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Axel Tuanzebe offers his verdict on how Arsenal play
Axel Tuanzebe that Arsenal play in a top manner and labelled Mikel Arteta’s men a top side ahead of Friday’s meeting between the pair.
The clash at the Emirates pits two of current mid-table against each other. And neither Villa or the Gunners have won in their last two.
Arsenal managed to secure the point to move themselves above the Villans in the Premier League table on Monday.
Alexandre Lacazette scored with virtually the last kick of the game to equalise against Crystal Palace. The 2-2 draw extended their recent unbeaten run to five games.
Arteta is still yet to silence all of his critics and doubters. And of course, Villa have happy memories of this fixture, having won 3-0 at the Emirates last season.
But Tuanzebe insisted that Dean Smith’s side will not take Arsenal lightly, claiming that they still have full respect for what the Gunners do.
“Arsenal over the last few years have had a rocky spell, but it doesn’t mean they’re not going to perform come Friday,” .
“We still respect them, still think they’re a top side and they still play football in a top manner. We have our game plan and know what we need to do to win.
“They’re under pressure and need to win every game, teams like that can be very dangerous. They’ve got threats we need to nullify and then focus on how we beat them.”
Arsenal must improve against Aston Villa after lacklustre display on Monday
Arsenal were fortunate to take a point from their clash with Palace. They started brilliantly. And improved at the very end. But they were second-best for much of the contest.
So they have plenty to prove against Villa. A better performance seems to be a must.
But the Villans will feel that they have to improve also. They have lost their last two, conceding three times from the 80th minute to lose against Wolves last time out.
So it is a game that neither side will feel that they can really afford to lose.