Aston Villa pay moving tribute to poet Benjamin Zephaniah ahead of Arsenal win

Aston Villa paid tribute to Benjamin Zephaniah ahead of their fixture against Arsenal on Saturday night.

The writer and poet, who died on 7 December, was a lifelong Villa fan and had close ties to the club through his work as a charity ambassador.

Ahead of kick-off against Arsenal, Zephaniah’s ode to Villa - initially recorded back in 2015 ahead of their FA Cup fixture against rivals West Brom - was played on the big screens.

“Get your lungs working and sing for your club. Yes, times have changed, we know the score. Form is temporary boys and girls, but class is permanent. And you know what? We have class,” he says in the video.