Arsenal got back to winning ways with a narrow 1-0 win against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.
The visitors started the game the brighter of the two with Arsenal having the majority of possession and shots on target, however it was a game with limited quality chances.
Arsenal English academy graduate Bakayo Saka responded in the best way possible after the team’s mid-week defeat to Liverpool, scoring the only goal of the game. The shot took his tally to 10 after the ball scudded through a crowd of players. It puts him equal as top goal scorer for Arsenal alongside another academy graduate Emil Smith-Rowe.
Saka said after the game his teammates need to stay “humble” and face adversity as it comes, and continue pushing for Champions league qualification.
“That’s the goal, but of course as I keep saying, you have to stay humble to every game and I think this is the season we can achieve it for sure,” he said.
This was a high-pressured match with tempers flaring, with the teams sharing six yellow cards – three each.
Arsenal winning this game meant they put a four-point gap between them and Manchester United and a six-point gap against Spurs and West Ham who are facing each other on late Sunday evening at Spurs Stadium.
Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelle missed the game due to illness, and Aaron Ramsdale was kept out of goal due to a hip injury.
Before the game started, Arsenal legend Ian Wright discussed the clubs need to win and score more goals in games to improve their chances of Champions League qualification.
Wright said: “I would like to see them score more goals to make it more comfortable but playing against those teams will be just as weary of us as we are of them.
“[These are] tough games at this stage of the season.
“Everyone is going for that top four spot, so all we got do is make sure we’re as resolute as we are, and we have to take those chances.”
Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard accused some of his players of lacking belief in his tactics and strategies in the first half, but praised their second half performance as being “decisive” although creating chances without taking them.
Gerrard said: “We lacked a little belief in what we’re doing, and I thought certain individuals lacked certain belief.
“It’s difficult to execute a game plan of what you want and how you want it to look, if not everyone believes in it.”
This result sees the gunners win five consecutive away league matches for the first time since May 2015 as well as scoring the league’s 2000th Premier league goal joining the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United to reach this mark.
The Gunners next fixture is at Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park after the international break on April 5, while Aston Villa will be traveling to Wolves at Molineux on April 3 with both teams hoping to push up the league table.
Main image screenshot courtesy BT Sport.
