Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal - Report

The England international fired home in the first half to earn the Champions League-chasing Gunners a deserved victory at Villa Park.

Arsenal dominated an opening period in which Villa struggled to muster a serious attack.

Steven Gerrard’s team did rally in the second half with Ollie Watkins hitting the post through a deflected shot but an equaliser never really looked on the cards.

Analysis

Villa did at least ask a few questions of Mikel Arteta’s team after the break, in contrast to a first half where they had only two touches in the opposition box and none prior to Saka opening the scoring.

The defeat was their second on the bounce following last Sunday’s 2-1 reverse at West Ham, after which Gerrard acknowledged the gap between his team and the top six.

Here, if anything, the gulf looked wider with the Gunners winning their sixth match in seven to solidify fourth spot in the table.

The visitors were without first choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale through injury but his replacement, Bernd Leno, didn’t have a save to make until the last action of the match when he palmed away Philippe Coutinho’s free-kick. In terms of Villa’s performance, that said everything.

In addition to the enforced change which saw Ashley Young replace the injured Lucas Digne at left-back, Gerrard made two further alterations to his team, with Ezri Konsa restored to defence in place of Calum Chambers and Emi Buendia granted a first start in a month, Danny Ings dropping to the bench.

Konsa had goalkeeper Emi Martinez to thank for ensuring his return to the team was not marked with an early own goal, the Argentine saving low down after the centre-back could only deflect Saka’s whipped cross to his left.

Arsenal had turned Villa round at the kick-off, attacking the North Stand with a blustery wind at their backs. For the first 20 minutes all of the game’s attacking play went that way. Smith Rowe sent a good early chance over, Thomas Partey shot straight at Martinez before Smith Rowe dived in front of Lacazette to deny his team-mate what would surely have been a tap-in from Saka’s cross.

It was perhaps surprising it took 30 minutes for the breakthrough to arrive. Young was penalised for bringing down Saka on the wing and when Villa failed to clear the resulting free-kick the England winger thumped home a low shot from just outside the box.

Villa’s mood got no better when Tyrone Mings received one of the season’s more egregious bookings for a well-timed tackle on Saka.

The hosts at least had the benefit of the wind in the second half but it was Arsenal again making the early running, Smith Rowe sending a shot straight at Martinez before Konsa blocked an Odegaard effort behind for a corner.

Finally Villa began to threaten and after Young had almost found the head of Watkins with an inswinging cross, McGinn curled an effort narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

The home side went even closer when, after a Martinez goal kick sailed over the heads of the visiting defence, Watkins hit a shot which deflected off Ben White and onto the post.

Gerrard introduced Bertrand Traore, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings to the action as Villa went in search of a leveller.

Ings briefly had visiting keeper Leno worried with a header which looped just over the bar until, with the last kick of the game, the German was finally called into serious action by Coutinho. But the Brazilian’s free-kick effort lacked the direction required and was palmed away.

Key Moments

30 GOAL Bukayo Saka fires Arsenal into a deserved lead, shooting home from the edge of the box after Villa fail to clear a free-kick.

Teams

Villa (4-3-3): Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, McGinn, Luiz, Ramsey (Traore 69), Buendia (Traore 69), Watkins (Ings 82), Coutinho Subs not used: Chambers, Iroegbunam, O'Reilly, Chukwuemeka, Sanson, Olsen (gk).

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Leno, Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Xhaka, Partey, Saka (Pepe 69), Odegaard (Holding 86), Smith Rowe, Lacazette (Nketiah 77) Subs not used: Tavares, Lokonga, Elneny, Swanson, Hutchinson, Okonkwo (gk).