Saka strike sufficient to earn Arsenal win at Villa

BIRMINGHAM, England: Fourth-placed Arsenal opened up a four-point hole over Manchester United, one place beneath, within the Premier League standings after Bukayo Saka’s first-half strike earned them a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa on Saturday (Mar 19).

Looking to get again to profitable methods following their midweek defeat to Liverpool – their first loss in seven video games in all competitions – Arsenal dominated the opening interval within the Villa Park sunshine.

Their high quality, flowing first-half soccer deserved greater than the one aim given to them by Saka on the half-hour mark – Arsenal’s 2,000th Premier League strike.

Villa didn’t have a single shot, on or off track, within the first half, however improved after the break, lastly having an effort at aim within the 61st minute when Scottish midfielder John McGinn curled simply vast.

However, Arsenal remained content material to sit down on their 1-0 lead till the ultimate whistle, holding on in relative consolation to maneuver on to 54 factors, 4 away from United of their bid to safe the ultimate Champions League qualification spot.

A second successive defeat for a below-par Villa means they keep ninth.

With United not in Premier League motion this weekend, Arsenal had an actual likelihood to cement fourth spot by securing a fifth away league win in a row within the Midlands –- the primary time they’ve been on such a run since May 2015.

Given what number of possibilities they created within the first half, with Emile Smith Rowe, beginning his first sport in a month, on the coronary heart of all the things, they need to actually have been out of sight by the break.

Smith Rowe fired over early on from a fantastic place, earlier than he arrange Thomas Partey, whose strike was too near Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Striker Alexandre Lacazette was then impeded by his personal man – Smith Rowe once more – as he seemed set to attain however the strain did ultimately inform as Saka swept residence his sixth league aim of the season together with his left foot.

Still someway within the contest, Villa did begin to pose a menace after the break, with McGinn’s effort inflicting some jitters within the Gunners’ backline, as Ollie Watkins noticed one other effort clip the surface of the put up and roll vast.

That fifth successive away win by no means seemed doubtful, nonetheless, with the ultimate whistle greeted with large celebrations amongst followers and Arsenal gamers as they eye a return to the Champions League subsequent time period for the primary time since 2016-17.