Villa goal after 74 seconds enough to beat Arsenal 1-0
Villa goal after 74 seconds enough to beat Arsenal 1-0
BIRMINGHAM (Reuters) - An early goal from Ollie Watkins helped Aston Villa beat a sloppy Arsenal 1-0 on Saturday to move up to eighth in the Premier League standings, consigning the visitors to a second defeat in as many games.
Villa took the lead after 74 seconds when Bertrand Traore pounced on a loose back pass by full back Cedric Soares and cut the ball back to Ollie Watkins, whose first time effort was deflected past Arsenal s debutant goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
Arsenal s best opportunity to score an equaliser came from a Granit Xhaka free kick which looked destined for the top corner until their own former goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at full stretch pushed it around the post with a fingertip save.
While Villa leapfrogged struggling Tottenham Hotspur, the result left Arsenal in 10th with 31 points, two points behind their north London rivals having played two games more.
