Mikel Arteta has stated that Arsenal’s trip to Aston Villa on Saturday is their ‘biggest’ of the season, as he told Sky Sports.
This comes after the Champions League-chasing side suffered a 2-0 defeat to Liverpool on Wednesday night at the Emirates.
Whilst Arteta’s side battled strong for 45 minutes, after the break, the Premier League title-chasing team just proved to be too strong for those in north London.
Arsenal can’t dwell on that defeat for too long, as they will now turn their attention to a tricky tie in the West Midlands against Aston Villa.
Steven Gerrard and his players don’t have much to play for given their league position, but Arteta is expecting a ‘battle’.
“We go to sleep, have something good to eat, then to recover and mentally be prepared because on Saturday we will have a battle against Aston Villa,” said Arteta.
On whether the Villa match now becomes a bigger game: “The next game is the biggest of the season. Saturday, for us, is the biggest game of the season.”
This will be Arsenal’s third game in six days, whilst those in Villa colours last played on Sunday when they were beaten 2-1 by West Ham.
Villa’s next three games are Arsenal, Wolves and then Tottenham, as Gerrard will feel that his players can upset a few results from those chasing Champions League football.
These are the types of games that Arsenal have to win, but that’s what will make it more dangerous, especially when their opponents will be more refreshed for the weekend.
It doesn’t help Arsenal’s matters that it’s an early kick-off on Saturday, but if they can leave Villa Park with all three points, then they can continue on their previously dominant road of trying to finish in the Premier League’s top-four.
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