We bring you the need-to-know stats from Aston Villa’s 1-0 victory over Arsenal. John McGinn’s goal was enough to hand Villa their 15th consecutive home win in the Premier League.
Just three days after beating Manchester City, Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 1-0 at Villa Park as well to cement third place in the Premier League and close within a point of the Gunners.
John McGinn’s seventh minute goal was enough for Unai Emery’s men, who recorded their 15th consecutive home win in the league for the first time in their history.
Arsenal huffed and puffed but were unable to beat their former goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez. They drop to second in the table after new Premier League leaders Liverpool overtook them earlier in the day with their comeback victory at Crystal Palace.
Bukayo Saka was making his 150th Premier League appearance at the age of 22 years and 95 days, making him the fifth youngest to reach that landmark. He could have marked the occasion by giving Arsenal the lead in the sixth minute when he got on the end of a Gabriel Martinelli cross, but the England international miscued his finish at the far post and sent it well wide.
Just a minute later, it was Villa who did find the net. A neat passing move from back to front ended with Leon Bailey pulling the ball back for McGinn, who turned and placed his shot beyond David Raya to put Villa ahead.
McGinn has now scored four goals in the Premier League this season, his most in a single campaign in the competition. The Scotland international only scored once in 34 league games last season.
It also meant Bailey has scored or assisted in each of his last seven Premier League games at Villa Park (four goals, four assists), despite only starting three of those games.
Like Saka, Martin Ødegaard was also making a landmark appearance, with it being his 100th Premier League game – making him the 67th player to reach a century of games for Arsenal in the competition. He had a great chance to level things in the 39th minute after Gabriel Jesus laid off Kai Havertz’s cross from the left into the Norwegian’s path but Ødegaard’s shot was well saved to his right by Martínez.
Villa went in 1-0 up at the break and would have been confident of seeing it out, having won each of their previous six Premier League games this season when leading at half-time (now seven).
Arsenal had only come back to win one of their last 21 Premier League away games in which they trailed at the break (now 22, D4 L17), though that one victory did come at Villa Park last season when they won 4-2.
Saka thought he had made it 1-1 just after the hour when he raced through and nicked the ball past Martínez before tapping into an empty net, but he was just offside.
Havertz also celebrated what he thought was an equaliser in the 90th minute but the ball struck the German’s arm before he scored, much to Villa’s relief as they managed to cling on for another big three points.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Post-Match Facts
- Aston Villa have won their last 15 Premier League home games, only the fifth such run by any side in the competition’s history.
- Villa have become the fourth team to play the previous season’s top two in consecutive Premier League matches and win them both, after Liverpool in December 2000, Southampton in May 2001 and Manchester United in December 2002.
- Arsenal have failed to score in two of their eight Premier League away games this season (also 1-0 vs Newcastle United), as many as in their 19 on the road in the competition last term.
- Unai Emery has won 26 of his 41 Premier League games in charge of Aston Villa (D6 L9), more than he managed in 51 games in charge of Arsenal in the competition (W25 D13 L13).
- John McGinn has scored four goals in the Premier League for Aston Villa this season, his best return in a single campaign in the competition.
- Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey has scored or assisted in each of his last seven Premier League home games (4 goals, 4 assists), despite only starting three of those matches.
Aston Villa vs Arsenal Stats Centre
Our live Opta match centre delivers you all the Aston Villa vs Arsenal stats from Saturday evening’s Premier League game at Villa Park.
The match centre below includes team and player stats, expected goals data, passing networks, an Opta chalkboard and more. It gives you everything you need to do your own analysis of the game from kick-off and beyond.
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