Villa claims back-to-back wins against Manchester City and Arsenal to reach the third spot on the Premier League table.
Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 1-0 in their Premier League game on Saturday. The Gunners are the latest victims of Villa’s fantastic run of form.
What happened?
Villa’s well-rehearsed start to the game saw them get ahead of their opponents with an early opener. Only seven minutes into the match, John McGinn latched onto Leon Bailey’s perfect cutback inside the box before making it 1-0 for the hosts with a powerful finish.
Arsenal struggled to increase the pressure on Villa for a quick equalizer, but they found their rhythm after the half-hour mark. The Gunners came close to scoring their first goal of the night several times before the break, but Emiliano Martinez’s heroics secured Villa’s lead.
It took Arsenal about another 30 minutes after the break to use their dominance over the possession to create serious chances. However, Villa’s solid defence and their constant offside traps kept the visitors at bay. Kai Havertz thought he had scored the equalizer in the 90th minute, but his goal was disallowed for handball.
Liverpool stay at the top of the Premier League, while Villa close the gap to Arsenal to one point at the second spot.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Man of the Match
John McGinn’s masterclass performance was crucial to Villa’s narrow win against Arsenal. In addition to scoring his side’s match-winner, McGinn constantly engaged Arsenal midfielders in physical battles, disrupting the Gunners’ buildup play.
Player Ratings
Aston Villa: Martinez (8), Konsa (6), Carlos (7), Torres (7), Digne (6), Kamara (7), Bailey (6), Luiz (6), McGinn (7), Tielemans (6), Watkins (5).
Bench: Diaby (6), Ramsey (5), Cash (6), Dendoncker (6), Moreno (6).
Arsenal: Raya (6); White (6), Saliba (6), Gabriel (7), Zinchenko (7); Rice (7), Havertz (6), Odegaard (6); Saka (7), Jesus (7), Martinelli (5).
Bench: Trossard (6), Nketiah (6), Nelson (-).
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