Arteta hints at rotation as Arsenal prepare for Villa; Merino vs Giorquiris rivalry adds spice
5 December 2025
Pre-match updates
Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta opened the door to rotating parts of his squad for Saturday’s Premier League meeting with Aston Villa, as injuries create uncertainty around several players, including Declan Rice, William Saliba, Leandro Trossard, and Cristian Muscera.
From the press conference: Rice, Musciera and the bigger picture
In the opening moments of today’s press conference, Arteta was asked about Rice’s readiness for tomorrow’s game. He replied in his typically cautious fashion: “Well, we’ll see, and I think most of your questions today will get a similar answer, because we have another training session this afternoon… every hour will be crucial to determine readiness, and then we’ll make our decisions.”
Regarding his defender Musciera, who hurt his ankle, Arteta said the situation is more complex and we must wait for the next training session to assess him further.
He also praised Unai Emery’s work with Villa, adding: “We know how tough the task ahead is, but we always believe in our chances.”
Focus on the lead and the Premier League
Asked about starting the match ahead of rivals this week, Arteta replied: “I don’t know, but every time we win a game, we are closer to our goal, and that is the only thing we think about, besides performing well tomorrow.”
On whether Emery is using mind games by downplaying Arsenal’s title chances, Arteta said: “I don’t know, and I think every coach has an opinion, and that’s it. We respect what he said.”
Arteta stressed that if Villa keep winning in the coming period, they will be firmly in the title race, just like any other team.
He also confirmed that the Spanish Merino will remain a constant option at center forward, even if Swedish Gior Kieris is fit, following his recent strong showings.
Arsenal enter the match top of the standings with 33 points, five clear of Manchester City in second place, while Villa sit third on 27.
Punchlines
Punchline 1: If football were math, Arteta’s solution would be a double shot of espresso—strong, a little bitter, and somehow still finding the back of the net.
Punchline 2: And if Emery’s mind games actually work, Villa might wake up to a reality where they beat Arsenal to beat themselves—talk about self-reflection!
