The feel-good factor is well and truly back at Arsenal given their start to the Premier League season — four matches played, four wins.
Arsenal take on Aston Villa on Wednesday night looking to extend that run and the bookies will certainly favour the Gunners given Villa go into the match following back-to-back defeats against Crystal Palace and West Ham.
Mikel Arteta’s side recorded a 3-1 win over Villa at the Emirates Stadium last season and a 1-0 victory in the reverse fixture.
The Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates and commentary.
MORE: Arsenal Europa League group draw 2022/23: Fixtures, schedule, history and odds to advance
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa live score
1H | 2H | Final | |
Arsenal | 1 | 1 | — |
Aston Villa | 0 | 1 | — |
Goals:
ARS – Gabriel Jesus (30th min)
AST – Douglas Luiz (74th min)
ARS – Gabriel Martinelli (76th min)
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa live updates, highlights from Premier League
FULL-TIME: ARSENAL 2-1 ASTON VILLA
The Gunners make it five wins from five. The perfect start to the season continues for Arteta’s men.
90th min +4: Nketiah runs with the ball from his own half to the edge of the box, he has options left and right but goes for goal himself and it’s over.
90th min +3: Ings makes a darting run into the box but Gabriel does well to win the ball in a dangerous position.
90th min: Martinelli has a go from distance but it’s dragged wide. Five minutes added time to come.
88th min: Saka goes off to big applause with Rob Holding coming on. Jesus gets an even bigger cheer as Eddie Nketiah is given a run out.
86th min: Cash drives forward after a nice backheel from Bailey and Villa win a corner. It’s on the other side this time so Luiz doesn’t take it. Ramsdale’s fouled and Arsenal get the free-kick.
83rd min: Gerrard’s going for it, he’s got to, he takes Kamara off for Danny Ings.
82nd min: Ramsdale is down receiving some treatment. Gerrard is using this as an opportunity to rally his troops.
81st min: Emile Smith Rowe comes on for Odegaard. He looks to be limping a little so it’s probably precautionary from Arteta.
76th min: GOAL! Arsenal 2-1 Aston Villa
What a response from the Gunners! Martinelli puts them back in front with a first-time finish at the back post, on the half-volley, from Saka’s cross on the right flank. There was just one minute 11 seconds between the goals.
74th min: GOAL! Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa
Luiz has been on the pitch for 30 seconds. His first corner is cleared at the near post but the second goes straight in! Ramsdale feels he’s impeded by Kamara but after a VAR check the goal stands. What an impact… he’s had two touches!
73rd min: Double change for Villa as Coutinho and Luiz come on for Buendia and McGinn.
72nd min: Big chance for Villa as Bailey runs out Arsenal’s backline and fires one on target but Ramsdale tips the fierce shot over.
70th min: Arsenal are knocking on the door to get the second goal and the crowd can sense it as they roar them on. The fresh legs of Tomiyasu see him get the better of Digne but his cross into the box is cut out.
67th min: Martinelli and Xhaka have linked up well down the left but this time the Brazilian overhits a pass to his teammate on the overlap.
63rd min: First change of the night sees White make way for Takehiro Tomisyasu.
61st min: Arsenal are playing some lovely football from one end of the pitch to the other. The game’s still very open though with Villa getting more of the ball. The Gunners need another to see this game off.
56th min: Most bizarre moment of the evening goes to Martinez… who catches a ball from a corner and goes to kick it, Jesus blocks him off and the goalkeeper puts him in a headlock. Martinez then has the cheek to complain to the referee that Jesus did wrong. Mad!
55th min: Odegaard’s free-kick has plenty of whip on it from the edge of the box, it looks to just be going wide, but forces Martinez into an acrobatic save nonetheless.
54th min: Konsa gets a yellow card after tugging Jesus’ shirt. The Arsenal had no right to win that ball over the top. He’s proving a real handful for the defence.
53rd min: Odegaard is human after all… he plays a through ball into space with no Arsenal player anywhere near it and it goes out for a goal-kick. Most unlike him.
51st min: Villa get forward but a lazy pass from Bailey is overhit and Cash can’t make it and it goes out for a goal-kick.
48th min: William Saliba picks up a yellow card for pulling Watkins down after he’d got the better of him just inside Arsenal’s half.
