Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal (Trossard 67′, Partey 77′)
VILLA PARK — Arsenal maintained their winning start to the Premier League campaign with a hard-fought victory against an Aston Villa, exacting revenge on Unai Emery’s side after two defeats last season.
Leandro Trossard put the away side in front with a clinical finish moments after coming off the bench before Thomas Partey doubled the lead to secure three points and ensure back-to-back 2-0 wins for the Gunners in their opening two matches.
Villa were Arsenal’s kryptonite last season beating them home and away without conceding a goal, while Emery had lost just once against Mikel Arteta in five previous meetings with Villarreal and Villa. This win and the gritty nature of it was therefore hugely significant, a warning to Manchester City that five in a row will not come easily.
An early injury to Matty Cash and a knock to Leon Bailey disrupted Aston Villa’s rhythm, but they struggled to match Arsenal’s early intensity and were an Emi Martinez paw away from going behind with the Argentine brilliantly palming a trademark skidding Bukayo Saka strike wide.
However, Arsenal were a glaring Ollie Watkins miss from ceding the initiative themselves. Leon Bailey snuck up and dispossessed Gabriel, who clearly didn’t learn his lesson from Arteta’s pickpocketing lesson, and found Morgan Rogers who in turn teed up Watkins.
A match-sharp Watkins would have converted the chance with his eyes closed, but instead, he dragged his shot wide, even clearing David Raya’s assortment of drinks lined up beside the goal.
It was a bad miss but it livened Villa up. Rogers hasn’t attracted much attention away from Villa Park since signing from Middlesbrough in January but he is a constant threat and the perfect foil for Watkins.
A darting, daring run from the roving No 10 took him into Arsenal’s penalty area but Raya was equal to his cross-shot that squirmed dangerously across goal. On this form he warrants a look for England’s Nations League fixtures next month.
Villa maintained their momentum after the restart with another huge opportunity falling Watkins’ way. Amadou Onana’s deflected effort looped over Raya and hit the underside of the crossbar with the loose ball bouncing into Watkins’ path.
The England striker reacted smartly to meet it with his forehead but not as impressively as Raya who made an astonishing stop after springing off his goal-line as though bouncing off a trampoline.
Emery’s side were in the mood and Arsenal could barely contain them. Rogers epitomised the hosts’ bold approach with his powerful forays forward and Ezri Konsa came inches away from scoring from a free-kick. Arsenal had been pummeled into the canvas but hit Villa with a sucker-punch.
When Villa ended Arsenal’s Premier League title hopes in April, the Gunners paid the price for their profligacy falling to a 2-0 defeat after controlling the first half. This was a role reversal, Arsenal capitalising upon Villa’s wastefulness to win by the same scoreline.
Both goals were crafted down their right wing.
Bukayo Saka wriggled free and pulled a cross into the box that Rogers nudged into the path of Trossard. The Belgian had only just come off the bench but he was primed and ready to make an impact, calmly passing the ball beyond Martinez into the bottom corner with his first touch.
10 minutes later Arsenal doubled their lead and killed the game. It was one of Saka’s quieter performances and yet he still played a pivotal role in the game’s two key moments. He registered his second assist of the season by laying the ball square to Partey whose shot squirmed past Martinez into the same part of the goal that Trossard had scored in.
At that point, Arsenal fans began to settle themselves after a fraught second period. “Emery, what’s the score?” they gloated from the away end, revelling in their former manager’s despair.
There could have still been a nervy end, but William Saliba quickly closed a door that had barely even opened, sprinting across the make a spectacular sliding challenge on Jacob Ramsey as he bore down on goal.
The Frenchman celebrated in front of the Holte End as though he’d just scored the winner. Arsenal have kept eight clean sheets in their last 10 away league games; that moment summed up their defensive desire. Villa will wonder how the game slipped away from them but this was a statement victory from a team that keeps finding ways to win.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/ZTVi1L5
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