Aston Villa vs Arsenal LIVE: Premier League result and final score as Bukayo Saka goal gives Gunners lead

Follow live updates as Arsenal aim to keep their top-four bid on track against Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Gunners saw their winning run come to an end with defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates in midweek and face a short turnaround ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Villa Park.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said the scheduling of his side’s meeting with Villa was “not fair” but victory would put pressure on top-four rivals Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur and see the Gunners strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Aston Villa saw a run of three straight victories under Steven Gerrard come to an end at West Ham last Sunday, as Andriy Yarmolenko helped seal an emotional win for the Hammers. The form of Philippe Coutinho has helped take Villa into the top half of the table, however, and Gerrard’s side will look to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans.

Follow live updates from Aston Villa vs Arsenal in the Premier League’s early fixture, below:

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

• Premier League match kicked off at 12.30pm GMT

• Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young; Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey; Buendia, Coutinho, Watkins.

• Arsenal: Leno; Cedric Soares, White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe.

• GOAL! Bukayo Saka fires Gunners in front (30), Villa 0-1 Arsenal

Aston Villa FC 0 - 1 Arsenal FC

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

81 min: And Ings replaces Ollie Watkins, who hasn’t really had a sniff.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:12 , Lawrence Ostlere

79 min: Philippe Coutinho, who has been virtually annonymous in this match, raises his foot and concedes a free-kick challenging for the ball on the edge of the Arsenal box. Danny Ings is finally set to come on.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:09 , Lawrence Ostlere

76 min: Another Arsenal change as Alexandre Lacazette is replaced by Eddie Nketiah.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:07 , Lawrence Ostlere

74 min: A poor decision from Lacazette who should have slipped in Odegaard overlapping on the right side of the box, but instead shot straight at Villa’s defensive block. Righ now, though, it doesn’t seem like Arsenal are going to regret their missed chances.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:04 , Lawrence Ostlere

71 min: McGinn’s cross from deep on the right wing is easily cleared by Gabriel, who has looked very composed and comfortable so far in this match. Danny Ings will surely come on in the final minutes to try and disrupt Arsenal’s rhythm.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

14:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

68 min: Watkins hits the post after a deflection off Tierney!

And here come the Villa changes. Leon Bailey and Bertrand Traore replace Jacob Ramsey and Emi Buendia. Plenty of pace and width in those two. An Arsenal swap too, as Nicolas Pepe replaces goalscorer Bukayo Saka, who took that whack from Tyrone Mings in the first half.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:58 , Lawrence Ostlere

65 min: Douglas Luiz tries a shot from the resulting free-kick and it’s a ridiculous option, 30 yards out, which goes nowhere close to Leno’s goal.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:57 , Lawrence Ostlere

64 min: Thomas Partey picks up a needless booking knocking over Matty Cash. Six yellows in total from the referee, today.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:53 , Lawrence Ostlere

60 min: McGinn fires just wide! Better from Villa, as he picks up the ball on the edge of the box and curls beyond the far post. Still no changes from either bench.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

57 min: Villa are at least pressing a little higher and that’s forcing Arsenal to take risks at the back.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

54 min: Danny Ings is among a few substitutes warming up. Villa definitely need something fresh.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:45 , Lawrence Ostlere

Saka hustles the ball from Ramsey and suddenly he’s charging towards goal. However it’s a slightly sloppy touch as he enters the box, and Buendia comes back to help cut out the danger.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

This half has a similar complexion to the first so far and it’s hard to see what, if anything, has changed for Villa. Their first foray forward is a good one though, and Gabriel is forced to head behind at the far post with Watkins lurking.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:39 , Lawrence Ostlere

The second half is under way and Arsenal are straight back on the attack.

Half-time: Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal much the better side and ahead thanks to Saka’s well-hit strike. The only positive for Villa is that it’s only one.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:17 , Lawrence Ostlere

45 min: Now Xhaka is booked! He snaps at and then shoves Buendia, and that’s an accumulation of fouls. He was oh so close to making it to half-time. A Xhaka red card is probably Arsenal’s biggest threat at this point, all things considered.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:15 , Lawrence Ostlere

43 min: Martinez catches the corner easily but is blocked by Xhaka as he tries to clear quickly, and the Swiss might be a little fortunate not to collect a yellow card. Moments later Partey clatters through the back of Ramsey and also avoids a booking, though that’s probably his last warning.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:13 , Lawrence Ostlere

41 min: Smith Rowe comes forward down the left and Arsenal work it to Tierney, whose cross is cleared behind for a corner by Mings.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:08 , Lawrence Ostlere

37 min: Tierney tries a cross to the back post but it’s just too long for Lacazette. Villa need half-time and a few moments to regroup.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

33 min: Not only was Mings booked, but McGinn was also shown yellow in the skirmish which followed. Not a great few minutes for Aston Villa and Steven Gerrard, who watches glumly in with hands firmly in pockets.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:04 , Lawrence Ostlere

32 min: Only moments after celebrating his goal, Saka is down injured after being caught by Mings’ follow through. Arsenal are furious and Mings is booked, but it seemed to be a natural motion of the leg and more careless rather than anything malicious.

Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal

13:03 , Lawrence Ostlere

That’s Saka’s 10th goal of the season, moving him level with Arsenal’s top scorer Smith Rowe.

GOAL! Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal (Saka, 30)

13:01 , Lawrence Ostlere

Finally the breakthrough! A cross is only half cleared and as it bobbles around on the edge of the box, Saka reacts quickly to let off a low shot which slides past Martinez and into the corner. The goalkeeper probably should have saved it, although his view might have been partially blocked.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:59 , Lawrence Ostlere

26 min: Ollie Watkins is set through one on one against Cedric Soares but the defender holds his ground and concedes a corner. McGinn delivers an inswinger which is caught by Bernd Leno and the game is stopped as Kieran Tierney takes a whack on the head, but he’s fine to continue.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:55 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal have had 56% of possession so far but it feels like an awful lot more. The Gunners continue to pin back Villa in their own half but still not breakthrough. In fairness to Villa, they’ve defending their own box pretty well and Martinez hasn’t had a lot to do.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:52 , Lawrence Ostlere

21 min: Ben White acrobatically cuts out a probing pass towards Ollie Watkins in the box, in a rare moment of worry for the Arsenal defence.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:50 , Lawrence Ostlere

19 min: Another nice piece of play by Arsenal involving Saka, Odegaard and Smith Rowe and several flicks and tricks, but they can’t quite combine to get a proper shot off. It is hard to tell whether Villa should be more worried that they are under so much pressure or Arsenal should be more concerned that they are failing to take advantage of this early spell.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:48 , Lawrence Ostlere

15 min: Emi Beundia makes a good dart in behind the Arsenal defence to receive a Philippe Coutinho pass but it’s just a fraction early and he’s offside.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:44 , Lawrence Ostlere

12 min: Arsenal have certainly been the better side so far. They look really composed on the ball and everyone seems to know exactly where they’re meant to be. Still lacking that killer opportunity on goal, however.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:41 , Lawrence Ostlere

9 min: At the other end there’s another sight of goal for Arsenal, again teed up by Odegaard, but this time it’s Partey who squanders the opportunity with a tame shot. A moment later Martinez is forced to make an excellent stop after Konsa deflects a cross towards his own goal.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:40 , Lawrence Ostlere

8 min: Cedric is penalised for blocking off Ashley Young on the edge of the box. The replay suggests it was a little soft but probably a foul, on balance. Villa free-kick from the left, taken by McGinn, is flicked away for a corner but that comes to nothing. Best moments for Villa so far.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:36 , Lawrence Ostlere

5 min: Some bite in the early tackles, not least from John McGinn who snaps in on Alexandre Lacazette to pinch the ball in the centre circle.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:35 , Lawrence Ostlere

Chance! Smith Rowe is teed up by Odegaard just inside the box but he lifts his shot over the bar when he should really have worked Emi Martinez. That all came from Saka burning Young around the outside on the right wing, which could become a theme if Villa are not careful.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

2 min: John McGinn tries a chipped pass through to Philippe Coutinho but it’s a little overhit. A nice sunny day in Birmingham and perfect conditions for a game of football.

Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

12:31 , Lawrence Ostlere

Kick-off! We’re under way at Villa Park.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

12:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

Just a few minutes until kick-off at Villa Park, where the players are making their way out on to the pitch. I feel this could be a very tight game between two well-organised teams in good form.

Steven Gerrard speaks

12:20 , Lawrence Ostlere

“You’re always striving to consistency. We had three wins, then played OK against West Ham but we conceded two sloppy goals.”

On Bukayo Saka vs Ashley Young: “It will be a good battle. Ashley’s got experience, Saka’s big threat with his pace, but they’ve got good players all over the pitch.”

Mikel Arteta speaks

12:17 , Lawrence Ostlere

“We are trying to maintain a high performance and improve, especially how we defend the box.”

On team news: “[Ramsdale] has a muscle injury so he willl be out for a few weeks. [Martinelli] has been sick the last few days.”

On threat of Countinho: “They have many good players but since Philippe joined the club he’s prided creatively and goal threat, so it’s something to bear in mind.”

Jacob Ramsey is ‘the real deal'

12:06 , Lawrence Ostlere

The BT Sport pundits have been raving about Villa’s 20-year-old midfield talent Jacob Ramsey.

Joe Cole: “He breaks the lines so well, he’s athletic. He’s burst on to the scene, almost like this kept secret. He’s a complete package very much in his manager’s mould.”

Martin Keown: “I think he’s the real deal.”

Gabriel Agbonlahor: “The scary thing is he’s got a younger brother in the academy who’s supposed be just as good!”

Emile Smith Rowe: ‘We’re ready for Villa’

12:00 , Lawrence Ostlere

Emile Smith Rowe is back in the Arsenal team and he’s feeling confident about the test ahead:

Arsenal offer support to victim of racial abuse

11:51 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal have offered their support to a season-ticket holder who was the victim of racial abuse and a physical attack during Wednesday’s home match with Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium.

The details of the fan subjected to this attack at half-time of the fixture have been given to the Metropolitan Police and the club has urged witnesses to get in touch with any information.

An official club statement on Saturday read: “We have made contact with a season ticket holder, who has confirmed that during half time of the match against Liverpool on Wednesday, March 16, he was the victim of racial abuse and a physical attack on his cultural identity.

“The details given by our supporter have been passed onto the Metropolitan Police and we are appealing for any witnesses who were in and around the toilet facilities in blocks 100 - 101 in the North Bank Upper Tier at half time last Wednesday.

“If you witnessed the incident, or have any information which may help us identify the culprit of this shameful act, please contact us on 020 7619 5000.”

Arsenal, who lost the Premier League fixture 2-0, reiterated the club’s stance against racism and continue to support the victim.

The statement added: “Arsenal is a home for everyone and we take all forms of discriminatory abuse and violence extremely seriously. We will not stand for this kind of behaviour.

“We will continue to remain in contact and offer support to our fan who was the victim of this appalling incident.” PA

Aston Villa team news

11:46 , Lawrence Ostlere

As expected, Ashley Young comes in at left-back for Steven Gerrard’s side, replacing the injured Lucas Digne. Calum Chambers has to settle for a place on the bench against his former side with Ezri Konsa parterning captain Tyrone Mings. Emi Buendia starts in an attacking role alongside Ollie Watkins, with Danny Ings on the bench.

Arsenal team news

11:42 , Lawrence Ostlere

So Aaron Ramsdale misses out with a hip injury, paving the way for Bernd Leno to make his first league start since the Gunners lost 5-0 to Manchester City way back in August. Emile Smith Rowe returns to the starting XI, replacing the unwell Gabriel Martinelli on the left wing.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal – confirmed line-ups

11:33 , Lawrence Ostlere

Aston Villa: Martinez, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Young, Douglas Luiz, McGinn, Ramsey, Buendía, Coutinho, Watkins.

Subs: Olsen, Sanson, Traoré, Chambers, Ings, Bailey, Chukwuemeka, Iroegbunam, O’Reilly.

Arsenal: Leno; Cedric Soares, White, Gabriel Magalhaes, Tierney; Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka; Saka, Lacazette, Smith Rowe.

Subs: Okonkwo, Holding, Tavares, Swanson, Lokonga, Elneny, Pepe, Hutchinson, Nketiah.

Premier League table

11:27 , Lawrence Ostlere

Arsenal can close to within five points of Chelsea in third with victory at Villa Park today. More importantly, Mikel Arteta’s side would open up a four point gap on Manchester United below them, with a game in hand. Arsenal have 51 points from 27 games, United have 50 from 29, West Ham have 48 from 29 and Spurs have 48 from 28. Tottenham meet West Ham tomorrow in a crucial match for the top-four picture.

Villa meanwhile are quietly consolidating their position in the top half, and can stamp their authority on ninth spot with three points here.

Bukayo Saka vs Ashley Young?

11:24 , Lawrence Ostlere

The team news will be landing shortly and it will be interesting to see how Steven Gerrard fills the left-back berth following the injury to Lucas Digne which has ruled him out until after the international break. Bukayo Saka is having a fantastic season on Arsenal’s right wing and the thought of the England winger up against the ageing legs of Ashley Young, should Young fill in, would have Arsenal fans licking their lips.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal

11:18 , Lawrence Ostlere

Follow live updates as Arsenal aim to keep their top-four bid on track against Aston Villa in the Premier League. The Gunners saw their winning run come to an end with defeat to Liverpool at the Emirates in midweek and face a short turnaround ahead of a potentially tricky trip to Villa Park.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta said the scheduling of his side’s meeting with Villa was “not fair” but victory would put pressure on top-four rivals Manchester United, West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur and see the Gunners strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.

Aston Villa saw a run of three straight victories under Steven Gerrard come to an end at West Ham last Sunday, as Andriy Yarmolenko helped seal an emotional win for the Hammers. The form of Philippe Coutinho has helped take Villa into the top half of the table, however, and Gerrard’s side will look to get back to winning ways in front of their own fans.