Arsenal V Aston Villa – Reserves – Match Preview

Whilst Arsenal’s first team will contest an F.A Cup replay with Cardiff City this evening, Neil Banfield’s Reserves face an equally season crunching clash, as they travel to the midlands to face Aston Villa.

Like their first team counterparts, the second-string are fighting with Villa for supremacy in the League. Arsenal currently sit second in Reserves League South, four points behind their Claret & Blue opponents, knowing that a win tonight would blow the title race wide open.

Aston Villa are the current Champions, and although the Gunners knocked them out of the Youth Cup in December, Banfield’s boys are still smarting from a 4-1 romp dished out at Underhill at the start of the season.

The two clubs may be situated far from each other, but make no mistakes, tonight is a derby against two sides that have a strong disliking for one another. In the last four encounters, three Arsenal players have been dismissed, and a whole host of Villlain’s have gone into the book.

For tonight’s 7pm kick off, Conor Henderson, Rhys Murphy and Ignasi Miquel will sit out through injury, while Youth Cup hero’s Gilles Sunu and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas will form a make shift strike force.

Young marksman’s Luke Freeman and Benik Afobe will provide back up on the bench, but they’re unlikely to be called upon.

Francis Coquelin partners newly signed professional Emmanuel Frimpong in the middle, and Fran Merida joins Sanchez Watt on the wings.

Mannone
Eastmond – Bartley – Nordtveit – Cruise
Watt – Coquelin – Frimpong – Merida
Emmanuel-Thomas
Sunu

The fixture is a 7pm kick off at Hinckley United’s De Montfort Ground. Check back immediately after the full time whistle (around 9pm) for an in depth Match Report.

Article By – J.Sanderson