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Premier League latest as Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery speak before Tuesday's top-of-the-table match between Arsenal and Aston Villa Unai Emery speaking at his news conference - 'To speak about the title does not make sense for us' Villa will be missing Matty Cash and Boubacar Kamara through suspension - here's what Emery said on Kamara's absence They are on an 11-match winning streak - equalling a club record set in 1897 and 1914 Arsenal have won their last three league matches since being beaten by Villa earlier this month Arsenal are three points above Aston Villa and two ahead of Manchester City - but it's Arsenal who remain overwhelming favourites Meanwhile, Arteta says Arsenal 'have to be actively looking' in the upcoming transfer window Click 'Get Involved' to have your say - your thoughts on the title race Written by Ben Ramsdale, Jonty Colman, Craig Nelson & Grace Wheeler. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Right, that's it from us. You've heard everything now from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery but for those just joining the page, or those that just want the lowdown, here are his top lines: Ta-ra for now. .. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Dee: Re James, how many weeks have people been saying that things happening around Villa aren't sustainable? Points achieved over the last 3 years or so show Villa to be in the top 4, how many more years are needed to be classed as sustainable? Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tues, 20: 15 GMT] Nick Mashiter BBC Sport football news reporter Unai Emery was sitting behind a new desk in the media room at Bodymoor Heath for Monday's news conference. The old one is still in the room, off to the side, and it is a small upgrade at Aston Villa but reflects the nature of the club, which is looking to improve everywhere. They go to Arsenal tomorrow just three points behind the Premier League leaders having won their last eight top-flight games in a club record equalling run of 11 consecutive victories. Emery continues to play down Villa's title chances and he will do that during the second half of the season, even if his men maintain their red-hot form. It is in his nature to deflect those questions and control the narrative to ensure the pressure remains off his players. They could win at the Emirates - setting a new club record of consecutive wins - and Emery will still try to ignore Villa's growing influence in the title race. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Finally, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was asked if Arsenal have the most pressure on them this season: "I think they are favourites. How they are building the team. How they are improving a lot of things. They have more players in their squad, two players in each position. Some players they have had coming back after being injured like [Kai] Havertz and [Gabriel] Jesus. And of course, look and see now - stronger. "We analyse to play them tomorrow like we analysed three weeks ago and we have enough players, enough structure, tactically, individually and mentally to face them, but, of course, it is going to be the biggest test we will face. "Manchester City as well, they are performing fantastic and we must be proud of everything we are doing - one point behind Man City and three points behind Arsenal, but we must be humble, we must be confident but we must be, as well, ambitious. "Our ambition is, go tomorrow to face them, and we will see how we are facing them. " Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Unai Emery on Villa having multiple away games over the Christmas period: "We must accept it because it is not in our hands. The only thing I don't understand is why we are playing Arsenal before Nottingham Forest at home. This is the only thing I don't understand. In other circumstances and the decision it is not in our hands, we must accept it and keep going. " Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was asked how big of a loss Boubacar Kamara was to the side: "They are the rules. If you get five yellow cards then you are suspended for one match. Tomorrow we have Kamara out and [Matty] Cash and we will need other players. Kamara is important, yes. Cash is important, yes. Tyrone Mings is important, yes. When he has not been available - tomorrow is going to be about other players being important. " On whether he feels Kamara and is underrated as a player: "Not for us and not for me. We extended his contract last summer because we believe and we know his capacity and his potential. He is still young. He had an injury last year and was out for six/seven months but he came back and was fantastic and now he is playing better and better. " Craig Nelson BBC Sport reporter Just a reminder that Aston Villa will be without in-form full-back Matty Cash and key midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who are both suspended for Tuesday's match at Arsenal. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Unai Emery on what he expects from Arsenal when his Aston Villa side face them at Emirates Stadium on Tuesday evening: "They are competing at the highest level of football. To impose their individual duels and set-pieces. Of course, we played against them three weeks ago and we showed our capacity to respond and compete against them and we ended up winning the match, but it was a really tough match. "We needed to get a better performance collectively and individually and we needed to show our mentality winning in the last minute. "Tomorrow is going to be a different match because they are playing at the Emirates and they will feel stronger than away with their supporters. "It is our test now. We were speaking about the test we had at Chelsea. In 90 minutes we needed every player and tomorrow with our circumstances and players that are not available tomorrow, it's the same test. " Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Massive credit to Villa but their recent run feels a bit like Liverpool's at the start of the season. Playing poorly and winning every week isn't sustainable. I wouldn't be shocked to see a few defeats in the near future - starting tomorrow. James Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was asked if the players believe they can win the title: "Two years ago, we were finishing the first half of the season with 39 points. Just now, we have 39 