Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: Unai Emery on "biggest challenge" ahead of crunch clash in Premier League title race

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has insisted that his side's match against Arsenal on Tuesday will be the club's most difficult test of the season.

The Lions overcame the challenge of Chelsea on Saturday, winning 2-1 at Stamford Bridge to put themselves just three points behind first-placed Arsenal in the Premier League.

The two sides are set to clash on Tuesday at the Emirates, and it is sure to have significant ramifications on the destination of the title.

Villa managed to beat Arsenal 2-1 on December 6, a game that ended the Londoners' 18-game unbeaten streak.

Emery insisted that the match at the Emirates will be different and more challenging than the game at home, telling Sky Sports: "It's very, very difficult. We are going to analyse them.

"We played against them at home three weeks ago and it's going to be a different match because they are feeling so, so strong and how we are being consistent in our way. It is maybe the biggest challenge we will face.

"The biggest challenge because they are the best team now. They are playing fantastically. They're performing fantastically in the Champions League and in the Premier League and they signed two players for [each] position this year to be stronger and they are showing it."

A win for Villa would see them go level on points with Mikel Arteta's side, though Manchester City would have the opportunity to cement themselves in first place as they are only two points behind the Gunners.

Can Aston Villa beat Arsenal at the Emirates?

If Villa have ambitions of winning at the Emirates, they could look to target wide areas considering Arsenal may be forced to field Declan Rice as an auxiliary right-back due to injuries in the backline.

Should Rice be moved away from midfield, it could also make the jobs of Amadou Onana and Youri Tielemans easier as they would not have to deal with the Englishman's aggression.

It should be noted that Emery's side have won three, drawn one and only lost one of their last five league encounters with Arsenal, and their last league defeat in the stadium came in August 2022.

A stalemate would still be a positive result for Villa, and they may have to settle for a point considering Arsenal have won 12 and drawn two of their 14 home fixtures in 2025-26.

What would a win for Aston Villa mean for the title race?

Emery's time in charge of the club has at times been marred by issues related to financial fair play, but if he was to guide the side to a win against Arsenal, the Spaniard should be backed considerably in the winter transfer market.

While a victory for Villa would undoubtedly cement their status as genuine title challengers, it could also open the doorway for Liverpool to get back into the race.

Arne Slot's side are currently 10 points off the pace, but that gap could shrink to seven by the end of matchweek 19.

Though that gap would still be significant, Liverpool are set to play Arsenal at the Emirates on January 8, and a four-point advantage could easily be overturned between now and the end of the season.