Barclays Premier League Arsenal v Aston Villa

The extent of Arsène Wenger's interest in Gareth Barry over the summer hardly extended to anything more than a flirtatious Gallic hint that the Villa midfielder is a player he 'admires'. Yet given Wenger's recent admission that his young and exciting team can occasionally betray a frustrating naivety, perhaps he should have pursued that admiration with something more substantial than a suggestive Roger Moore-esque raised eyebrow. After all, the Gunners' boardroom bigwigs have insisted the club does have funds available for a big transfer and, while Denilson is certainly no mug, a more experienced plug alongside Fabregas in front of the defence would have been one of the best ways to shore up the team's title challenge. For now, however, Arsenal's more immediate concern continues to be their attacking options, with Adebayor injured and van Persie banned. Meanwhile, to prove that their own battle for fourth place is really on, Barry and co will need to offer more fight than they managed on Tyneside in their last away game. Rob Hastings