Aston Villa vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Bukayo Saka goal seals win

Follow for live reaction as Arsenal neat Aston Villa in the Premier League to strengthen their top-four claim

Bukayo Saka celebrates firing Arsenal in front (Getty Images)

Arsenal kept their top-four bid on track with a comfortable 1-0 win over Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Gunners saw their winning run come to an end with defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates in midweek and faced a short turnaround ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Villa Park, but they make simple work of the task at hand.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had said the scheduling of his side’s meeting with Villa was “not fair” but victory now puts pressure on top-four rivals Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur and sees the Gunners strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Aston Villa saw a run of three straight victories under Steven Gerrard come to an end at West Ham last Sunday, as Andriy Yarmolenko helped seal an emotional win for the Hammers. The form of Philippe Coutinho has helped take Villa into the top half of the table and Gerrard’s side hoped to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans, but it wasn’t to be.

Follow live reaction from Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the Premier League’s early fixture, below:

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

• Premier League match kicked off at 12.30pm GMT
• Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young; Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey; Buendia, Coutinho, Watkins.
• Arsenal: Leno; Cedric Soares, White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe.
• GOAL! Bukayo Saka fires Gunners in front (30), Villa 0-1 Arsenal
• Full-time: Villa 0-1 Arsenal

[19 March 2022 14:07 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

74 min: A poor decision from Lacazette who should have slipped in Odegaard overlapping on the right side of the box, but instead shot straight at Villa’s defensive block. Righ now, though, it doesn’t seem like Arsenal are going to regret their missed chances.

[19 March 2022 14:04 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

71 min: McGinn’s cross from deep on the right wing is easily cleared by Gabriel, who has looked very composed and comfortable so far in this match. Danny Ings will surely come on in the final minutes to try and disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm.

[19 March 2022 14:01 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

68 min: Watkins hits the post after a deflection off Tierney!

And here come the Villa changes. Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore replace Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia. Plenty of pace and width in those two. An Arsenal swap too, as Nicolas Pepe replaces goalscorer Bukayo Saka, who took that whack from Tyrone Mings in the first half.

[19 March 2022 13:58 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

65 min: Douglas Luiz tries a shot from the resulting free-kick and it’s a ridiculous option, 30 yards out, which goes nowhere close to Leno’s goal.

[19 March 2022 13:57 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

64 min: Thomas Partey picks up a needless booking knocking over Matty Cash. Six yellows in total from the referee, today.

[19 March 2022 13:53 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

60 min: McGinn fires just wide! Better from Villa, as he picks up the ball on the edge of the box and curls beyond the far post. Still no changes from either bench.

[19 March 2022 13:50 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

57 min: Villa are at least pressing a little higher and that’s forcing Arsenal to take risks at the back.

[19 March 2022 13:46 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

54 min: Danny Ings is among a few substitutes warming up. Villa definitely need something fresh.

[19 March 2022 13:45 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

Saka hustles the ball from Ramsey and suddenly he’s charging towards goal. However it’s a slightly sloppy touch as he enters the box, and Buendia comes back to help cut out the danger.

[19 March 2022 13:44 · Lawrence Ostlere]

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

This half has a similar complexion to the first so far and it’s hard to see what, if anything, has changed for Villa. Their first foray forward is a good one though, and Gabriel is forced to head behind at the far post with Watkins lurking.