Arsenal to face tough test from resurgent Aston Villa

Arsenal, challenging for honours on four fronts, face another test of their premier league title credentials away at resurgent Aston Villa o...

Arsenal, challenging for honours on four fronts, face another test of their premier league title credentials away at resurgent Aston Villa on Sunday. By the time Arsene Wenger’s side, still unbeaten after 21 league games, line up at Villa Park they could have fallen four points behind champions Manchester United, who play away at bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday and are unlikely to slip up.

Arsenal briefly returned to the premier league summit last weekend, but were deposed 24 hours later when United edged a point ahead despite a goalless draw at home to Newcastle.

With Chelsea having resurrected their season to re-ignite a three-way fight for the title, Wenger will not want to slip-up against a Villa side showing much-improved form under the guidance of former Arsenal defender David O’Leary.

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Wenger also has striking problems with doubts over Sylvain Wiltord and Dennis Bergkamp, while youngster Jeremie Aliadiere has been ruled out for three to four weeks with knee ligament damage.

The Frenchman can take heart, though, from the sublime form of Thierry Henry. Nigerian Nwankwo Kanu is also available having delayed his departure for the Nations Cup.

Villa slumped to 18th position in early December but have since won four and drawn one of their last six league games and have also reached the League Cup semi-finals, a run that has turned their season around.

Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel has been a central figure in Villa’s resurgence with seven goals in his last 10 games following a barren run.

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While Angel’s goals have helped fire Villa up the table, O’Leary also credits goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen with playing a major part in the club’s upturn in fortunes. “When you consider that we paid just two million pounds for him (from Sunderland in August), he’s turning out to be an absolute bargain,” O’Leary told the club’s website this week.

“I brought him in to command that box and that’s exactly what he’s doing. He’s also showing he can be a first-class shot-stopper as well.”

Midfielder Gavin McCann (knee) and striker Darius Vassell (thigh), who sustained injuries in the 1-0 defeat at Liverpool last Saturday, should both be fit to face Arsenal while defender Mark Delaney says his niggling knee problem will bear the strain of games against the Gunners and against Bolton on Wednesday. (Reuters)