Admits Arsenal Vs Aston Villa Will Be Tough, Arteta: This Is A Test

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta (Instagran/@arsenal)

JAKARTA - Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta admits the match against Aston Villa in week ninth of the Premier League on Friday evening local time is a test for his team and will be tough.

"This is a test and they have already shown how difficult they are because we haven't had good results against them recently", said Arteta.

The Spaniard believes that Arsenal must increase the strength of their squad because Aston Villa in recent seasons has shown their ambition by making good signings.

In addition, Arteta ensures the match against Aston Villa tonight will be one of the most difficult matches for Arsenal in the Premier League.

"So we know they've made improvements to their squad, how they've played in the last few seasons shows the ambition of the way they recruit, and it's going to be a tough game of course", said Arteta.

While admitting it will be a tough game for Arsenal, Arteta says he already knows the game his team has to play to beat Aston Villa and that's what The Gunners are focused on at the moment.

Arteta said his side will play a 4-3-3 formation in the hope that it will go the way they did when they played the first 20 minutes against Crystal Palace on Monday night.

"We are playing at home. We know the type of game we have to play to beat them, and our focus is just that. If we play 4-3-3 as we played in the first 20 minutes (against Crystal Palace), we can win the game", said Arteta.

The ninth Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa will be held on Friday evening local time at the Emirates Stadium, London.

Currently, Arsenal is still in 12th position in the Premier League standings with 11 points from 8 matches, while Aston Villa is in 13th place with 10 points from 8 matches.