BEVERLY HILLS, November 08, (THEWILL) –Â Ollie Watkins took his season goal tally to six Premier League goals as Aston Villa claimed a shock 3-0 victory at Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday.
Villa had the ball in the net inside the very first minute. Scottish central midfielder John McGinn fired home following superb work by winger Jack Grealish down the left wing. Referee Martin Atkinson decide via a VAR review at pitchside that Ross Barkley had obscured the view of Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno from an offside position and the goal was ruled out.
A weak pass from McGinn at the other end almost allowed Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey a sight of goal shortly afterwards, but Villa goalie Emiliano Martinez reacted quickly to clear the danger.
Villa took the lead just before the half-hour mark when midfielder Ross Barkley’s pass pierced the Arsenal defence and left back Matt Targett’s cross, intended for Egyptian winger Trezeguet, was misdirected into his own net by left back Bukayo Saka.
French forward Alexandre Lacazette went close to equalising late in the half but he could only head over when he got on the end of a superb cross from left back Kieran Tierney.
Arsenal had only won one of their six games under Mikel Arteta when trailing at half time (D2 L4) before this encounter, and some clinical finishing from Villa on-form striker Ollie Watkins stifled any hopes of a fightback.
The striker, who put three past champions Liverpool earlier in the season, got his head on the end of a volleyed cross from Barkley, leaving Leno with no hope.
Villa added another shortly afterwards when Jack Grealish burst forward, as Arsenal were caught on the counterattack, and fed the ball to Watkins who finished confidently.
Last weekend’s victory over Manchester United seemed to be a significant moment for Arteta, but this home defeat is a setback.
It is still early days, but the Gunners missed the chance to keep the pressure on their rivals for a place in the top four. Worryingly for Arteta, they have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven home league games, since beating Norwich 4-0 in July.
Villa, meanwhile, seem watertight at the back and Dean Smith’s team are the third side in Premier League history to win each of their first three away games in a season without conceding a goal, after Chelsea in 2005/2006 and Manchester City in 2015/2016.
Watkins has now scored six goals in seven games for Villa in the Premier League this season – only Dean Saunders (seven) and Dion Dublin (nine) have ever netted more in their first seven appearances for Villa in the competition.
His finishing, twice from a total of three shots, was clinical at the Emirates as he helped Villa’s fine start to the season continue.
At 19 years and 64 days old, Saka became the fourth-youngest player to score an own goal in the Premier League, and youngest since Southampton’s Martin Cranie in May 2004 (17 years 218 days v Chelsea).
The mistake capped a miserable evening for the promising young defender as he failed to get to grips with the threat posed by Villa’s attacking players – winning just one tackle.
Both teams are back in Premier League action after the international break. Arsenal face Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday, November 22 while Villa host Brighton And Hove Albion a day earlier.
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.
