Arsenal line-ups vs Aston Villa decided as Gabriel and Viktor Gyokeres start calls made

Football.Londonreporters pick their Arsenal starting XI for the crunch Premier League matchup against Aston Villa as the Gunners bid to end their fellow title challenger's winning 11-match streak

Arsenal will be handed the chance to get their revenge on Aston Villa and to stamp their authority on the Premier League title race when Unai Emery returns to the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.

Villa travel to north London on a club-record run of 11 straight wins in all competitions after recently beating Arsenal 2-1 in the last seconds in Birmingham at the beginning of the month.

The Gunners have looked slightly jaded but have managed to chalk up ugly wins over Wolves, Everton, Crystal Palace (on penalties in the Carabao Cup) and Brighton amid a number of key injuries.

Gabriel Magalhaes is pushing to start after coming off the bench against Albion while there is a big decision to make in attack with Viktor Gyokeres struggling for form.

Chief Arsenal reporter Tom Canton will be on hand to provide live coverage from the Emirates on Tuesday night but meanwhile, Football.London reporter Ryan Taylor and Head of Football Matt Maltby have had their stab at predicting Mikel Arteta's best XI for the contest.

Ryan Taylor

A lot obviously hinges on the fitness of Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori. Arteta has not done a pre-match press conference as he previewed the Villa game right after beating Brighton, so we're kind of in the dark on whether either will play.

Nonetheless, Arteta is a closed book anyway, so that could play into Arsenal's hands. I'm working under the assumption that Timber might be available, while Calafiori might not but if the Italian is, I do think he will start.

I've got a back-four of Timber, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Piero Hincapie with Myles Lewis-Skelly dropping to the bench. That would allow Declan Rice to move back into midfield alongside Martin Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard.

I think there is a chance Arteta will stick with the same attack he fielded against Brighton with Viktor Gyokeres leading the line and Leandro Trossard and Bukayo Saka on the flanks.

Mikel Merino could come on for the final 30 minutes while Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke could act as 'finishers' from the bench.

Taylor's Arsenal XI vs Aston Villa: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie; Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard; Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres.

Matt Maltby

It's a big game, isn't it? Mikel Arteta knows what's at stake, but he shouldn't take too many big risks either.

It feels too early to throw Gabriel back into the mix from the start, and Timber has to start at right-back if he's given the green light from the medical team.

If not, Rice will have to play at right-back again - but Arteta could do with playing the England star in his preferred position.

Rice and Zubimendi will bring control to the Arsenal midfield, while Odegaard should be given license to roam. He was impressive in the win over Brighton, and Arteta must take the shackles off again.

Eze knows how to beat Aston Villa, having been part of the Palace side that thumped the Villains on the way to their FA Cup triumph last season. Start him on the left wing but let him coast inside, and he could always switch with Saka depending on how the game plays out.

Gyokeres can't start. He's just not offering enough for the Gunners right now. Gabriel Jesus could stretch the Villa defence, but I'd give Merino the nod as his physicality and height could prove crucial from set-pieces. Maltby's Arsenal XI vs Aston Villa: Raya; Timber, Saliba, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Odegaard, Zubimendi; Saka, Merino, Eze.