Aston Villa suffered a narrow defeat at the hands of Arsenal in the Premier League on Wednesday night – despite Douglas Luiz scoring direct from a corner for the second time in eight days.
The Brazilian netted with his second touch after coming on as a second-half substitute, repeating the feat of his set-piece strike away at Bolton Wanderers in the Carabao Cup last week.
Luiz’s goal cancelled out Gabriel Jesus’ first-half opener, but the Villans were unable to stay on level terms for long.
Arsenal responded swiftly to being pegged back and retook the lead when Gabriel Martinelli turned home a cross with 13 minutes to play, leaving the visitors empty-handed.
Head coach Steven Gerrard made four changes to his starting XI for the trip to north London, recalling Tyrone Mings, Jacob Ramsey, Emiliano Buendía and Leon Bailey.
One of the quartet, Buendía, had the first attempt of the game after three minutes when he chipped over under heavy pressure as Villa made a positive start.
Playing with the confidence that a 100 per cent start to the season brings, the Gunners were soon into their stride and pressurising Emi Martínez’s goal, with Jesus testing the goalkeeper from a tight angle.
His countryman, Gabriel Magalhães, was next to take aim at the Villa goal following a scramble inside the box, seeing his driven effort deflect narrowly wide off a defender.
Possession
39%Shots
4Shots On Target
3Corners
3Fouls
132
0
Cards
3
0
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal the last time the two clubs did battle back in March, and the winger had his head in his hands midway through half when he sent Gabriel Martinelli’s whipped cross high into the Clock End from three yards out.
However, with 30 minutes played, the Gunners did put the ball in the back of the net when Granit Xhaka’s cross diverted goalwards off Ezri Konsa, leaving Jesus with a tap-in after Martínez had reacted quickly to parry.
The visitors offered their travelling support some hope just before the break when they put together their best move of the match, resulting in Sambi Lokonga calling Aaron Ramsdale into action when he swung a leg at Matty Cash’s cross.
Martinelli closed out the first half by sending a rasping half volley towards the top corner, bringing the very best out of former Gunner Martínez as the Argentine produced a stunning fingertip save.
After a quiet start to the second half, Villa’s No.1 was called into action to keep out Martin Ødegaard’s free-kick, scampering across goal to tip it wide.
As the clock ticked past the hour mark, the away side began to enjoy their best spell of territory and possession as Arsenal slowly sunk back deeper into their defensive third.
And after 72 minutes, a jinking run from Bailey ended with the Jamaican drawing a fingertip save from Ramsdale.
Before the resulting corner, Gerrard introduced Philippe Coutinho and Luiz. The impact of his substitutions was instantaneous.
Luiz’s first act was to take a corner that was turned behind for another set piece. His second act was to curl home a corner as Boubacar Kamara occupied the Arsenal stopper.
Parity last for just three minutes, with the Gunners swarming forward and retaking the lead when Martinelli converted Saka’s cross.
Danny Ings entered the fray as Villa looked to rescue a point, but they searched in vain for a second equaliser of the night.
Arsenal: Ramsdale, Gabriel Magalhães, Saliba, Tierney, White (Tomiyasu 64'), Sambi Lokonga, Xhaka, Gabriel Martinelli, Ødegaard (Smith Rowe 81'), Saka (Holding 88'), Gabriel Jesus (Nketiah 88')
Subs: Turner, Smith, Cédric Soares, Fábio Vieira, Holding, Marquinhos, Nketiah, Smith Rowe, Tomiyasu
Aston Villa: Martínez, Cash, Konsa, Digne, Mings, Kamara (Ings 83'), Ramsey, McGinn (Douglas Luiz 73'), Bailey, Watkins, Buendía (Philippe Coutinho 73')
Subs: Young, Douglas Luiz, Philippe Coutinho, Ings, Archer, Iroegbunam, Chambers, Olsen, Augustinsson