How can Aston Villa win at Arsenal without Douglas Luiz?
The experienced Scot has spent most of 2023/24 operating as a narrow winger or No 10, but Unai Emery will almost certainly need McGinn to perform more of a central role at Arsenal.
Villa will be without their talismanic Brazilian Douglas Luiz, as well as fellow first-choice central midfielder Boubacar Kamara, who has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
That classy duo laid the platform for a stunning start to the season which could still see the club achieve an unexpected top-four finish.
To be competitive in north London, 29-year-old McGinn – a fixture in their midfield for five consecutive top-flight campaigns – must draw on all his nous to ensure they are not outclassed down the spine of the pitch.
McGinn has developed into a very strong all-round midfielder for Villa.
Tactically intelligent, aggressive, physically strong in his duels and able to influence matches through creativity inside the final third, the Scotland international will be a vital presence on Sunday.
Wherever he is deployed, McGinn tends to be drawn towards central areas, as this pass zone map below for this season highlights.
So, if he is asked to play as a defensive midfielder or in a box-to-box role at Emirates Stadium, the positions he occupies will certainly not be alien to him.
One or both of Youri Tielemans and Nicolo Zaniolo could start alongside him in central midfield, as they are the only other senior midfielders fit and available to play.
What are Villa missing?
As a partnership, Kamara and Douglas Luiz blend outstanding defensive work with classy contributions on the ball.
Integral to Emery’s style of play, which so often focuses on holding a high line and crowding the middle third, their complementary styles add great value.
Douglas Luiz has won more tackles, with 36, and ball recoveries (169) than any other Villa player, and has also contributed significantly at the other end of the pitch, with nine goals and five assists.
Kamara is also an excellent ball-winner who often drops back into his own defensive third to break-up play when they are put under pressure.
Possession won in defensive thirdPossession won in middle thirdPau Torres 3.08John McGinn 2.48Boubacar Kamara 2.60Boubacar Kamara 2.44Douglas Luiz 2.57Douglas Luiz 2.40
Arguably, Villa’s two best performances of the season so far have been a 1-0 win at home to Manchester City and a 2-1 success at Tottenham Hotspur.
On both occasions, Douglas Luiz (No 6) was a prominent figure when jumping out to produce turnovers inside the opposition half, with Kamara (44) superb as the defensive pivot.
From wide areas, the Scot is adept at curling pinpoint crosses towards the front man, while centrally he is always looking to slip him in with clever through-balls.
Arsenal must get tight to the former Hibernian man, as his one-touch passes in beyond the last man have been outstanding in 2023/24.
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