"Tough game": Paul Merson states his prediction for Arsenal v Aston Villa

Paul Merson has given his prediction for the upcoming Premier League match between Arsenal and Aston Villa. The Gunners are currently sitting in 12th place in the league table following their 2 - 2 draw with Crystal Palace last weekend. Meanwhile, Villa are in 13th place with 10 points after their 3 - 2 defeat to Wolves. Both sides will be hoping to have a successful match on Friday evening, however, Merson has backed Mikel Arteta's side to beat the rivals with a score of 2 - 1. "Arsenal have done alright in the Premier League so far," Sky Sports pundit said. "People said it was a bad result the other day against Crystal Palace, but I think this is the kind of game they lost a couple of years ago. In recent weeks, they've kept sticking at it and need to win this one badly, as otherwise, it'll quickly become three games without a win in the Premier League."

"Aston Villa, on the other hand, had a nightmare result against Wolves. They were 2-0 up with 10 minutes left on the clock but somehow squandered their advantage, as they made a series of wrong substitutions. It'll be a tough game, but I expect Arsenal to just edge this one."

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