Arsenal leave Aston Villa pointless as Saka seals win
Bukayo Saka's 83rd goal for Arsenal earned his side victory over Aston Villa. Pic: Nick Potts/PA Wire.
As the Premier League's most cash-crazy transfer window yet drew nearer to a close, Arsenal once again produced the numbers that mattered.
The champions marked Mikel Arteta's 250th league game in charge with another three points, courtesy of Bukayo Saka's 59th-minute goal, his 83rd in all competitions for the Gunners.
That made it two games, two wins and no goals conceded, and left Aston Villa - the club that sold stars for a total of €400m during this window - without a single point on the board. No goals either - or even a shot on target in 180 minutes of action.
It was a competitive and occasionally feisty first 45 minutes but despite dominating possession so much that full-backs Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori spent much of the time in midfield Arsenal failed to create much of note.
Zion Suzuki, Villa's new number one now that Emi Martinez is at Chelsea, looked nervous initially, flapping at a corner that Gabriel mercifully headed well wide of the target.
The Japan international soon showed he has a knack of finding a team-mate with a long pass however and Arsenal were fortunate when Emi Buendia smacked the crossbar from just outside the box.
The Gunners had stopped in the assumption that a free-kick had been given for Boubacar Kamara's challenge on Christos Tzolis and VAR might well have advised that had they needed to get involved.
But there was already a feeling that the officials will be harsher on the penalty-box shenanigans that helped propel Arsenal to the title last season. Suzuki pulled off a fine save to bat Declan Rice's header from a corner over the bar but Gabriel was already being punished for a back-post wrestling take-down of John McGinn.
Suzuki instigated a counter attack that saw Ian Maatsen fire across goal and wide and Villa were pleased to negotiate the 31-minute mark without mishap at the other end - they had been 4-0 down at Brighton last weekend at that point.
Tzolis had been involved in a battle with Matty Cash that saw the Greek booked early on and his complaint about a lack of a card for an apparent retaliation prompted boos from then on.
Arsenal appealed in vain for a penalty for Pau Torres pushing Calafiori in the back and the half ended with Nicolas Jackson, Ollie Watkins' replacement up front, using his speed to create another Villa half-chance.
Jackson motored down the right flank and produced a cross that impressive teenager George Hemmings couldn't quite reach.
Tzolis was replaced by Eberechi Eze for the second period, which suggested that Arteta had not been impressed with the former Norwich man either.
Fortune favoured Villa 10 minutes later when Maatsen clumsily brought Saka down after the Arsenal man had got goal side chasing Rice's pass. Referee Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot only for VAR to rule the infringement had taken place outside the box.
Martin Odegaard pinged the free-kick over the wall and marginally wide, to the relief of Suzuki, who hadn't attempted a save.
The reprieve was short-lived however as Saka poked the champions ahead a minute before the hour mark. Cristhian Mosquera's pass found Eze in a pocket of space and his pass found the marauding Calafiori for a cutback that Saka's outstretched leg got to before his marker.
The sides swapped flimsy penalty appeals that were ignored before Arsenal demonstrated their power from the bench once more, bringing off Odegaard and Myles Lewis-Skelly and sending on Mikel Merino and new signing Bruno Guimaraes, the latter for a debut.
Guimaraes immediately sent Kai Havertz through on goal but Suzuki came out to save and the flag went up anyway.
There was still time for another debut as Ezri Konsa replaced Mosquera for his Arsenal debut, having been bought for €64m from Villa. There was applause as well as boos for the England man, who had won the Europa League with the Midlands men last season.
It is difficult not to feel sorry for Unai Emery, who has just five of the XI who started in that final win over Freiburg still to choose from following the sales of Konsa, Martinez, Watkins, Morgan Rogers, Youri Tielemans and Lucas Digne.
The Spaniard needs to oversee a massive rebuild in double quick time and can't help being reminded of the fact every time he heads for the home dugout. The North Stand is currently out of action so Villa Park can up capacity to 50,000 in time for the Euro finals in two years' time, with workers in hard hats acting as ball boys. A metaphor if ever there was one.
Suzuki 7; Cash 6 (Wan-Bissaka 78, 4), Lindelof 6, Torres 6, Maatsen 6; Kamara 6, Barkley 6 (Garnacho 78, 4); McGinn 6, Buendia 7, Hemmings 7 (Alysson 71, 5); Jackson 6 (Abraham 71, 5).
Raya 6; White 7, Mosquera 7 (Konsa 79, 5), Gabriel 7, Calafiori 8; Lewis-Skelly 6 (Guimaraes 71, 6), Rice 6; Saka 7, Odegaard 6 (Merino 71, 5), Tzolis 4 (Eze 46, 7); Havertz 6.
Jarred Gillett 6
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