Monday, August 31, 2026. Kickoff 3:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. BST at Villa Park.
Arsenal arrive in Birmingham as reigning Premier League champions, unbeaten and untroubled. Aston Villa arrive with no points, a 4-0 opening defeat and a summer that has stripped the squad to its studs.
This is the final match of Matchweek 2, and the only fixture on the calendar today.
| Kickoff | 3:00 p.m. ET · 2:00 p.m. CT · 12:00 p.m. PT · 8:00 p.m. BST |
| US TV | USA Network |
| US streaming | Peacock, Fubo, DirecTV Stream, Sling TV |
| Spanish | UNIVERSO, Telemundo Deportes |
| UK / Australia | Sky Sports / Stan Sport |
| Venue | Villa Park, Birmingham |
All 380 Premier League matches air in the United States across Peacock, USA Network and NBC. Cord-cutters can reach USA Network through free trials on YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV or DirecTV Stream.
Villa’s Summer Has Gutted the Squad
The context here is brutal. Aston Villa have lost Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne over one transfer window — a dismantling nobody saw coming from a club that qualified for the Champions League.
Martínez has gone to Chelsea, leaving a hole in goal. Nicolas Jackson arrives to replace Watkins. And Konsa moved to Arsenal, which means the England defender could make his Gunners debut against the club he left this summer.
Villa opened with a 4-0 defeat at Brighton and lost the UEFA Super Cup 2-1 to Paris Saint-Germain before that. They sit 17th with nothing on the board.
Arsenal Look Like the Team to Beat
The champions have had ten days to prepare after a 3-0 win over promoted Coventry City, their second straight 3-0 result following the Community Shield victory over Manchester City.
Arsenal won the title last season for the first time in 22 years, and the read around the club is that the pressure has lifted rather than grown. Mikel Arteta may name an unchanged side.
Why Villa Park Still Worries Them
The one thing in Villa’s favour is history. Arsenal have lost on two of their past three visits here, including a late 2-1 defeat, and this fixture has produced consistently tight games — both clubs have scored in each of the last five Premier League meetings, which have yielded 17 goals between them.
Across the whole history of the fixture, Arsenal lead 89 wins to 72 from 207 meetings.
The models are not swayed. Opta gives Arsenal a 63 percent chance, Villa 16 percent, with a draw at 21 percent.
Team News
Villa are without João Gomes, who is suspended, and Amadou Onana, out with an ACL injury. Leon Bailey and Tammy Abraham are doubts. Arsenal’s Bruno Guimarães has been racing to be fit.
What It Means for the Table
Both clubs have played only once, so this closes out Matchweek 2 and completes the table. A win takes Arsenal level with the leading group on six points; defeat leaves Villa bottom-half with two losses from two.
Manchester City, Hull City and Chelsea are the only clubs on maximum points. See our Premier League standings for the full table, which updates once this match finishes.
The Bottom Line
Aston Villa host Arsenal at 3 p.m. ET Monday at Villa Park, live on USA Network and streaming on Peacock. Arsenal are unbeaten champions coming off a 3-0 win; Villa are pointless after a 4-0 loss and a summer that removed six senior players. Villa Park has been an awkward ground for Arsenal, but the numbers strongly favour the visitors.