Arsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

It’s SOMEHOW still 1-0 at Anfield… but to Crystal Palace.

You can follow the updates from the closing stages, here, in what are a huge 15 minutes in the title race.

Some big changes from Mikel Arteta, as Arsenal host Aston Villa and look to return to the top of the Premier League.

Jorginho drops to the bench and it looks like Kai Havertz will return to midfield, with Gabriel Jesus and Leandro Trossard both starting.

Aston Villa bring in Nicolo Zaniolo, as Moussa Diaby starts up front alongside Ollie Watkins. John McGinn and Youri Tielemans are the midfield duo, with Douglas Luiz suspended.

Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz, Saka, Jesus, Trossard

Aston Villa XI: Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Zaniolo, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers; Diaby, Watkins

We’re 10 minutes or so away from getting today’s line-ups from the Emirates.

How many changes will both managers make ahead of the second legs of their European ties in midweek? Arsenal go to Bayern Munich on Wednesday while Aston Villa go to Lille on Thursday.

Mikel Arteta wasn’t on the touchline when Arsenal were beaten 1-0 by Aston Villa earlier this season – because the Gunners boss was serving a one-match suspension for his behaviour on the touchline.

Arteta received three yellow cards by the turn of December – triggering a one-game ban – but has only picked up one since in the Premier League.

“It was an experience. I deserved it. I had to go upstairs because I got the yellow cards. I experienced it. I didn’t like it so hopefully it doesn’t happen again,” he said.

“The rule came up and it was very aggressive. Every time we were talking it was like ‘oh you’re going to get a yellow card’. I think now it’s a bit smoother as well. There’s a bit more understanding in both ways of what we expect from each other, that’s it.”

Mikel Arteta, on this occasion at least, wasn’t going to play any mind games. When asked after Arsenal’s win over Luton Town whether he would be watching the matches of Manchester City and Liverpool, he nodded happily. There was no sense of just concentrating on his own team. Arteta said he simply enjoyed watching good football, but his interest was obviously far more invested than that.

As the gatecrasher to English football’s main title rivalry, Arsenal have the most to learn. Their very presence at the top of the table, however, also gives both Jurgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola something to learn. Neither managerial great has ever been involved in a three-team title race, across 38 combined seasons.

Both have admitted to feeling a new excitement about it, as well as a different tension. There’s a crackle, that sense of event in almost every match. You can feel that gripping tension before each game, and it’s now in three dressing rooms. As evenings stretch out and nerves tighten, there’s nothing like it.

A three-way race between Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City and a classic title run-in comes as the Premier League faces a crisis off the pitch, writes Miguel Delaney

Wow – a twist in the title race? Crystal Palace have made a brilliant start at Anfield and Eberechi Eze has fired the Eagels ahead in front of the Kop, as Liverpool once again concede the opening goal.

We’re underway at Anfield! Can Liverpool return to the top of the Premier League table and put the pressure on Arsenal? Manchester City did what was required yesterday – and of the three teams in the title race, it is perhaps the Gunners who have the hardest run of fixtures…

You can check them all out, here

Mikel Arteta praised Unai Emery as the former Gunners boss prepares to take his Champions League chasing Aston Villa side back to the Emirates.

“Unai’s had such a big impact at the club in terms of performances and consistency. It is unbelievable what he is doing in European competition and I’m impressed,” he said.

“He’s unbelievable and he’s done it in so many different countries and he’s been incredibly successful.

“He’s close to my home town and I have huge admiration for him and I wish him the best after Sunday. What he’s doing is really impressive.”

Aston Villa won the reverse fixture 1-0 earlier this season, as Unai Emery’s side defeated the Gunners and Manchester City in the space of four days at Villa Park.

Emery – though – believes his team’s visit to the Emirates will be a very different challenge.

“It is a different context, different circumstances and not really something other than respecting them,” he said.

“It’s different, the game we played at home in December to the match we are going to play on Sunday.

“There are a lot of the same players fighting but different because we are playing in a different context, they are fighting for the Premier League and we are fighting them trying to keep our fifth position and fighting with Tottenham.”