Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal: Hosts Cash-in before half-time to put Gunners on the back foot
Arsenal are behind at half-time against Aston Villa
Matty Cash put Aston Villa ahead against Arsenal this afternoon with the Gunners struggling to find top gear.
Cash netted nine minutes before half-time, firing in at the far post after a deflected cross from the left fell nicely for the right-back.
It was no more than the hosts deserved after an enterprising first-half display that has frustrated the table-topping Gunners.
Villa could have been ahead inside 12 minutes with only a fine save from David Raya keeping out Ollie Watkins after the England international had turned inside Jurrien Timber, back in the Arsenal side today as one of three changes made by Mikel Arteta.
Arsenal swiftly offered a threat at the other end with Eberechi Eze seeing an effort disallowed with Bukayo Saka offside in the build-up.
A brilliant Declan Rice challenge prevented Cash from scoring approaching the half-hour mark but there was nothing the visitors could do when Paul Torres’ cross from the left clipped the head of Timber and into the path of the Poland international and he swept it past Raya.
Ben White and Rice both had chances before the break but failed to seriously test Emiliano Martinez.
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ASTON VILLA TEAM NEWS
Martinez is back after missing the game at Brighton with a back injury.
Midfielder Ross Barkley and defender Tyrone Mings are out until 2026 with injuries.
Aston Villa: Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Maatsen; Onana, Tielemans, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers; Watkins
Subs: Bizot, Lindelof, Digne, Garcia, Bogarde, Hemmings, Buendia, Malen, Sancho
ARSENAL TEAM NEWS
Saka, Eze and Timber all return after being rested for the Brentford game. Noni Madueke, Gabriel Martinelli and Cristhian Mosquera drop to the bench.
Leandro Trossard is fit enough to start on the bench alongside 16-year-old Marli Salmon.
Gabriel Jesus and Max Dowman have not been included in the matchday squad and will instead play for the under-21s in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United as they look to build up their fitness.
Arsenal: Raya, White, Timber, Hincapie, Calafiori, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Eze, Merino
Subs: Arrizabalaga, Salmon, Martinelli, Gyokeres, Norgaard, Trossard, Madueke, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly
How to watch Villa v Arsenal: TV channel, online live streams
Kick-off on Saturday is at 12:30 GMT (07:30 ET / 04:30 PT), with live TV coverage in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and TNT Sports Ultimate.
TNT Sports costs £29.99 a month through discovery+, which includes Eurosport and entertainment and is available on a vast range of devices including smart TVs and gaming consoles.
Aston Villa v Arsenal stats
Only Chelsea and Liverpool have attempted (3.274) and completed (2,916) more passes between 15 and 30 yards in distance in this season’s Premier League
Helped by a 70% victory ratio in the Europa League, Emery won 55% of the games during his tenure at Arsenal, which began in May 2018 and ended in November 2019 after a seven-match winless run
Villa have not conceded at home in the league in more than four hours and 42 minutes of football, last doing so in their 2-1 win over Burnley on October 5
They have won eight straight home games in all competitions since a 3-0 defeat to Crystal Palace on August 31
Only Arsenal (19) and Manchester City (18) have bettered Villa’s total of 16 points at home in the league in 2025/26, while the Gunners (2) are the sole team to have conceded fewer than the Villans (5) in their own stadium
Of the players to have scored at least four goals in this season’s division, only Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (1.11), Brentford’s Igor Thiago (0.87) and Bournemouth’s Junior Kroupi (0.88) have averaged more goals per 90 minutes than Villa’s Donyell Malen (0.77)
Arsenal have conceded four fewer goals (7) than any other side in this season’s Premier League
Their expected goals allowed total of 7.2 is the best in the division and 7.9 ahead of their next-nearest rivals in that respect, Manchester City
They have have won 11 and lost one of their last 21 league games on the road
Arteta’s team have won 16 of the 17 games in all competitions in which they’ve led this season, as well as all 15 when they’ve scored the opener