Arsenal surrendered top spot to Manchester City midweek, and it seems as though they have wilted under the pressure of being league leaders in recent weeks. They have failed to win any of their last four matches in all competitions but it’s important not to forget just how good the Gunners have been this season. Arteta’s men were on pace to become Premier League centurions at the halfway point of the season. They comfortably despatched of almost everyone in their way and I expect them to return to form here.

Arsenal have won eight of their 11 away matches in the league this season. Their only defeats came against Manchester United and Everton; the latter was Sean Dyche’s first game in the hotseat at Goodison Park. The Gunners are conceding just 0.64 goals per game on the road this season and they should be able to keep it tight against Villa.

Unai Emery joined Villa midway through the season when Steven Gerrard was dismissed. While there have been improvements since the former Arsenal manager took charge, Villa still aren’t at the desired level. They have won just two of their five league matches at home under Emery and they were bitterly disappointing in their 4-2 defeat against Leicester in the most recent home match.

Arsenal beat Villa 2-1 earlier in the season and were victorious at this ground last season. Arteta’s men may have experienced a wobble but I’m backing them to get back on track in Saturday’s early game.

Brentford are currently 8th in the Premier League and are enjoying a solid season. They have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe and will be keen to finish the season strongly. The Bees find themselves above Liverpool and Chelsea in the table.

Crystal Palace are 12th, and seven points clear of the relegation zone. However, they have been on a poor run of form. Their only win in their last 10 competitive matches came against Bournemouth. Palace will need to turn it around if they want to avoid getting dragged into a relegation battle. Viera’s side have drawn with Brighton, Newcastle and Manchester United in their last four matches  so they have shown they are capable of competing with the teams higher up the table.

The game ended 1-1 when these sides met at Selhurst Park earlier this season, but this will be a tougher task for Crystal Palace. They have won just two of their 10 league away games this season; averaging 0.8 goals per game. The Eagles are averaging 0.5 goals per game in their league matches in 2023. Their opponents are averaging 1.5 goals per game over that period.

Brentford have won six of their 11 league matches in front of their own fans. Arsenal are the only team to beat them there. The Bees are also unbeaten in their last 10 league matches and are averaging one more goal per game than their opponents during that run. Thomas Frank’s side are a good price considering how solid they have looked since the World Cup.

Everton have struggled going forward this season and they failed to bring in any reinforcements for their attack in the January window. Sean Dyche has said the club are exploring the free agent market but for now he will have to make do with what he has.

The Toffees beat the then league leaders, Arsenal in their last home match. The supporters got right behind the team in that one and Goodison should be rocking for this key clash in the battle against the drop. Everton are averaging 0.91 goals per game at home this season, but they take on a Leeds side that have struggled defensively.

Leeds look set to have an interim manager in charge yet again. There is less pressure on Michael Skubala as he fulfils this role and his team have adopted a gung-ho approach in both of his games in charge so far. Both have come against an inform Manchester United side and Leeds managed to score two at Old Trafford. They lost 2-0 at Elland Road but were unfortunate not to take the lead in the match.

Both sides will be desperate for the three points here with just a one-point gap separating them in the league. Everton could climb above Leeds and out of the relegation zone with a win so expect this one to open up at some stage.