We’re underway!
A goal to the good at the break 👊
⌨️ Drop your three-word half-time match report as a reply 👇 #ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/A3aIDH6sPg
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2022
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa
45th min +2: Oh my! Xhaka cushions the ball down with his head to set up Martinelli who hits the sweetest of strikes on the half-volley from the edge of the box and forces a brilliant save from Martinez.
45th min: Odeegard plays a deft through ball over the top for Jesus but he can’t quite connect. The ball falls to Saka but he can’t scramble it over the line either and Villa clear their lines. Tierney has a followup shot but it’s comfortably saved. Gerrard will be giving his players a few stern words at half-time, that’s for sure.
44th min: Cash gets all the way to the byline and puts a ball into the box but Lokonga cuts it out and luckily for him his clearance falls into the hands of Ramsdale.
41st min: Kamara goes into the referee’s book too as he brings down Jesus in the middle of the park.
39th min: Odegaard picks up a yellow card for bringing Watkins down with Villa on the break.
38th min: Martinez is having a night to forget so far. He’s just done a drag back that’s put the ball out for a corner. What’s he thinking!?
34th min: Arsenal haven’t eased up in the slightest since scoring. Could be a long evening for Villa at this rate…
30th min: GOAL! Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa
Martinelli plays a first-time cross into the box at Martinez’s near post but he can’t gather it and Jesus is the quickest to react as he hammers home the rebound from inside six yards. Poor from Martinez but a brilliant poacher’s finish from the Brazilian.
GabbyGol 🎯#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/3JaLiwOAzL
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2022
29th min: Jesus runs into the box on the left side and cuts inside but Konsa wins the ball and blocks him off. There’s a half-hearted appeal from the striker but it’s a good tackle.
28th min: Matty Cash and Buendia play a neat one-two in Arsenal’s box but Cash’s shot is weak and doesn’t trouble Aaron Ramsdale.
23rd min: How has Saka missed!? Xhaka carries the ball forward before playing Martinelli in on the left wing. The Brazilian crosses to the back post where Saka is arriving unmarked but a bit of an awkward bounce sees him shank it wide with his right foot. That’s the closest Arsenal have come so far.
20th min: Villa are just starting to have a little bit more of the ball but Ramsey gives it away in the final third and Arsenal look dangerous on the counter-attack. This time it comes to nothing.
17th min: Odegaard plays in Jesus who holds off his man and gets the shot away from the right side of the six-yard box. Martinez makes the save but it falls to Odegaard who has two attempts at it but they’re both blocked. Desperate defending from the visitors.
14th min: Ramsey goes in hard with a big tackle and catches Martinelli with his follow through, he’s a tad fortunate to escape with just a yellow card.
11th min: Gabriel stays up for the resulting corner and the ball falls to him kindly in the box but his shot is comfortably saved. Arsenal look on it.
10th min: Big chance! Odegaard plays a quick free-kick over the top and Jesus brings it down brilliantly before firing one from close range but Emiliano Martinez makes a fine stop at his near post.
9th min: McGinn certainly looks fired up for this one. He puts Ben White on the deck with a big tackle on the right touchline.
7th min: Saka goes on a bursting run into the box and has his shirt pulled. He later goes to ground after a challenge from Mings but there’s not enough in it for a foul.
5th min: John McGinn takes an elbow to the face from Lokonga as they go up for a header. He’s not happy but it was entirely accidental.
4th min: An encouraging attacking move from Villa gets them into Arsenal’s box as Ramsey plays in Buendia but his shot is well over the bar.
1st min: Gabriel Jesus gets bundled over by Lucas Digne in the opening minute and goes down holding his shin. He’s back on his feet soon enough.
We’re underway!
2 mins from kickoff: The teams are out and it’s LOUD at the Emirates Stadium.
5 mins from kickoff: Not long to go now until Martin Odegaard leads his team out the tunnel. He’s scored three goals in his last two matches and has embraced the pressure of wearing the captain’s armband, something that’s not gone unnoticed by his manager.
“He’s more humble I would say – even more,” Arteta replied when asked if he had seen a change in the Norway captain since giving him the armband.
“That’s the way he is. More humble and more hungry, a good combination. At 23 he has already had a lot of experience and a lot of pressure, especially individually.
