There are moments in every footballer’s life when thought stops and muscle memory kicks in. When the body takes over from the brain, and those thousands of hours of training rise to the fore. How many times in his life has David Raya fallen to the ground and jumped up again? How many times has he visualised the moment when such a reaction might be needed?
In the case of a goalkeeper, all those blows to the body and all those sessions in the gym are worth it for moments such as this. Raya was on his face on the turf, deep within his own goal, when the ball bounced off his crossbar on this trip to Villa Park. Arsenal’s defenders stood still, but Villa striker Ollie Watkins did not. Six yards out, Watkins seemingly could not miss.
It is only August, so it would be ludicrous to describe Raya’s subsequent save as a potentially defining moment in this year’s title race. But then again, this was a truly ludicrous save. The Spaniard somehow scrambled to his feet, then dived to his left, in the space of a single second. Even the home fans expressed their admiration when the replays were shown on the big screens.
“It’s a repetition of things,” said Raya. “You do drills and have to save one ball and get up to save another. This time it paid off. This is a reaction one, I don’t think it’s my best save.”
On such moments are big matches decided, and on such matches are Premier League campaigns decided. Arsenal should know that better than any team: if they had won one of their two games against Aston Villa last season, they would have won the league. Last year, they did not have a moment like this at Villa Park. This year, it was different.
If Raya’s save was the first match-changing intervention of the evening, then Leandro Trossard’s composed finish was the second. It was the Arsenal forward’s first touch of the game, having just entered the pitch as a substitute. It set Mikel Arteta’s team on their way, before Thomas Partey’s strike squeezed past Emiliano Martinez to solidify their lead.
Did the best team win? Not necessarily. Villa were powerful and dynamic, and in Morgan Rogers they had a player who continuously created panic in the opposition defence.
But Villa missed their chances, and Arsenal took theirs. Arsenal’s goalkeeper made a sensational save, and Villa’s goalkeeper allowed Partey’s shot to slip through his grasp. That was the difference. That is the difference, perhaps, between a good team and a very good one.
If Arsenal are to win the Premier League this season, then they will need to be even better than they were last year. One area of obvious improvement is in beating Villa, a task that proved beyond them in the previous campaign. This will therefore be seen as another statement victory by a team that has now won 18 of their 20 league matches of 2024 (a joint record in top-flight history).
Thomas Partey’s shot slipped through the grasp of Emi Martinez to seal all three points Credit: Getty Images/Jacques Feeney Another pleasing statistic for those of an Arsenal persuasion: Bukayo Saka, who was heavily involved in both of Arsenal’s goals, has become the third-youngest player to reach 100 wins in the Premier League, behind Wayne Rooney and Cesc Fabregas.
Unai Emery’s view was effectively that it was a similar game to the two meetings between these teams last season. The simmering tension between the two sides, with John McGinn and William Saliba arguing furiously in the first half, was evidence that Villa are becoming a real threat to the more established sides, especially at home.
Villa are clearly closing the gap, at an impressive rate, but they will require Watkins to be more clinical if they are to truly hurt the big boys this season. The England striker missed a huge opportunity in the first half, dragging wide of Raya’s goal after more good work by the relentless Rogers.
Morgan Rogers’ carries through midfield caught the eye despite finishing on the losing side Credit: Reuters/Ed Sykes It felt for much of the game like Villa were the more likely to find a winner, especially when Ezri Konsa went close with a back-post volley after the break. Onana and Rogers were dominating midfield, and Leon Bailey was dangerous on the wing.
But Trossard, on as a substitute, only requires one glimpse of goal, and he had it after 67 minutes of action. Saka’s cross was deflected into his path. Trossard steered home with typical precision.
The Belgian is not Arsenal’s best dribbler, or their fastest winger. But he is probably the most deadly finisher at the club. He is also an expert at coming off the bench and instantly adapting to the pace of the game.
Arsenal had their lead but they had no intention of sitting on it. They pushed forward, searching for more, and Saka was growing in influence. The England winger’s second assist of the season was a simple pass to Partey, on the edge of Villa’s box. Martinez was beaten too easily at his near post, much to the delight of the travelling Arsenal fans. They can sense another title challenge coming.
Arsenal exact measure of revenge on Villa: as it happened