points and you were asking the same question. You were making the same question two years ago. We had 39 points on game 19 and we finished fourth in the Champions League position. "Of course, that was fantastic, but speaking about the title for me does not make sense for us. Now, in December, it does not make sense. "Of course, we are motivated, but, for the moment, we have momentum for the match we want to play tomorrow. There is three points different between them and us, this is our motivation, but if we are thinking today about [after] 38 [games] - then life is passing and we are not enjoying. " Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa More from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery on the opportunity against Arsenal: "The opportunity is where we are in the table - on match 19. How we can feel positive, how we can feel confident to play astute and tactically. We can play confidence playing at the highest level. "Of course, after the match against Chelsea, we did everything good but we can improve things. The level we are facing is similar, maybe even some things they compete even better and this is the next step forward we want to try and take to show our capacity. " Click 'Get Involved' to have your say If Villa lose, can we use the excuse of not having our starting right-back or centre-back as the reason why we lost. Not having two first-choice defenders is apparently why Arsenal lost at Villa Park last time out. Austin Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Aston Villa manager Unai Emery was asked what qualities he sees in his squad that are making them, in many people's eyes, title contenders: "My opinion on it has not changed. How we are performing is something that we are feeling proud of and what we are building. Tactically, mentally and individually. We try and feel inside like a family because we are spending more time here [the training ground] than with our families. "Tomorrow is probably the most difficult challenge we can face because they are the best team. I think they are playing fantastic, competing fantastic and are being so strong in everything. "How they are building the team progressively each year has been better and better and stronger and stronger. It is a challenge but we are so, so motivated. "Away is always a bit more difficult than at home. Three weeks ago we beat them and they will usually want to show their power against us. " Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa We will bring you full quotes in a moment, but here is what Aston Villa manager Unai Emery thinks about the title talk surrounding his side: "To speak about the title does not make sense for us. Now in December it does not make sense, we are motivated, but for the moment we are motivated for the game [at Arsenal] we play tomorrow. " More to follow. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Right, those lines are now coming to us from Aston Villa manager Unai Emery. Let's see what the Spaniard thinks is possible before Tuesday's huge Premier League clash at Arsenal. .. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Alan Shearer MOTD pundit We are nearly halfway through the season and you have to say that Aston Villa are genuine title contenders. Do I think they'll win it? No, but that is purely because the depth of their squad isn’t quite there. But anything is possible under Unai Emery. His game management is superb as he showed yet again today with his three substitutions at Stamford Bridge. They weren’t in the game in the first half but the introduction of Ollie Watkins, Jadon Sancho and Amadou Onana was inspired. His team just does not know when they are beaten. Where would they be if they had not had such an awful start? To think where they were after no wins in five to this incredible club record run is quite something. They are 10 points clear of fifth now which will delight Emery. What they are doing is great for the Premier League, it's brilliant. They go to the Emirates next and what a game that is going to be. Click 'Get Involved' to have your say Feels like Arsenal's form has been stable over the past three seasons, while Liverpool and City's has been up and down. The Liverpool of last season or City of the season before would walk this title race, but neither is playing at those levels. Slow and steady wins the race? Carl Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 00 GMT) While Arsenal and Aston Villa are two of the top three, both teams have lacked prolific goal scorers this season. Of the 14 players in the Premier League with more than five goals this season, just one plays for the two clubs combined. Villa's attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers (seven) is currently joint-sixth in the scoring charts. Arsenal (33) are the second top scorers in the league but striker Viktor Gyokeres is the only player to reach five goals. Only four of their players have more goals than own goals (three) have provided the team this season. Villa (29) rank sixth for goals this season, with almost half of them coming from Rogers and striker Ollie Watkins (five) combined. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Aston Villa and their expected goals (x G) in 2025-26. It's a topic that has been very popular so far this season and it doesn't appear to be showing any signs of slowing down. Villa are massively overperforming on their x G, to almost surreal levels. Unai Emery's side have scored 29 goals in the Premier League so far and, according to Fot Mob, have done so from an x G of 19 - that's level with Tottenham Hotspur for the biggest differential in the division. No team have conceded less from a larger expected goals against (x GA), either. According to x GA, Villa should have conceded 25 goals this season but, in reality, they have only conceded 19. That means Villa have the biggest points swing by some way - if the table were based on all these fancy stats. Should the 25-26 Premier League table be based on x G, Villa would be 16th, 19 points worse off and just two points off the bottom three. Fortunately for them, it isn't. Instead they sit pretty in third, three points off the summit. Arsenal v Aston Villa (Tue, 20: 15 GMT) Aston Villa Aston Villa's comeback win at Chelsea on Saturday continued a trend in their record-equalling 11-match victory charge. Unai Emery's side have come from behind to win four matches in that run: Copyright © 2025 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.