Arsenal beats Aston Villa :1-0

A report and free match highlights from Aston Villa's encounter against Arsenal at Villa Park; Bukayo Saka scores his fifth away league goal of the season to give Arsenal a four-point lead in fourth place. Arsenal's full-time celebrations, according to Ashley Young, were excessive.

Despite the absence of Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel Martinelli due to hip injuries and illness, Arsenal started the game much better, pushing Aston Villa deep in their own half for much of the first half. In contrast to a first half in which they had only two touches in the opposition box and none before Saka opened the goal, Villa did at least ask Mikel Arteta's team a few questions after the first half. The loss was their second in a row, following a 2-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, after which Gerrard acknowledged the gap between his club and the top six.