Arsenal vs Aston Villa: The results of their last 10 meetings

Arsenal have generally dominated their battles with Aston Villa in the Premier League era.

Despite the success the West Midlands side enjoyed in the early days of the competition, Arsene Wenger’s arrival swiftly changed the landscape of this fixture. In fact, between May 1999 and March 2008, Arsenal went 19 games unbeaten against Villa.

However, since the 1982 European Cup winners returned to the Premier League in 2019 after three seasons in the Championship, meetings have been far more competitive, especially since the appointment of former Arsenal boss Unai Emery at Villa Park.

Here is how the two sides have fared against one another over the past ten clashes.

Emery had Aston Villa supporters dreaming of a Premier League title during the first half of the 2023/24 season, with momentum hitting its peak in early December. Having just beaten reigning champions Manchester City 1-0 three days earlier, the Villans welcomed the previous season’s runners-up Arsenal to the Midlands.

It took just seven minutes for John McGinn to net a crucial and ultimately decisive opener, firing beyond David Raya from close range after Leon bailey’s cutback. Arsenal felt they should have had a late equaliser, but Kai Havertz’s effort was ruled out for a handball in the build-up.

The Gunners felt hard done by referee Jarred Gillett’s late call, but Villa didn’t care as they extended their home winning streak to 15 successive league games.

As they continued their fight for the Premier League title heading into the second half of the 2022/23 season, Arsenal faced a tricky trip to Villa Park. Emery was desperate to cause an upset during his first game in charge of Villa against his former side, and they were just minutes away from doing exactly that.

Ollie Watkins had fired the hosts in front after just five minutes, with Philippe Coutinho’s effort restoring Villa’s first-half lead following Bukayo Saka’s equaliser. Oleksandr Zinchenko brought Arsenal level for a second time, with late efforts proving the difference for Mikel Arteta’s men.

Jorginho’s long range strike crashed off the crossbar and went in off former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the third minute of stoppage time, with Gabriel Martinelli adding a fourth in the 98th minute after Martinez had joined the attack for a corner.

Back when Steven Gerrard resided in the Villa dugout, Arsenal welcomed them to the Emirates in just the fifth game of the 2022/23 campaign. It wasn’t a match to get pulses racing, but the Gunners came out on top as the pressure built on the former Liverpool captain.

It was the Brazilians who stole the limelight in north London, with Gabriel Jesus firing Arsenal ahead on the half-hour mark. Douglas Luiz then produced a remarkable equaliser directly from a corner, but it mattered little as Martinelli struck to secure the points for Arsenal 13 minutes from time.

The result left Villa 19th in the table after just one win from their opening five games. Gerrard would be sacked less than two months later.

Arsenal somehow didn’t qualify for the Champions League during the 2021/22 season, despite the fact that their victory over Villa in March of that campaign sent them six points clear of eventual fourth-placed finishers Tottenham.

The Gunners won a tight affair at Villa Park 1-0 thanks to Saka’s excellent low drive, with Gerrard’s men unable to fight back and earn a point. Arsenal’s young dynamo netted the Gunners’ 2000th Premier League goal in the West Midlands, although it wouldn’t mean much come the end of the season.

Going all the way back to the end of the Dean Smith era, it was another defeat for Villa against Arsenal. This one came just nine games into the 2021/22 campaign, and it was an incredibly one-way contest at the Emirates.

Arsenal took the lead after just 23 minutes through Thomas Partey and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the home side’s advantage moments before the break after converting the rebound following his own saved penalty.

Emile Smith Rowe secured the points with a third after half-time, with Jacob Ramsey’s late consolation strike not stopping Arteta’s side from picking up a routine three points on home soil.

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