BIRMINGHAM, England, Dec 5 : Aston Villa have proved a thorn in Arsenal's side in recent seasons but manager Mikel Arteta regards Saturday's trip to the Midlands as an opportunity, not an obstacle as his side seek to stretch their lead in the Premier League title race. Arsenal were beaten home and away by Villa in the 2023-24 campaign - the 2-0 loss in north London in April putting a massive dent in their ultimately failed bid to dislodge Manchester City as champions. City ended that season top