The Gunners need nothing less than 3 points at Villa Park on Monday night if they are to regain their place at the top of the Premier League table.
Saturday and Sunday’s fixtures saw Chelsea take 2nd place with a win against Hull, while Man City’s win over Newcastle with the same scoreline allowed them to claim top spot.
With Wenger’s men sat 1 point off their London rivals and 2 points adrift of Pellegrini’s City with a game in hand, a draw would not be enough to see them back into the spot which has been claimed for so long this season.
The chasing duo would be level on points and goal difference if Monday’s game should end a draw 0-0 draw, meaning Arsenal would stay 3rd thanks to Chelsea’s 40 goals scored against Arsenal’s 39.
However the side can play in the comfortable knowledge that Villa – who ran out shock 3-1 winners in the opening day of the season at the Emirates – have not taken 3 points off Arsenal at Villa Park in their last 14 attempts.
Despite their home winless streak which dates back to December 1998, Villa sparked panic in the Reds camp with their away win back in September. That panic has turned out to arguably put Arsenal where they are today, with some claiming that the defeat encouraged the signing of Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid.
Villa sit in mid-table having ended their 5 match winless run against Sunderland on New Years’s Day.
Team news
Arsene Wenger is boosted by the return of first team frontman Oliver Giroud to the squad having recovered from the illness which has kept him out of the last two games.
Nicklas Bendtner filled in for Giroud in the win against Cardiff, before Theo Walcott played in a false 9 role in the North London Derby defeat of Tottenham.
With both of them now ruled out injured, Giroud’s return has been impeccable and is set to return to the starting eleven at Villa as the search for a backup striker rages on behind the scenes.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also back in contention after being ruled out for 5 months with a cruciate ligament injury which looked like it might rule him out for the season.
However he too has timed his comeback as well as possible with Theo Walcott’s season-ending injury of a similar kind opening up a space on the wing which The Ox more than likely will take up.
Thomas Vermaelen’s torrid time with injury continues as his comeback against Spurs was dashed by a knee injury which forced him off at half time and also rules him out of this game too.
Arsene praises returnee’s.
The Boss spent the majority of his most recent press conference praising the return of the injured trio of Giroud, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Podolski:
"Giroud needed a rest physically and he got one, and I am convinced he will come back refreshed and ready to score again," said Wenger.
"What is most important, for Olivier Giroud and for me, is the team produces a good collective performance.”
"[Whether] he scores or somebody else, we have plenty of people who can score and for me it is always most important that we play the football we want to play, and after anybody can score in my team."
He went on to flatter German powerhouse Lukas Podolski, who has been in fine form since returning:
"Podolski has been out for four months and after being available, it doesn't mean you are competitive in the Premier League - it takes some time to come back,"
"He is working hard. This week he looked sharper in training, so he is getting closer now to being completely fit again.”
"If there is one (player) you want to see in front of the goal in a shooting position, it is him because Podolski is certainly one of the best finishers I have ever seen.”
And Wenger even finished by comparing youngster AOC to England captain Steven Gerrard:
"He has a good long ball, penetration from deep and a good quality to distribute and penetrate individually - certainly he has the same qualities as Steven Gerrard.”
"At the moment, he is still in formation. It is good for his education as he plays left, right and central when needed. After 23 or 24 [years of age] you settle in a definite position."
Expected line-up:
Szczesny; Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Monreal; Arteta, Flamini; Rosicky, Ozil, Cazorla; Giroud.
Latest:
