Unai Emery’s return to English football saw his Aston Villa side secure a crucial 1-0 victory over Arsenal, ending the Gunners’ impressive away form. John McGinn’s early goal proved decisive, showcasing Villa’s dynamic play and leaving Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta watching from the stands due to a touchline ban.

Despite Arsenal’s attempts to capitalize on Villa’s vulnerabilities, with Bukayo Saka missing an early chance and Martin Odegaard failing to convert a golden opportunity, Emery’s men held their ground. The match featured VAR controversy, with a late goal from Eddie Nketiah ruled out for handball, sealing Villa’s 15th consecutive home win in the Premier League.

While this defeat might not significantly impact Arsenal’s title aspirations, it highlights the competitiveness of the top four in the league. Emery’s tactical acumen and Villa’s cohesive performance signal a potential challenge for the Premier League title, making the race even more intriguing. The Gunners, now with two league losses, need to regroup swiftly to maintain their standing in the fiercely contested title race.

Here is the highlight video of Aston Villa vs. Arsenal, which ended with a 1-0 victory for Aston Villa.  

Aston Villa performance and stats

Aston Villa

Manager: Unai Emery Etxegoien
Premier League
Rank 4th
Win 20
Draw 8
Loss 9
Goals 76-56
Diff 20
Europa Conference League
Rank 1st
Win 4
Draw 1
Loss 1
Goals 12-7
Diff 5
Top 3 Scorers
O.Watkins (8)
L.Bailey (4)
J.McGinn (3)
This season
SeeUpdated

Aston Villa is currently 3rd in the Premier League with 35 points.

In the last 16 games, it has won 11 times, drawn twice, and lost 3 times. In its last match, Aston Villa won 1-0 against Arsenal.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 35 goals and conceding 20.​

Aston Villa will play the next match in Premier League against Brentford on Saturday 16th of December in Brentford.​

Arsenal performance and stats

Arsenal

Manager: Mikel Arteta
Premier League
Rank 2nd
Win 27
Draw 5
Loss 5
Goals 89-28
Diff 61
Top 3 Scorers
B.Saka (16)
K.Havertz (13)
L.Trossard (12)
This season
SeeUpdated

Arsenal is currently 1st in the Champions League with 12 points.

In the last 5 games, it has won 4 times and lost once. In its last match, Arsenal won 6-0 against Lens.​​

It has a positive goal difference after scoring 15 goals and conceding 3.​

Arsenal will play the next match in Champions League against PSV on Tuesday 12th of December in Eindhoven. The prediction is PSV winning the match.​

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