Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised the “character, courage and quality” of his team as they strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Premier League with a narrow victory at Aston Villa.
Bukayo Saka was the standout player as the Gunners secured a sixth win from seven games to move four points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United with a game in hand.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta praised the “character, courage and quality” of his team as they strengthened their grip on fourth place in the Premier League with a narrow victory at Aston Villa.
Bukayo Saka was the standout player as the Gunners secured a sixth win from seven games to move four points clear of fifth-placed Manchester United with a game in hand.
Saka got in behind Young inside the opening two minutes to create a chance for Emile Smith Rowe, while another cross struck Ezri Konsa and needed a fine stop from Emiliano Martinez to prevent an own goal.
The goal came from a quickly taken free-kick that caught Villa out down the right, with Cedric’s cross only cleared to Saka at the edge of the box, who fired home through a crowd of players for his 10th goal of the season in all competitions.
Arsenal tired after the break which allowed Villa to get more of a grip on the game, but they prevented the home side from having a shot on target until the final minute of stoppage time, when Philippe Coutinho’s free-kick was pushed away by Bernd Leno.
Villa stifled in narrow defeat
Steven Gerrard’s side went into this game having lost nine of their 11 top-flight fixtures this season against the current top eight, most recently a 2-1 defeat at West Ham last week that brought a run of three successive wins without conceding to an end.
The gap between the Midlands side and those above them again looked significant during a poor first half that saw them fail to muster a shot on or off target.
“It was a tough first half because we allowed it to be tough,” Gerrard told BT Sport. “I think we were indecisive in the things we tried to do. I think our performance lacked belief. It wasn’t until after half-time that we showed we can be better.”
