Arsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE: Premier League result, final score and reaction tonight
Follow all the latest updates from the Emirates as 12th-place Arsenal host 13th-place Aston Villa in the opening game of the Premier League weekend
Arsenal are hosting Aston Villa this evening at the Emirates as the Gunners looks to carry forwards the momentum from Monday’s last-gasp equaliser against Crystal Palace. Alexandre Lacazette came off the bench to pinch a 2-2 draw, and although it was far from the Gunners’ best performance, there were positives to take as Mikel Arteta’s team extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games, having lost all of their opening three.
Villa have endured the opposite trend with back-to-back defeats, including a dramatic late goal which saw Wolves complete a thrilling comeback to win 3-2 against their West Midlands rivals. It means Dean Smith’s side are now 13th coming into this fixture, one place and one point behind Arsenal in the Premier League table.
The build-up to the game saw Arteta asked about his young midfielder Emile Smith Rowe, who Aston Villa enquired about in the summer. “Any club has the right to make an inquiry about a player when they believe they have the financial power to get him, they’re entitled to,” Arteta said on Friday. “So there was a communication between the clubs and we made it really clear that Emile wasn’t for sale. He’s a big part of what we’re trying to do and our future. He’s really happy where he is and I’m delighted to have him.”
Follow all the action from the Emirates below, live.
GOAL! Arsenal 3 - 1 Aston Villa (Ramsey, 82’)⚽️
82 mins: Is there still time for a twist? Douglas Luiz finds Bailey on the edge of the box over to the right. He drives across the pitch and evades a couple of tackles. The ball rolls into the path of Jacob Ramsey who guides it beautifully into the top right corner. Great finish.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
77 mins: Aston Villa knock a free kick short to McGinn who then curls the ball into the Arsenal box. He sends it to the back post where Mings makes a play for it. White sneaks in front of the defender though and wins the header. The ball loops up and Ramsdale punches it out of the box before Arsenal win a free kick.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
74 mins: Save! Another solid diving save from Martinez denies Aubameyang another goal after the Arsenal captain cut into the box, shimmied past Cash and hit one at the far corner.
Villa deal with the resultant corner and Arsenal make another change. Ainsley Maitland-Niles replaces Sambi Lokonga.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
71 mins: Lokonga loses the ball on the edge of his own box as he tries to pick out a forward pass to play the ball out from the back. Bailey takes the ball off him and darts into the penalty area. He shifts it to the left and shoots but Ramsdale has it covered.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
68 mins: Lacazette went down after that last move and signalled to the bench that he needed to come off. It looked like a touch of cramp and he gets a round of applause from the Arsenal fans as Martin Odegaard replaces him.
Jacob Ramsey comes on for Aston Villa too taking Emi Buendia’s place.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
65 mins: Arsenal try to pass the ball into the back of the net moving it swiftly between Lacazette and Aubameyang. Neither forward pulls the trigger inside the box though and Villa win the ball. It’s given to Douglas Luiz to run into midfield and Aubameyang chases him down and shoulder barges him to the floor. Yellow card for Arsenal’s captain.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
62 mins: Save! This is Villa’s best chance of the night. Targett brings the ball down the left side and spots Buendia’s run past White. He slides the ball into the box and Buendia hits it first time but Ramsdale has closed him down and keeps out the shot with an outstretched leg.
Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa
59 mins: Arsenal’s counter-attacking play is superb, it’s fast and clinical and with Villa hunting for goals they’re having a lot of joy with it. Ramsdale sends a flat pass up the pitch and picks out Saka. He tries to turn away from Targett but the Villa defender slides into a challenge and brings him down from behind earning himself a yellow card.
GOAL! Arsenal 3 - 0 Aston Villa (Smith Rowe, 56’)⚽️
56 mins: That should kill off Aston Villa’s resistance. Tavares sends the ball up to Aubameyang from inside his own area as Smith Rowe flies down the left side. Aubameyang dinks the ball over the Villa defence and puts it on a plate for the 21-year-old. He carries the ball into the box, rolls it onto his right foot and shoots. The ball hits Mings and wrongfoots Martinez before hitting the inside of the near post and bouncing over the goalline.
Arsenal 2 - 0 Aston Villa
54 mins: The change has been a good one for Aston Villa, they’re a lot more threatening now. Buendia holds on to the ball too long in the Arsenal final third and loses possession to Partey. He sends the ball up to Lokonga who drives towards the box before slipping a pass through the lines for Saka. Aubameyang sprints into the left side of the area as Saka comes in from the right. He tries to square the ball but the pass is blocked and Villa clear their lines.
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