Mikel Arteta has urged his players not to give Ollie Watkins space in the box (Picture: Getty)
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has hailed ‘tremendously consistent’ Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins ahead of the two sides meeting in the Premier League.
The Gunners travel to Villa Park on Saturday and face a tricky test against Unai Emery’s side, who beat champions Manchester City last time out to equal a club-record 14 successive home league wins.
Villa are third in the table after 15 games, just four points behind leaders Arsenal, with Watkins in fine form.
The England international has registered eight goals and eight assists across 15 matches and has been one of the stand-out performers in the Premier League.
Arteta has praised Watkins ahead of Saturday’s clash and said: ‘He’s been tremendously consistent over the last few years. He is a real threat.
‘Like all other strikers, don’t give him the ball in the box! That’s his main quality.’
Arsenal’s clash against Villa sees Emery face off against his former club and Arteta has spoken highly of his predecessor.
Unai Emery’s side defeated champions Manchester City on Wednesday (Picture: Getty)
‘He did some really good things here,’ Arteta added. ‘It’s not for me to judge that. The first season was a strong season.
‘He did it straight away after coming from PSG. He’s carried on. He then did incredibly well at Villarreal, and now he is doing really well at Aston Villa.
‘He has a lot of experience and skill to get the best out of teams.
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‘Tactically, [Aston Villa] are really well set up. They do two or three different things. They are really brave playing from the back.
‘They have players behind the lines who can hurt you and they have players in open spaces who are a constant threat.
‘The spirit they have created, the atmosphere, the intensity… they have a belief that they can beat anybody.’
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