E254: Aston Villa (A) — Villa Under the Lights, Álvarez in the Shadows

Arsenal head to Villa Park on Monday night looking to continue a perfect start to the season, but this feels like the first real test of what life looks like as champions.Villa were thrashed on opening weekend and have had a turbulent summer, but under the lights, with Unai Emery waiting and a home crowd demanding a response, this is unlikely to be straightforward. We look at where Arsenal can hurt them, whether Mosquera should keep his place ahead of Ezri Konsa, and how expectations change when you are no longer chasing the best team in the country — you are the best team in the country.Then there is Julian Álvarez. His situation at Atlético Madrid continues to deteriorate, Barcelona remain in the background, and Arsenal increasingly look like one of the few realistic destinations left. But should Arsenal be pushing this hard for a player who may prefer to be somewhere else — and does he even fit what this team needs?Plus, we look at the latest departures and transfer situations around the squad, Manchester United’s difficult start, and Arsenal’s Champions League league-phase draw.Continue the discussion with us.Follow The NN Pod for more Arsenal and football content.All our links: https://beacons.ai/thennpodChapters:(00:00) - Arteta’s Non-Negotiables Intro(00:48) - Welcome & Who Am I?(01:48) - Reiss Nelson & Gabriel Martinelli Departures(04:09) - Gabriel Jesus & Fabio Vieira Futures(06:53) - Julian Álvarez Transfer Saga(10:25) - Could an Álvarez–Gyökeres Loan Swap Work?(14:12) - Where Would Álvarez Fit at Arsenal?(15:58) - Prediction Game: Coventry City vs Hull City(17:40) - Manchester United vs Ipswich Town(20:07) - Michael Carrick & Manchester United(23:28) - United’s Midfield Problems(24:53) - Aston Villa (A) Preview(29:01) - Can Arsenal Exploit Villa’s Defence?(30:43) - Mosquera or Konsa at Villa Park?(33:12) - Managing Expectations as Champions(36:54) - Aston Villa’s Recruitment Problems(38:32) - Arsenal’s Key Tactical Battlegrounds(41:02) - Bruno Guimarães, Miles & Arsenal’s Midfield(44:55) - Aston Villa Predictions(47:25) - Champions League League Phase Draw(49:54) - Arsenal’s Toughest European Away Trips(53:35) - Who Am I? Answer(54:18) - Outro