“We are excited, we are motivated, but we have to show again our capacity,” says Unai Emery.

“If we are able to repeat with the different players, with the different ways, one year more here how we can compete, how we can face teams like Arsenal.

“The challenge is motivating for us and our supporters to face them.”

Tyrone Mings and Boubacar Kamara remain as long-term absentees for Villa, with Robin Olsen also a major doubt.

Jhon Duran will likely have to settle for a place on the bench despite his winner against West Ham, though Jacob Ramsey and Ian Maatsen will hope that their cameos have shown Unai Emery that they are deserving of a place in the starting line-up.

For Arsenal, Declan Rice limped off in the last minutes of the win over Wolves, though reports suggesting that the midfielder is fine – Arteta suggested it was cramp – and will be in line to start. Tomiyasu, Vieira and Tierney remain injured while Eddie Nketiah will likely sit out amid reports of a move to Nottingham Forest.

Bukayo Saka was also seen limping at times during the match, and was eventually replaced by Leandro Trossard after scoring, but he should be fine to start against Villa.

Jurrien Timber replaced Zinchenko at the weekend, and was lively in his cameo, and may have done enough to warrant a place in the starting eleven. Thomas Partey will be fighting Jorginho for a starting berth, with Rice and Odegaard guaranteed to start in midfield.

The front three will likely stay the same as it was against Wolves, with neither Jesus or Trossard doing enough during their cameos to suggest they should start.

“It’s one of the toughest places to go for sure,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. “We know that, we’ve prepared really well to understand what we have to do to go there and win the game.

“They dominate every aspect of the game, when you give them space to run they are phenomenal, when there is no space and they have to find it they can do that. In any restarts or set-pieces, they are at it, and that’s why they did what they did.

“They scored and we didn’t, it’s very simple. In two games we had an enormous amount of chances to do that, and that was the big difference. There were other details for sure which we have analysed, and we will have to do better tomorrow because they are a really good side with a good coach.

“What Unai [Emery] and Julen [Lopategui] did for us [Basque managers] was set the standard so high, they won a lot. The way they coach their teams, the way they represented their clubs was at the highest level, and that gave a platform for the younger ones like myself, like Xabi [Alonso], like Andoni [Iraola] to earn that curiosity that there are coaches from here, so we need to be grateful to those two.”

The Gunners are looking to end a 21-year wait for the title, having finished second to Manchester City in each of the last two seasons, missing out by two points in May despite winning 16 of their final 18 games.

And they got off to an ideal start in north London against Gary O’Neil’s side when Kai Havertz dashed towards the six-yard box to meet Saka’s cross in the 25th minute, squeezing between goalkeeper Jose Sa and defender Yerson Mosquera and heading his side into a deserved lead following early pressure.

Kai Havertz praised Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka’s “perfect” contribution after the winger scored and assisted to help his side to a 2-0 opening-day Premier League win against Wolves.

Saka’s cross from the right in the 25th minute set up Havertz to head in the Gunners’ first goal of the new season and hand them an ideal start at the Emirates Stadium as they seek to end a 21-year wait for the title.

Gary O’Neil’s side gave their hosts some nervous moments thereafter and Arsenal twice had goalkeeper David Raya to thank for preserving their lead, most spectacularly after he pulled off a brilliant one-handed save to deny debutant striker Jorgen Strand Larsen midway through the first half.

The win was sealed 16 minutes from time when Saka’s left-footed drive inside the near post capped a fine individual display.

The PA news agency understands the bid, submitted on Monday, also includes an option to buy at the end of the campaign.

Ramsdale fell out of favour last season as manager Mikel Arteta promoted David Raya to number one and he made just 11 appearances, only two of which came after the turn of the year.

Despite his lack of activity the 26-year-old, whose contract has two years to run, was still included in England’s Euro 2024 squad.

Before that tournament Ramsdale told talkSPORT: “No footballer wants to not play. I’ve had a tough year personally not playing and I never want to do that again.”

It isn’t quite a case of the club just being willing to pay a certain amount for a necessary position. Arsenal are willing to pay what it takes for those specific named targets they feel would be certain starters, as could be seen with Declan Rice last summer.

Mikel Arteta has told Arsenal fans not to panic about his contract with talks set to get under way once the summer transfer window shuts.

Arteta has entered the final 12 months of his deal at the Emirates and while he insisted last month fresh terms would not be an issue, no announcement has been forthcoming.

Ahead of facing predecessor Unai Emery on Saturday night, the Gunners boss attempted to allay any fears amongst supporters.

Both of these managers have done very good jobs, both of these clubs have made sizeable strides. One of them is nonetheless likely about to get criticised and told they need to do more in the next week or risk missing out on their objectives. And it almost doesn’t matter which coach it’s aimed at.

Such is the relentless, never-stand-still nature of the Premier League and the focus point of most outsider commentators, who see transfer necessities in draws and trophy pushes in victories, even two weeks into the season.

Defeat? That can mean anything, from a side going stale to a manager falling short. But both of these clubs will sidestep those hot takes, of course. Regardless of a single result in isolation, both will feel they are prepared and on course for their respective seasonal objectives – it’s just that Arsenal have far less margin for error. And that makes this trip to Villa Park a particularly noteworthy one, with the Gunners up against their former boss Unai Emery, and their former goalkeeper Emi Martinez.