Analysis of Arsenal 1 Aston Villa 3

That sharp intake of breath which came after the fixtures were announced has turned into a confident roar.

Ahead of Liverpool on Saturday Villa have set about disproving the doubters who had written them off ahead of their daunting first week.

A Christian Benteke brace and Antonio Luna's debut goal earned a deserved win over the 10-man Gunners.

Last season's 8-0 thrashing at Stamford Bridge lingers in the memory but a repeat is unlikely based on Saturday's evidence.

There are some demons to exorcise at the Blues and Villa will return to London in 48 hours with some serious capital gains in their back pocket.

Outside of Birmingham the headlines will be about Arsenal's collapse, their fragility and need to spend big. But nothing should be taken away from Villa.

A performance of pizazz, of counter-attacking panache and strength was everything boss Paul Lambert promised.

Villa may have benefitted from some debatable decisions from referee Anthony Taylor and Laurent Koscielny's red card but they ruthlessly capitalised.

It would have been easy to wilt after Olivier Giroud's early goal, a trait that was symptomatic of the side last season.

Instead it was Arsenal who had the jitters, Villa playing with the confidence and the tenacity that escaped the Gunners.

Karim El Ahmadi bossed Jack Wilshere, while Fabian Delph and Ashley Westwood plotted Arsenal's downfall from deep.

Last season, Villa conceded late on to lose 2-1 at the Emirates but once Benteke had rolled in his second there was little doubt they would stand firm.

Arsenal were out of ideas following the striker's second-half penalty, which came after the electric Gabby Agbonlahor went down under Koscielny's challenge.

Starved of space by Villa's excellent midfield trio and put on the back foot by their front three, Arsenal looked a hollow shadow of their former selves.

There was little enterprise from the hosts – all of it coming from Villa once Agbonlahor had taken control. He enhanced his England credentials with a scintillating performance.

In the striker Villa have a game changer and his driving runs to earn two penalties swung the match in their favour.

Lambert hailed him as 'unplayable' and Arsenal struggled to get near Villa's record Premier League goal scorer. When they did, they brought him down.

The boss talked up Agbonlahor's England chances and the striker has already made it clear he wants a recall.

His pace unsettled Arsenal, they had no answer, and he completed the triple threat with Benteke and Andi Weimann.

The 26-year-old has continued his form from the end of last season, where he scored six goals in the final nine games to help clinch Villa's survival.

Arsenal have failed to land a top striker – something Villa did when they tied down Benteke in the summer – and in Agbonlahor and Weimann they had a strike force the Gunners envied.

The trio kept Villa up last term and Lambert kept faith with the majority of that team, with only Luna handed his debut.

But after just six minutes of the new campaign fears of a long afternoon were abound when Arsenal took the lead.

Tomas Rosicky and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain carved Villa apart on the right for the latter to cross for Giroud to tap in.

That was as good as it got for the Gunners as Villa recovered from losing Nathan Baker to an ankle injury and levelled on 21 minutes with their first serious attack.

Agbonlahor's pace sliced Arsenal open as he glided past three challenges only to be upended by Wojciech Szczesny.

The keeper was booked and saved Benteke's penalty only for the striker to nod in the rebound.

The Gunners' customary cool disappeared as Villa grew into the game, their confidence shutting down Arsenal's slick passing game.

They almost took the lead just after the break when Delph's 20-yard drive smacked the inside of the post.

Ten minutes later it was 2-1 though when Agbonlahor robbed Santi Cazorla, screamed into the area and went down under Koscielny's challenge.

The defender looked to have got a touch on the ball and amid Arsenal's fury, Benteke rolled in the penalty.

Koscielny then walked for a second yellow after a challenge on Weimann.

First Rosicky was denied by Brad Guzan and the keeper then brilliantly, instinctively, turned Cazorla's volley onto the bar.

Villa wrapped up victory four minutes from time when Weimann found Luna on the counter attack to fire past Szczesny. Fears proved unfounded and now Villa can return to London undaunted.

By Nick Mashiter