New Delhi: Arsenal were up against Aston Villa in a Premier League classic in the initial stages of the campaign. It was a high intensity game between two very strong sides and At Villa Park, a tense and tactical first half concluded goalless as it was Ollie Watkins who wasted by far the greatest opportunity to open the score for Aston Villa leaving Unai Emery and the fans frustrated. Despite their possession of the ball, Arsenal failed to generate many opportunities, and as the game progressed, they found themselves more exposed to Aston Villa’s counter attacks.
As the halftime drew near, Morgan Rogers continued to be a threat, and the Gunners were left to hope that they could somehow keep it deadlocked as there was no creativity on the pitch whatsoever. However, Aston Villa certainly looked like the team that had the urgency to look for a killer strike and get the advantage in the first half. Arsenal on the other hand needed a massive boost in the second half.
It was the 54th minute of the game when David Raya who was easily the best player for Mikel Arteta’s side, made a wonderful save to keep the scoreline 0-0. Raya’s amazing reactions kept Arsenal in the game as Onana’s shot was deflected and swung up onto the crossbar after Rogers fed him on the edge of the area. Then, Raya leaped across to claw the ball away, stopping Watkins, who was reacting first, from close range. It was another missed opportunity for Ollie Watkins.
David Raya and Martin Odegaard of Arsenal celebrate after Leandro Trossard of Arsenal (not pictured) scores his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 24, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Raya made some crucial saves to keep Arsenal in it. However, the second half saw the Gunners score twice as Trossard and Partey’s strikes condemned Aston Villa to a loss in their opening home game of the season, allowing Arsenal to continue their winning start. The pivotal moment may have been a spectacular stop by Arsenal’s goalkeeper Raya, who turned away Watkins’ close range attempt before Arsenal took the lead through substitute Trossard, who had just recently come off the bench.
Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrate after the team’s victory in the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 24, 2024 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The visitors prevailed in a mostly tactical match in which both coaches treated each other with the utmost respect, even if their final xG was 1.13 as opposed to 1.35 for the hosts, and they recorded another clean sheet. Villa will rue two big misses from Watkins, as Emery loses to his old club for just the second time in his career, but their thoughts will soon turn to next week’s trip to Leicester City. Meanwhile, Arsenal will host Brighton in their final game before the international break.
Arsenal managed to get the job done after Aston Villa failed to capitalise on their first half opportunities. Here’s a look at how the travelling Gunners were able to beat the Villans. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
