ARSENAL kept up their challenge to finish in the Premier League top four with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park.
The Gunners now sit fourth place, four points ahead of Man Utd with a game in hand.
- RESULT: Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
- Aston Villa XI: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, McGinn, Douglas Luis, Ramsey, Buendia, Watkins, Coutinho
- Arsenal XI: Leno, Cedric, White, Gabriel, Tierney, Partey, Xhaka, Saka, Odegaard, Smith Rowe, Lacazette
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Gunners set sight on fourth
After victory at Villa Park, fourth-placed Arsenal have opened up a four-point lead over Manchester United, and still have a game in hand over their rivals for Champions League football.
Aston Villa, meanwhile, remain in the top half despite defeat.
Saka the difference once again
Arsenal’s young star Bukayo Saka put in another impressive performance this afternoon, and topped it with the only goal of the game – a strike that proved to be his club’s 2000th in Premier League history.
Afterwards, the forward was asked about the club’s march towards the Champions League, but was keeping both feet firmly on the ground.
[Champions League football] is the goal but, of course, as I keep saying, we have to stay humble, treat every game like a cup final and then we can achieve it, for sure.
Bukayo Saka
Five up for travelling Gunners
Arsenal’s winning run may have come to an end on their home patch, but they’ve once again done the business on the road.
This afternoon’s victory means it is now five Premier League away wins in a row for Mikel Arteta’s team, the first time the Londoners have managed such a feat in seven years.
- Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal (Mar 19)
- Watford 2-3 Arsenal (Mar 6)
- Wolves 0-1 Arsenal (Feb 10)
- Norwich 0-5 Arsenal (Dec 26)
- Leeds 1-4 Arsenal (Dec 18)
Credit: @OptaJoe Twitter
Match stats from Villa Park
Arsenal restricted Aston Villa to just a single shot on target – and that came in the 96th minute of the contest.
Full time – Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
Immediately, the final whistle goes and the Arsenal players all rush to mob Bernd Leno!
The stand-in stopper has ensured his side return to London with all three points with that last-gasp save, and one that could prove so crucial in the Champions League race.
The Gunners have opened up a four-point lead on their rivals for fourth spot, and still have a game in hand over their nearest competitors.
Villa’s only shot on target came with the last kick of the game. Steven Gerrard’s men remain ninth.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
90+6. Coutinho fools everyone, and goes directly for goal with the free-kick!
He curls his right-footed shot towards the far corner, and it’s brilliantly pushed away by Leno!
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
90+5. Pepe brings down Bailey unnecessarily just outside the left corner of the penalty box, and the home side have a free-kick.
It’s a last chance for Aston Villa. It’s a great chance for Aston Villa.
The penalty area is packed, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is up…
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
90+3. All hands to the pump in the Arsenal box, and it’s a pump that’s not helped by Pepe’s wild air kick.
Tierney is much more assured as he clears a low effort thumped into the six-yard box, and then Traore is flagged offside as he heads the returning cross wide of goal.
The Gunners are almost there.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
90. Mikel Arteta is so close to the touchline as he urges his players on that he’s almost playing as a left-back.
The Gunners have four minutes of additional time to navigate.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
88. Traore makes room for himself on the right in order to curl over a cross, but it’s assertively headed clear by Gabriel.
The Arsenal man has not put a foot – or a head – wrong today.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Arsenal substitution
86. The final change of the contest, and it’s indicative of the way things are going.
Arsenal’s playmaker, Martin Odegaard, is sacrificed, and on comes centre-back Rob Holden to tighten things up at the back.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
85. McGinn’s floated cross, Ings’ looper header, and onto the roof of the net.
It’s the kind of opportunity that the striker thrives upon, but the angle was somewhat against him on this occasion.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
83. Are gaps beginning to show as Villa prepare their final throw of the dice?
Smith Rowe plays a neat pass into the feet of Nketiah on the edge of box, who is already thinking about his next move when he slips over with nobody near him.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Aston Villa substitution
81. Villa make their final change, and it’s one that will unleash Danny Ings for the final ten minutes.
Ollie Watkins has been feeding on scraps this afternoon yet still manage to clatter one shot against the woodwork, albeit via a deflection.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
79. Another timely Arsenal interception at the back.
Tierney is the man who throws his head at the ball to stop a left wing cross from reaching Traore at the back post.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Arsenal substitution
77. In fact, that’s the last involvement from Alexandre Lacazette, who departs in place of Eddie Nketiah.
Can the oncoming striker make the most of a rare cameo?
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
76. More moaning. This time the complaints are from the Arsenal players, particularly from Lacazette, after Cash clips the heels of Smith Rowe.
The Gunners captain is probably still annoyed with himself for not playing Odegaard in for an easy chance moments ago.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
74. A brilliant pass by Smith Rowe has Lacazette facing up to the Aston Villa defence.
The Gunners captain has Odegaard free to his right but instead takes on the shot, one that is blocked well by the lunge of Konsa.
Immediately, Mikel Arteta leaps in to his technical area and implores his players to get back.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
71. Half-hearted penalty appeals from the home fans as Bailey takes a tumble in the box.
Andy Madley doesn’t even give the player a second look and we continue.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Aston Villa double substitution
70. And Villa respond in kind with two changes of their own.
Emiliano Buendia and Jacob Ramsey have disappointed this afternoon, and so here’s a chance for Bertrand Traore and Leon Bailey.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Arsenal substitution
69. It’s the end of Bukayo Saka’s afternoon.
The youngster departs having scored the only goal of the game so far, and is replaced by Nicolas Pepe.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Watkins hits the post!
68. Villa are getting closer, and are getting men int he penalty area.
Watkins cuts inside on to his left foot, and lets fly with a shot that ricochets off Tierney’s leg and against the frame of the goal.
Arsenal survive.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal – Partey yellow card
65. Another caution, this time shown to Arsenal’s Ghanaian midfielder for leaning into Cash as the right-back bombed forward.
Contact was minimal, but Cash was travelling at such pace, it was enough to send him sprawling to the floor.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
63. Not too far away from Saka!
Now it’s the Arsenal youngster’s turn to let fly from distance, but he too fails to hit the target with a curler.
Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal
62. As good a goalkeeper as Leno is, Arsenal have perhaps missed Ramsdale’s distribution ability this afternoon.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
