Arsenal take their Premier League title defence on the road for the first time on Monday evening when Mikel Arteta’s champions visit Aston Villa.

The Gunners opened with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Coventry City after already beating Manchester City by the same scoreline in the Community Shield. Villa could hardly have experienced a more contrasting start, suffering a disastrous 4-0 defeat at Brighton before responding with major moves in the transfer market.

Arsenal have started like champions

There was little spectacular about Arsenal’s victory over Coventry, but that may have been the most ominous aspect of it for their title rivals.

Arteta’s team did not need to reach their highest level to win convincingly. Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka punished defensive mistakes before Martin Ødegaard completed the scoring, giving Arsenal six unanswered goals across their first two competitive matches of the season.

For a side sometimes accused of being overly dependent on set pieces, all three goals against Coventry coming from open play was another encouraging feature of the performance.

Arteta also reached 150 Premier League victories with the win and will take charge of his 250th match in the competition at Villa Park.

His champions have developed an excellent habit of starting strongly away from home. Arsenal have won their opening Premier League away fixture in four successive seasons without conceding, including victory at Villa Park two years ago. Never before have the Gunners won their first away league match in five consecutive campaigns.

This particular ground, however, has frequently caused them problems.

Arsenal have lost four of their last seven Premier League visits to Villa Park, including last season’s dramatic defeat when Emiliano Buendía scored a late winner. The Gunners responded emphatically by beating Villa 4-1 in the reverse fixture, but Arteta will know better than to judge Monday’s opponents solely on their opening-weekend collapse.

There could be a familiar face in the travelling squad after Ezri Konsa completed his £55m move from Villa. A debut against his former club is possible, although Arteta has little reason to immediately alter a defence that has started the season with consecutive clean sheets.

William Saliba remains a long-term absentee with a back problem and Jurrien Timber is also unavailable, while Bruno Guimarães could return from a minor groin issue.

Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus are unlikely to feature amid uncertainty surrounding their futures, leaving Saka and Havertz to carry much of Arsenal’s attacking threat once again.

Emery needs an immediate reaction from reshaped Villa

There are bad opening days and then there is what Aston Villa experienced at Brighton. A 4-0 defeat, a Victor Lindelöf own goal and a red card for debutant João Gomes left Emery with almost nothing positive to take from the afternoon. Villa were three goals down inside 31 minutes and finished the opening weekend in the relegation zone.

The concern is whether that performance represented an isolated collapse or evidence of the difficulty involved in reshaping the team following significant summer departures.

Morgan Rogers and Youri Tielemans have already left, while Ollie Watkins is now heading for Saudi Arabia. That removes three influential figures from last season’s side and places considerable responsibility on Villa’s new arrivals.

The club has reacted aggressively. Leon Goretzka adds experience and physical presence to midfield, while Nicolas Jackson has arrived from Chelsea to replace Watkins in attack. Both have been registered in time to face Arsenal and could make their debuts on Monday.

Jackson’s integration will be particularly important. Villa need a new focal point following Watkins’s departure, and the former Chelsea forward faces an immediate test against one of the strongest defensive units in the league.

Gomes’s dismissal at Brighton means he begins a three-match suspension, while Amadou Onana remains a long-term absentee with a knee injury. Johan Manzambi and Brian Madjo are also unlikely to return before September.

For all the negativity generated by their opening defeat, Villa have substantial evidence that they can trouble the league’s strongest sides at home.

They have beaten the reigning Premier League champions at Villa Park in each of the last three seasons, overcoming Manchester City twice before defeating Liverpool last term. Arsenal have also repeatedly struggled here during the current decade.

Emery therefore needs a response rather than a reinvention. Villa cannot undo what happened at Brighton, but a competitive performance against the champions would quickly change the mood surrounding their start.

Verdict: Arsenal look better equipped for the occasion

Villa Park has been one of Arsenal’s more troublesome Premier League destinations, and Emery’s record of producing major home results means this should represent a considerably greater examination than Coventry provided.

The timing nevertheless favours the champions. Arsenal already look organised and comfortable within their structure, have scored six goals without reply in competitive action and arrive with the confidence of a team accustomed to controlling matches.

Villa are attempting to incorporate important new players while simultaneously dealing with the departures of several established ones. Jackson and Goretzka should improve Emery’s options, but expecting them to immediately repair everything that went wrong at Brighton would be ambitious.

A repeat of Villa’s four-goal opening-day defeat is unlikely, particularly back at Villa Park. Arsenal may have to work patiently for their opportunities, but their greater stability and defensive security should eventually separate the teams.

Tip

Arsenal to win.