Despite an August victory at Villa Park, manager Mikel Arteta does not want to take Unai Emery’s team for granted because their two losses to Aston Villa were a big factor in their defeat in the Premier League title fight last season.
Arsenal, the league’s second team, will play seventh-place Villa on Saturday in an attempt to catch up to leaders Liverpool, who have won three straight games in all competitions.
“They are a good side, that’s why they beat us last season,” Arteta told reporters on Friday.
“We know the difficulty of the team that they are, that’s why they are performing so well. Great players, and a great coach.”
Arteta expressed his satisfaction that Arsenal had closed the gap with Liverpool following their 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday.
Nottingham Forest held the leads to a 1-1 draw that same day.
But Liverpool still has a game in hand and is four points ahead of Arsenal.
“We’re playing to win and that’s exactly where we want to be. The pressure comes from within. You have to thrive to be the best that you possibly can be,” Arteta said.
Although he declined to comment on whether his club was closing on any specific player, the manager stated that adding a striker in January would improve his team.
“We are trying, actively, to find the best possible solution but we’ll have to wait and see what we can do,” the Spaniard added.
