Jilted former boss Emery targets Arsenal scalp – The Kampala Report

By Ssekamatte Allan Mabiriizi Simonsen Michael

Hell hath no fury like a football manager scorned. This certainly seems to be the case with Aston Villa boss Unai Emery whose two victories over former employers Arsenal proved to be the difference as the Gunners finished second just two points behind 2023/24 English Premier League winners Manchester City.

Current Emirates Stadium supremo Mikel Arteta will have more than an axe to grind when his Gunners tackle Aston Villa on Saturday evening in the marquee fixture of match day two. In the young Basque manager’s five year reign, only City’s Pep Guardiola has beaten Arteta more often than Emery who has won five out of his last ten encounters with the north Londoners.

The game at Villa Park is a mouthwatering prospect thanks to numerous individual duels expected to provide a sideshow. Rising Belgian midfield terrier Amadou Onana’s confrontation with Gunners opposite Declan Rice will be just as appetizing as Ollie Watkins’ attempt to get traction out of Arsenal’s formidable central defensive pair of William Saliba and Gabriel Maghalaes.

Watkins five goals in eight matches against last season’s deputy champions dictate he will be a marked man whether Emery decides to pair him with Colombian Jhon Duran, who came off the bench to net the winner against West Ham United last weekend, or plays him in a front three along with Leon Bailey together with whom he destroyed Arsenal’s title aspirations last season.

Bukayo Saka, who Emery handed his Arsenal debut as a 17-year-old will carry the Gunners’ most potent goal threat. The Three Lions star was in irrepressible form in scoring once and notching an assist when Arteta’s side beat Wolves 2-0 last Saturday.

Action gets underway with the division’s youngest manager, Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, pitting his wits against Manchester United’s Erik Ten Hag. The 31-year-old enjoyed a dream start to his career by masterminding a 3-0 victory over Everton that catapulted the Amex Stadium outfit to the summit of the embryonic standings.

Having realised immediate dividends from summer arrivals Joshua Zirkzee, whose goal sunk Fulham last Friday, and Noussair Mazraoui, Ten Hag must decide whether to give Matthis de Ligt his full debut. The record champions back four are guaranteed a busy afternoon from old boy Danny Welbeck, Kaori Mitoma, Yankuba Minteh and Simon Adingra who were at times unplayable at Goodison Park.

Champions Manchester City are a shoo-in for maximum returns against newly promoted Ipswich Town while Ange Posteloglu’s Tottenham Hotspur will instruct his strikers to make chances created for them count when they welcome Everton to north London. Arne Slot will meanwhile demand a quick start when 19-time champions Liverpool host Brentford.

Pedro Neto is in contention to start against his former side Wolverhampton Wanderers when Chelsea visit the Molieneux less than 72 hours after they beat Servette 2-0 in a Uefa Conference League match via goals from Christopher Nkunku and Noni Madueke.

Stamford Bridge manager Enzo Maresca made eight changes to the starting line up for the six time titlists’ Thursday night match, so many of the players who featured in the opening day loss to Manchester City are to be restored to the starting XI.

SATURDAY
Brighton v Manchester United,
Crystal Palace v West Ham United,
Fulham v Leicester City,
Manchester City v Ipswich Town,
Southampton v Nottingham Forest,
Tottenham Hotspur v Everton,
Aston Villa v Arsenal

SUNDAY
Bournemouth v Newcastle United,
Wolves v Chelsea,
Liverpool v Brentford