---
title: "Some Aston Villa fans call for Conor Hourihane to face Arsenal"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2020/11/04/villa-fans-want-hourihane-start-arsenal/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Ben Crump"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2020-11-04T11:30:27Z"
modified: "2020-11-04T11:30:27Z"
---

# Some Aston Villa fans call for Conor Hourihane to face Arsenal

Some Aston Villa fans have called for [Conor Hourihane](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/04/03/absolute-belter-these-aston-villa-fans-love-conor-hourihane-footage/) to be given a starting place by Dean Smith for the upcoming clash against Arsenal.

Smith’s side started the season in superb style, winning their opening four league games,including a 7-2 thumping of champions Liverpool.

Despite that good start, a 3-0 home defeat to Leeds was followed by another setback at the hands of Southampton last weekend which ended 4-3 but saw the Villains losing 4-0 at one point during the game.

Hourihane, who [featured regularly towards the back end of last season](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/conor-hourihane/leistungsdatendetails/spieler/61653/plus/0/saison/2019/wettbewerb/GB1/verein/405), has struggled for playing time this season, [making just two top-flight appearances.](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/conor-hourihane/profil/spieler/61653)

In those two appearances, the Republic of Ireland international has [a goal and an assist](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/conor-hourihane/leistungsdaten/spieler/61653) to his name, prompting many fans to call for the inclusion of the “forgotten man” against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal side on Sunday evening.

Twitter account @AVFC\_News have been teasing the potential selection of Hourihane and below are just a number of responses from Villa fans.

> Twitter: Time for Conor? #avfc https://t.co/XtjOD35V4j (@AVFC\_News)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News Probably just needs McGinn to sit alongside Luiz more. Would give us solidity and ensure not overrun in midfield. #avfc (@Mattqu)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News The forgotten man! (@Davy98469277)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News Something needs to change cause what he is doing is clearly not working.. UTV (@p\_com24)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News This is going to be an unpopular opinion. I think he was unfairly dropped. I don’t think Luiz has played… https://t.co/6jKjgbIMuB (@andy\_dorrington)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News Connor should start against Arsenal (@ReginaDarcy)

> Twitter: @AVFC\_News Get him back in for Douglas Luiz (@ONajib18)