Aston Villa “not scared” of Gunners test as Mikel Arteta hits out at FA ban

Despite their manager being required to serve a touchline ban, Mikel Arteta hopes Arsenal can maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League when they visit Aston Villa on Saturday night.

If Arsenal defeats Aston Villa on Saturday night, they will be able to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League standings.

However, Unai Emery’s Birmingham team is having a fantastic season, so the Gunners won’t have it easy.

Star defender Diego Carlos stated that the Villans are fearless as they get ready to play Arsenal after the team defeated the defending champions, Manchester City, midweek.

Declan Rice was praised as the Gunners’ Roy Keane, and manager Mikel Arteta blasted the FA for his touchline punishment at the same time as Carlos’ message was sent.

Mirror Football compiles all of the most recent Arsenal news here.

Villa “not scared” of Arsenal

Diego Carlos has insisted that Aston Villa are not worried about facing Arsenal on Saturday.

The Villans are third in the Premier League and Carlos has insisted that his side fear no one as they prepare to take on the leaders.

There’s confidence in us and, as players, we aren’t scared.

The gaffer wants every player to have confidence with the ball and their position. We are a good team. From the first day he arrived, Unai improved both the team and us players,” he said.

“Now, we’re in a good position in the table, but our season is not finished.

There are still a lot of games to play. It’s important to stay grounded and humble. For me, this is most important. We respect every team we play against – but we aren’t scared of them.”

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has hailed Declan Rice as being Arsenal’s own version of Roy Keane. The Irishman was an iconic captain for Manchester United and Carragher sees similar qualities in Rice.

“From the moment he joined Arsenal, you knew that Rice would be brilliant. He has been probably the most influential player in the Premier League this season and, every time I watch him, he reminds me of Keane,” he told the Daily Telegraph.

“He has that same presence. When you think of the great midfielders of the past, they all had an aura on the pitch. Keane had it.

I see those same qualities in Rice. For Arsenal, the move for Rice was a no-brainer. I believe we will be talking about him as an Arsenal great in seven or eight years, and that his £105 million fee will look like a snip.”

Arteta hits out at FA ban

Mikel Arteta has insisted he will carry on celebrating his team’s goals, despite being handed a touchline ban for the clash with Aston Villa. Arteta was booked for his wild celebrations after Declan Rice’s last-second winner against Luton on Wednesday.

“I think I’m going to be in a director’s box. I don’t know, it’s a discussion we’re going to have later on, but let’s see. I will have a really nice view hopefully. I don’t know how to stop [celebrating], it was a really emotional moment,” he said.

“You have everybody bouncing around and you lose sense of where you are, and the space that you have to be in.

It was unfortunate because now I cannot be next to my team on the touchline. But it is a decision that they have made.”

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