Aston Villa v Arsenal preview: Unai Emery eager to right the wrongs of Arsenal reign

Wins against former clubs typically come with an added satisfaction for managers, particularly those achieved against the ones which sacked you.

Tomorrow, of course, isn’t the first time Emery has faced Arsenal since his dismissal in November 2019 after 18 months at the helm.

That came with Villarreal in the Europa League two seasons ago, when he masterminded a 2-1 aggregate semi-final win over the Gunners.

This time the stakes for his team are not nearly so high. All the focus, outside of the Midlands, is on an Arsenal outfit who have taken just one point from three matches and find themselves off the top of the Premier League table, seeking swift redemption after Wednesday’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

Yet this could also be seen as a significant match for Emery, who has seen Villa’s resurgence slowed by back-to-back losses to Leicester and City.

The Spaniard always hoped for a second crack managing in England and since taking charge in November he has sought to address some of the factors he believes contributed to his Emirates reign ending prematurely.

Among the most important of those is building a connection with supporters. That highlighting their importance and thanking them for their backing has quickly become a staple of his press conferences and is no accident. At Arsenal, there was an acceptance he had perhaps not done enough to garner a relationship with the fanbase upon his arrival. By the time he realised the mistake, it was too late.

Clearly, the quickest way to get supporters on side is with results and though Villa’s have been largely positive, performances at home have been disappointing compared to those away, with the sense Emery’s tactics may be easier to implement on the road when the onus is not on his team to force the game.

Tomorrow, then, would appear a big opportunity to get back on track with a memorable win.

Emery has tended to keep unenforced changes to a minimum, yet the defeat at City might prompt something of a shake-up with January signings Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran both pushing for starts.

Handing the latter a full Premier League debut would be a big call, with Emery having stressed the need for patience as the 19-year-old adapts to the English game following his £15million switch from Chicago Fire. Yet Duran has looked bright in both substitute appearances so far, striking the bar late on at the Etihad, while Leon Bailey has struggled to make an impact in the past three matches.

Arsenal could again be without influential midfielder Thomas Partey after he missed their midweek defeat with a muscle injury though his replacement, January signing Jorginho, was among their better performers on the night.