Arsenal vs. Aston Villa: Villa Preview

Aston Villa plays host to Arsenal at Villa Park this weekend, and will be longing for crucial points that could vault them into the top half of the table. An injury depleted Villa side will be relieved by the return of both John Carew and James Collins from calf injuries, respectively. However, history is not on Villa’s side; The Midlands club has claimed only one victory in its previous 28 league clashes with the Gunners. One of the most interesting storylines ahead of the matchup is Frenchman Robert Pires’ first fixture against the team he served so well from 2000 to 2006. The 37-year-old had a prolific goal scoring record of 84 tallied in 284 total appearances for the North London club. It will certainly be intriguing to see if Pires can conjure up one last moment of magic, even if it be across the pitch from the white and red.