“He’s played for Madrid and knows what it’s about. He does it all natural, nothing worries him, and he’s developing that even more.”
20 mins from kickoff: Last season Arsenal recorded a 3-1 win against Villa at home as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Thomas Partey and Emile Smith Rowe got on the scoresheet. Jacob Ramsey netted a consolation for the visitors. At Villa Park, Arsenal also took three points with Bukayo Saka netting the only goal of the game. Gerrard will be hoping his side can have the opposite result this evening.
Getting in the zone 🫡#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/R8rco7LWaM
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2022
40 mins from kickoff: While things are going rosy for Arteta at Arsenal, things aren’t great at Villa Park for Gerrard right now. He and his team were booed off at home to West Ham on Sunday following a 1-0 defeat and they’ve picked up just one win from their four league matches so far.
The former Liverpool captain still seems to be trying to work out his best XI and has experimented with a 4-3-3 and a narrow 4-1-2-1-2 formation so far. Tonight he leaves Ings on the bench and goes with the pace of Bailey and Buendia on the wings to supply the ball to target man Watkins.
60 mins from kickoff: The teams are in!
The home side: Albert Sambi Lokonga comes in for Mohamed Elneny, after the Egyptian tweaked his hamstring against Fulham.
🚨 Here’s how we line up for #ARSAVL
🇧🇪 Sambi starts in midfield
🇧🇷 @biel_m04 at the back
🏴 @AaronRamsdale98 between the sticks— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 31, 2022
The away side: Tyron Mings returns after illness while Emi Buendia and Jacob Ramsey come back into the side as Philippe Coutinho and Danny Ings drop out.
This is your Aston Villa team to face Arsenal tonight. ⚫#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/ML0Qk8fpWc
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 31, 2022
90 mins from kickoff: Not to put any pressure on the Gunners but looking at past seasons, should Arsenal win a fifth consecutive league match to start their season, the signs are good. The north London side have only started three previous top-flight seasons with a run of five wins, doing so in 1930-31 (finished 1st), 1947-48 (finished 1st) and 2004-05 (finished 2nd).
Arsenal will hope to avoid having to come from behind like they did in their 2-1 win against Fulham last time out though.
Team news to come in 30 mins.
120 mins from kickoff: Hello, and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of tonight’s Premier League clash between Arsenal and Aston Villa.
It’s 1st vs. 16th and Arteta will hoping his side can keep their impressive unbeaten start going with a convincing display at a packed Emirates Stadium this evening.
Welcome to the Emirates Stadium. 📍#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/UGveqpEZ40
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) August 31, 2022
Arsenal vs. Aston Villa lineups
Arsenal starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Tierney — Sambi Lokonga, Xhaka — Saka, Odegaard, Martinelli — Jesus.
Subs: Turner, Smith Rowe, Nketiah, Holding, Soares, Tomiyasu, Vieira, Marquinhos, Smith
Aston Villa starting lineup (4-3-3): Martinez (GK) — Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne — McGinn, Kamara, Ramsey — Buendia, Watkins, Bailey.
Subs: Olsen, Luiz, Ings, Chambers, Augustinsson, Young, Coutinho, Archer, Iroegbunam
What time is Arsenal vs. Aston Villa?
Arsenal play host to Aston Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London, UK. It kicks off at 7.30 p.m. BST on Wednesday, August 31.
UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
Date | Weds, August 31 | Weds, August 31 | Weds, August 31 | Thurs, September 1 |
Time | 19:30 BST | 14:30 ET | 14:30 ET | 04:30 AET |
How to watch Arsenal vs. Aston Villa
UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
TV channel | BT Sport 4 | – | – | – |
Streaming | BT Sport player | Peacock | fuboTV | Optus Sport |
UK: Matches are carried across Sky Sports and BT Sport streaming and TV platforms, with select matches on Amazon Prime.
USA: Select matches are televised on USA Network (English) and Telemundo or Universo (Spanish), and all three channels can be streamed on fuboTV. The rest of the matches are streamed on NBC platform Peacock for subscribers.
Canada: Every Premier League game streams live and on demand exclusively via fuboTV.
Australia: Fans in Australia can stream matches live and on demand on Optus Sport.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism