa score 14 goals from set pieces last season; only six teams scored more.
Villa may really lean on that approach this season though with new signing Onana representing an enormous threat in the air.
West Ham learned that on Saturday evening and Redknapp is seemingly expecting Arsenal and Villa to lead the way for set piece goals this term.
The post ‘The best two’: Jamie Redknapp claims Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are now rivalling Arsenal in one key area appeared first on HITC.
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