Arsenal won 1-0 against Aston Villa in the Premier League at Villa Park on Monday, 31 August 2026. The match ended with Arsenal claiming the three points, while Aston Villa suffered their first league defeat of the season.
The first half saw both teams struggle to create clear chances, with the score remaining at 0-0 at halftime. The second half brought more intensity, with Arsenal eventually breaking the deadlock in the 59th minute through a goal from Bukayo Saka. The strike came after a sequence of passes that led to Saka cutting inside and firing past the Villa goalkeeper.
Aston Villa made several substitutions in the 71st minute, bringing on Tammy Abraham, Alysson Edward, and Alejandro Garnacho, while Arsenal also made changes, including replacing Martin Ødegaard with Mikel Merino and Christos Tzolis with Eberechi Eze. Further adjustments followed in the 78th and 79th minutes, with Arsenal introducing Ezri Konsa and Arsenal making a late change with MartÃn Zubimendi replacing Declan Rice.
Aston Villa's John McGinn, Ian Maatsen, and Alysson Edward received yellow cards in the second half, while Arsenal's Christos Tzolis was also booked in the 29th minute. The match ended with Arsenal dominating possession at 61% to Villa's 39%, while Arsenal also recorded more accurate passes and corners.
Aston Villa's statistics showed a lack of penetration, with zero shots on target compared to Arsenal's two. The visitors created two big chances, with one missed by Arsenal. Villa's goalkeeper made one save, while Arsenal's keeper had no interventions. The match ended with Arsenal maintaining their position in the league table, while Aston Villa's recent form continued with a loss.
Match facts
Aston Villa 0 - 1 Arsenal (full time)
- Competition: Premier League
- Date: 31 Aug 2026
- Goals: Bukayo Saka 59'
- Yellow cards: Christos Tzolis 29', Alysson Edward 80', John McGinn 81', Ian Maatsen 90+6'
- Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
- Attendance: 36,804
- Referee: Jarred Gillett
Match statistics
Top stats
| Aston Villa | Â | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| 39% | Ball possession | 61% |
| 7 | Total shots | 7 |
| 0 | Shots on target | 2 |
| 0 | Big chances | 2 |
| 0 | Big chances missed | 1 |
| 273 (81%) | Accurate passes | 465 (88%) |
| 2 | Corners | 4 |
| 17 | Fouls committed | 6 |
Shots
| Aston Villa | Â | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | Total shots | 7 |
| 5 | Shots off target | 4 |
| 0 | Shots on target | 2 |
| 2 | Blocked shots | 1 |
| 1 | Hit woodwork | 0 |
| 3 | Shots inside box | 5 |
| 4 | Shots outside box | 2 |
Passes
| Aston Villa | Â | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| 339 | Passes | 530 |
| 273 (81%) | Accurate passes | 465 (88%) |
| 126 | Own half | 227 |
| 147 | Opposition half | 238 |
| 14 (35%) | Accurate long balls | 15 (38%) |
| 1 (9%) | Accurate crosses | 3 (19%) |
| 15 | Throws | 21 |
| 0 | Offsides | 8 |
Defence
| Aston Villa | Â | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | Tackles | 13 |
| 3 | Interceptions | 9 |
| 1 | Blocks | 2 |
| 19 | Clearances | 20 |
| 1 | Keeper saves | 0 |
Line-ups
Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)
| # | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | Zion Suzuki |
| 2 | Matty Cash |
| 3 | Victor Nilsson Lindelöf |
| 14 | Pau Torres |
| 22 | Ian Maatsen |
| 8 | Boubacar Kamara |
| 6 | Ross Barkley |
| 7 | John McGinn (captain) |
| 10 | Emiliano BuendÃa |
| 53 | George Hemmings |
| 11 | Nicolas Jackson |
Substitutes
| # | Player | On |
|---|---|---|
| 47 | Alysson Edward | 71' |
| 18 | Tammy Abraham | 71' |
| 29 | Aaron Wan-Bissaka | 78' |
| 17 | Alejandro Garnacho | 78' |
| 40 | Marco Bizot | Â |
| 13 | Matteo Ruggeri | Â |
| 5 | Tyrone Mings | Â |
| 26 | Lamare Bogarde | Â |
| 74 | Luka Lynch | Â |
Coach: Unai Emery
Arsenal (4-2-3-1)
| # | Player |
|---|---|
| 1 | David Raya |
| 4 | Ben White |
| 3 | Cristhian Mosquera |
| 6 | Gabriel |
| 33 | Riccardo Calafiori |
| 41 | Declan Rice |
| 49 | Myles Lewis-Skelly |
| 7 | Bukayo Saka |
| 8 | Martin Ødegaard (captain) |
| 17 | Christos Tzolis |
| 29 | Kai Havertz |
Substitutes
| # | Player | On |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | Eberechi Eze | 46' |
| 39 | Bruno Guimarães | 71' |
| 23 | Mikel Merino | 71' |
| 15 | Ezri Konsa | 79' |
| 36 | MartÃn Zubimendi | 85' |
| 13 | Kepa Arrizabalaga | Â |
| 5 | Piero Hincapié |  |
| 20 | Noni Madueke | Â |
| 14 | Viktor Gyökeres |  |
Coach: Mikel Arteta
Top players
Aston Villa
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Ross Barkley | DM |
| Boubacar Kamara | DM |
| Matty Cash | RB |
Arsenal
| Player | Position |
|---|---|
| Bukayo Saka | RW |
| Riccardo Calafiori | LB |
| Gabriel | CB |
Head to head
Aston Villa 8W, 2D, Arsenal 18W
| Date | Home | Score | Away | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Dec 2025 | Arsenal | 4 - 1 | Aston Villa | Premier League |
| 06 Dec 2025 | Aston Villa | 2 - 1 | Arsenal | Premier League |
| 18 Jan 2025 | Arsenal | 2 - 2 | Aston Villa | Premier League |
| 24 Aug 2024 | Aston Villa | 0 - 2 | Arsenal | Premier League |
| 14 Apr 2024 | Arsenal | 0 - 2 | Aston Villa | Premier League |
| 09 Dec 2023 | Aston Villa | 1 - 0 | Arsenal | Premier League |
| 18 Feb 2023 | Aston Villa | 2 - 4 | Arsenal | Premier League |
| 31 Aug 2022 | Arsenal | 2 - 1 | Aston Villa | Premier League |
| 19 Mar 2022 | Aston Villa | 0 - 1 | Arsenal | Premier League |
