Arsenal may be tired as they travel up to Birmingham but they should not be disheartened after a battling defeat to Liverpool. Mikel Arteta’s side simply lack the strength in depth of the Reds and a striker who can finish their slick moves, Alexandre Lacazette would certainly be Jürgen Klopp’s sixth best option in attack if he were to switch allegiances. Regardless Arsenal have a good chance to continue their mission to clinch fourth spot against Aston Villa. The high likelihood of Bukayo Saka bearing down on Ashley Young feels like an avenue to instant success as Lucas Digne looks set to miss out. Villa will also be disappointed if former Gunner Callum Chambers is out with a head injury as he has proved an instant hit for Steven Gerrard. A depleted defence may not be enough though as Arteta has made a lot of noise about Arsenal’s exhaustion and if he is not just blowing smoke then Philippe Coutinho’s magic could derail the manager’s best laid plans further. Graham Searles
Saturday 12.30pm BT Sport 1
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