October 23, (THEWILL) – Arsenal defeated Aston Villa 3-1 at the Emirates Stadium thanks to an inspired first-half performance.
Mikel Arteta’s side climbed into the top half of the table thanks to goals from Thomas Partey, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and Emile Smith Rowe, extending their unbeaten run to six Premier League games.
The Gunners were quick out of the blocks, clearly looking to prove a point to head coach Arteta after squandering a lead against Crystal Palace on Monday night, and Nuno Tavares, making his Premier League debut, shone brightly early on.
Meanwhile, Villa appeared to be lacking in confidence and completely at odds with Dean Smith’s wing-back system, with Arsenal’s relentless pressing ensuring they had no time to settle into the game.
Partey headed home Smith Rowe’s corner after hitting the woodwork from a Bukayo Saka set piece, before referee Craig Pawson awarded a penalty on the stroke of half-time to reward Arsenal’s pulsating start.
Aubameyang made it 2-0 by tucking in the rebound from his penalty after a smart save from Emiliano Martinez.
After the break, Villa changed their shape and looked much brighter, allowing Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins to have a couple of chances on goal. However, a poor pass from John McGinn allowed the home team to break away, and Smith Rowe scored after a deflection off Tyrone Mings.
Arsenal could have extended their lead if they had kept possession, but Villa scored a classy consolation with just under ten minutes remaining when Jacob Ramsey fired a laser-like shot into the top corner.
But, aside from a late consolation goal from Ramsey, what was perhaps even more pleasing was the manner in which the London club completely shut down Villa and prevented them from posing any threat.
Indeed, after Friday’s win, Arteta’s team has only conceded four goals in their last seven league games. Unsurprisingly, the club has won five games, drawn two, and lost none.
The club had bigger plans for its defence in the summer transfer window and it has started working. They brought in Ben White, Aaron Ramsdale, Nuno Tavares, and Takehiro Tomiyasu. And each has gone on to contribute something new to Arteta’s team and assist the Spanish manager in turning around his club’s season in some way.
Arsenal moved up to ninth place in the table, and their unbeaten run in all competitions now stands at seven games. Their focus will now shift to Tuesday’s EFL Cup match against Leeds United. Villa remained in 13th place after losing their third game in a row. In a week’s time, they will face David Moyes’ West Ham.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
