Aston Villa claims another scalp after taking Arsenal down 3-0 in the final action of Matchday 8 in the English Premier League.
Villa gets back on the winning train with a convincing victory over the Gunners at the Emirates. Goals in either half of the game from the visitors while snuffing out any Arsenal attack saw the scoreline read 0-3 in Villa’s favour after the final whistle was blown.
A lethargic showing by Mikel Arteta’s men saw Dean Smith’s men run circles around them, led by an in-form Jack Grealish, who was afforded too much space on the pitch. The Englishman’s powers were at its peak on Sunday as he exploited Arsenal in every way possible.
The Gunners were extremely poor
The Gunners were so poor in the first 45 minutes of the game, they only managed one shot on target. Thomas Partey was that player to register the shot on target. Lacazette and the rest of the frontline managed the least touches in the opening half, with Villa seeing more of the ball possession.
Talking Lacazette, the Frenchman had the chance to lift the spirits of the home side, unfortunately, he didn’t put his chance away and his team got punished 3-0 for it. Arsenal lost everything in the match and offered very little threat to their opponents.
Aerial duels were won by Villa, the second ball, and they were basically outrun by the visitors, who showed no signs of fatigue. Understandable as they had Arsenal chasing the ball almost the whole game and had no midweek action.
But to emphasise on how fresh and ready they were for this encounter, they made their first substitution in the embers of the game. Trézéguet was taken off in the 88th minute for Anwar El Ghazi to see the final moments out and secure the clean sheet.
Thomas Partey was the only Arsenal player to produce a shot on target in the first half against Aston Villa. https://t.co/NRGw5pFBnQ
— Squawka (@Squawka) November 8, 2020
Ollie Watkins’ brace puts his name in the Golden Boot race
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The man from the championship proving it’s not such a bad idea to shop there adds another two goals to his name after scoring the stress reliever for 2-0 and then confirmation of three points for 3-0.
It took him three minutes of the game to add his name to the scorecard and then collect his brace. From Emi Martinez to the Watkins, every Villain put in an extra shift and were more than brave on the night.
A well deserved three points for the three goals scored, and no denying the Man of the Match goes to their astute captain Jack Grealish. Yes, even Ross Barkley deserves a shout, but Grealish’s all-round game was just far superior to all on the pitch.
Watkins now sits joint seventh in the Golden Boot race with the now-injured Callum Willson on six goals for the season so far. Grealish and John McGinn have also put themselves in contention for an individual award this early. They sit in second and third with five and four assists respectively for Playmaker of the Season.
"If Aston Villa were walking down the road, they would be John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever!" 😅🕺
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) November 8, 2020
Classic from @IanWright0!
📺📲 #MOTD2: https://t.co/obk4D49NBE pic.twitter.com/DOIKq12qf2
After the result for Arsenal and Aston Villa
Villa maintains their best start after 22 seasons in top-flight football. It was also the first time in the club’s history where they have won three consecutive away games in a single season. They move up into sixth place (two places up from last week’s eighth place) before the international break.
Arteta’s Gunners struggle to find consistency and were unable to build on their away victory at Old Trafford. They dropped down from last week’s ninth-placed team to this weekend’s 11th-placed team. They missed the chance to jump into the top six before the break.
In Arsenal’s last six games they’ve lost three and won three. A rough start for Mikel Arteta despite showing many positives during games before their deserving loss by the hands of the Villains.
The Gunners return to action with a trip to Elland Road where they will face Leeds United. Aston Villa welcomes Brighton, who are struggling to get off the bottom of the table with some draws, a single win, and just under a handful of losses.