Arsenal secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday, August 24, 2024, in the second round of the Premier League. This win was particularly sweet for the Gunners, as it avenged their two defeats to Villa last season, which had potentially cost them the league title.The match remained goalless until the 67th minute, largely due to the heroics of Arsenal’s goalkeeper David Raya. The Spanish keeper made several crucial saves, including a spectacular one-handed stop from Ollie Watkins that Gary Neville of Sky Sports described as ‘the moment of the game’ and potentially ‘the save of the year’.The deadlock was finally broken when substitute Leandro Trossard scored with his first touch, just 110 seconds after coming on. Thomas Partey sealed the victory ten minutes later with a powerful shot from the edge of the box.This result puts Arsenal level with Manchester City and Brighton at the top of the table with six points from their first two games. The victory also extends Arsenal’s impressive away form, with their unbeaten run on the road now stretching to 10 league matches.Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance, stating, ‘It was a great day. The players were fantastic, and we deserved the win’. However, he also acknowledged that there’s room for improvement, particularly in terms of ‘efficiency in the box’.As they look to build on this strong start, Arsenal will host Brighton next week at the Emirates Stadium, while Aston Villa will travel to face Leicester City.
Key points
- Arsenal secured a 2-0 victory over Aston Villa, avenging last season’s defeats.
- David Raya’s crucial saves, particularly from Ollie Watkins, kept Arsenal in the game.
- Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey scored in the second half to secure the win.
- The victory extends Arsenal’s unbeaten away run to 10 league matches.
Contradictions👾There is a slight discrepancy in the timing of Trossard’s goal, with some sources stating it was in the 64th minute, while others report it as the 67th minute.
