Arsenal vs Aston Villa 0-2: Premier League – as it happened
All our updates as Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium to dent the home side’s Premier League hopes.
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 in English football’s Premier League on Sunday, April 14:
This page is now closed. Thanks for joining us. These were the updates as Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 in English football’s Premier League on Sunday, April 14:
- Aston Villa beat Arsenal 2-0 in their top-four clash in the Premier League.
- Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins score late for Villa at the Emirates Stadium in London.
- The Gunners remain two points behind leaders Manchester City.
- City moved top of the pile on Saturday when they beat Luton Town 5-1 at the Etihad.
- Villa are three points clear of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth spot but have played a game more.
- Liverpool lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in Sunday’s early kick-off.
- Live updates
- Match stats
- Lineups
Goodbye for now
That’s it from a packed match week of action in the Premier League.
Defending champions Manchester City are in pole position for the title following their 5-1 win against Luton Town on Saturday.
Arsenal finish two points behind City following their 2-0 defeat by Aston Villa.
We’ll be back with more live football on Tuesday and Wednesday with the Champions League quarterfinals.
Do join us for those matches if you can. You can also stay up to date with all our latest sports news and features here.
For now, though – from me, Kevin Hand – it’s goodbye.
There's so much going on in the Premier League's top six right now!
🔵 Man City beat Luton to go top
🦁 Aston Villa topple Arsenal to spoil bid to go first
🔴 Liverpool taste defeat at home to Crystal Palace
⚫️ Newcastle thrash Spurs to enter the top six pic.twitter.com/Rcbm9aav0H— Premier League (@premierleague) April 14, 2024
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice rues missed chances
“It’s really tough to take with the changes we had in the first half. We had to take one of those, and we didn’t,” Rice told Sky Sports.
“In the Premier League now, teams can come back to hurt you and that’s what Villa did.
“They have some unbelievable players, technically unreal, and have Ollie Watkins up front, who is a real goal threat.
“We want to win every game. It’s time now for a reaction starting on Wednesday [at Bayern Munich].
“I still feel there will be twists and turns to come. Six finals to go in the league, and we will give it everything.”
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta calls for a response from his players
“When you win and win and win, to be a leader is easy to stand here. Now is the time,” Arteta told Sky Sports.
“We need to react, we had an opportunity to react against Bayern. This was going to happen at some stage with the games we have. Now it’s how we react. What you can control is how you’re going to feel now.
“With the amount of games we have won in a row, we would be eight points clear. That’s not the case, and that is the challenge now.”
Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins relishes win at Arsenal
“It’s a huge result to come to Arsenal and win,” Watkins told Sky Sports.
“When I grew up, I supported Arsenal. But it’s a different story now that I’m playing against them.
“We are focusing on ourselves and fighting for the Champions League.
“A lot of people didn’t think we’d get a result, but we did.”
Two shots on target for Villa
Villa struck the post in the first half and the bar and the post with a shot in the second. But other than the two goals, the team didn’t register a shot on target.
Two shots on target. Two goals.
A huge win in @AVFCOfficial's quest for UEFA Champions League qualification!#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/yEsEWUsa4I
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 14, 2024
Unai Emery’s Aston Villa conquer Arsenal
What a day for Villa, but what a day for their manager.
Unai Emery, the man appointed Arsene Wenger’s successor, returns to the Emirates to dent Arsenal’s hopes of a first title in 20 years.
More drama in an already thrilling title contest.#ARSAVL pic.twitter.com/OYERPg9aqi
— Premier League (@premierleague) April 14, 2024
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Villa see out the match for a momentous win.
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
A MASTERCLASS IN NORTH LONDON! 😍 pic.twitter.com/mHvQJ1LfvO
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) April 14, 2024
Rice blazes over
A desperate effort from range flies over to the delight of the Villa fans.
90+6 minutes: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Arsenal fail to mount a charge
Watkins is offside as he races onto a ball in the box. Arsenal meantime have not been able to create an opening since Villa’s quick-fire double.
90+4 minutes: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Eight minutes of stoppage time
There’s time left for something special but the Gunners will need to work fast.
90+1 minutes: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Arsenal are in shock
Emirates Stadium falls quiet but for the songs of the Villa fans.
The ramifications of this win will be felt on both sides of Manchester as well, for contrasting reasons.
89 minutes: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Watkins breaks clear from the halfway line, with Smith Rowe in his wake, before lifting the ball over the onrushing keeper.
What a few minutes for the entire season.
86 minutes: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
The ball trickled across the face
It was a well-placed cross from the left wing and everyone in the six-yard box was afraid to touch it but for Bailey running onto it.
85 minutes: Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
Bailey taps in at the back post after a squared ball from the left wing.
84 minutes: Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
The nerves start to jangle
With so much at stake for both sides, it’s perhaps understandable that the game becomes fractious.
Will either commit enough players forward to make a difference? Or leave an opening, at this stage?
81 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Two more changes for Arsenal
Arteta dishes out final instructions as he brings on Jorginho and Smith Rowe for Odegaard and Jesus.
78 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Three quick corners for Villa
The away side pen Arsenal in with three successive corners, but the home side resist each of the set pieces.
75 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
The game tightens again
The teams begin to scrap again in the centre as the game tightens.
72 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal double change
Tomiyasu comes on for White while Trossard is replaced by Martinelli.
67 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Jesus draws the save from the edge of the box
The Arsenal striker hits a first-time shot, with the inside of his right foot, but Martinez is equal to it at his near post.
64 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Villa hit the bar and post with one shot
Tielemans lets rip from from the left edge of the box with a drilled effort that strikes the underside of the bar and ricochets down onto the post and clear.
Incredible strike.
62 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Villa make the first move
Diaby comes off for Bailey as Villa make the first change.
60 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Changes incoming
The half fails to take shape, much as the first, and it looks like we could see changes soon.
Villa will be the happier at how the overall play has developed – or failed to in the case of the home side.
58 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Villa await a shot on target
The away side may have struck the post in the first half, but none of their six efforts count as a shot on target.
Arsenal have had 15 efforts with three on target.
54 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal spurn a free kick
The Gunners win a free kick in a central position from 25 yards out but Odegaard fails to beat the wall.
50 minutes: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa