Bukayo Saka was on target once again as Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League after a hard-fought 4-2 victory over Aston Villa at the Villa Park on Saturday.
BIG. THREE. POINTS. pic.twitter.com/REx0sb1RpF
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) February 18, 2023
The 21-year-old put the Gunners level eleven minutes after Ollie Watkins had opened the scoring for the Clarets and Blues with a sublime strike from the edge of the box.
Former Liverpool midfielder Philippe Coutinho restored Villa’s lead in the 31st minute with a brilliantly worked team goal, while Eddie Nketiah almost got Arsenal level for the second time in the game, but his thumping header ricocheted off the crossbar.
Mikel Arteta side’s were relentless, and they finally got the reward for it thanks to a superb low shot from Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko five minutes after Nketiah hit the bar.
Martin Odegaard should have completed Arsenal’s turnaround in the 77th minute after Nketiah dispossessed Ezra Konsa on the edge of Villa’s box, but the Norwegian could only drag his shot wide.
Both teams kept on trading blows, with Leon Bailey coming closest for Villa. The Jamaican’s shot was parried onto the bar by Aaron Ramsdale, and the latter was also on hand to deny John Duran as Unai Emery’s side kept chasing the winner.
The game looked like it was heading for a draw but new signing Jorginho had other ideas. The Italian’s thunderous strike from about 25 yards out bounced off the bar, hitting Villa’s Emiliano Martínez before going in for an own goal.
Supersub Gabriel Martinelli sealed all available points for the North Londoners with one of the simplest goals he would ever score. He tapped into an empty net after he was played in by Fabio Vieira when Martinez went over to the other side for a corner kick.
The victory was the Gunners’ first in their last four games, and it sends them back to the top of the league with 54 points, two ahead of Manchester City, who dropped points following a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.
👉 @Arsenal 👈 pic.twitter.com/GnV6PL6xeO
— Premier League (@premierleague) February 18, 2023
Arsenal will play the rejuvenated Leicester City next in the Premier League, while Aston Villa will travel to Merseyside to face Everton at Goodison Park next Saturday.
