Bukayo Saka struck in the second half as defending champions Arsenal edged Aston Villa 1-0 at Villa Park on Monday, maintaining their perfect start to the 2026/27 Premier League season.
The victory gave Arsenal six points from their opening two league matches without conceding, while Villa were left without a point after successive defeats.
It also gave Mikel Arteta a winning celebration in his 250th Premier League match as Arsenal manager.
Villa, seeking a response after their 4-0 defeat at Brighton in their opening fixture, started brightly and created the first major opportunity.
Emiliano Buendia’s long-range effort after 12 minutes beat David Raya but crashed against the crossbar.
Arsenal gradually assumed control of possession but struggled to create clear openings before half-time. Declan Rice came closest when his header from a corner was tipped over by Villa debutant goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Arteta responded at the break by introducing Eberechi Eze for Christos Tzolis as Arsenal looked for greater attacking threat.
Villa had the first chance after the restart, with Ian Maatsen firing over from a tight angle.
The game then produced a controversial moment when referee Jarred Gillett initially awarded Arsenal a penalty after Saka went down inside the area.
VAR intervened, however, and the decision was overturned after the review showed that the contact had taken place outside the box. Arsenal were awarded a free-kick instead.
The Gunners eventually found their breakthrough in the 59th minute.
Riccardo Calafiori raced forward before sending a low cross into the Villa box. Saka reacted quickly to bundle the ball over the line and give Arsenal the lead.
It was Saka’s second Premier League goal in as many matches this season.
Villa were forced to commit more players forward after falling behind, creating space for Arsenal to exploit.
Suzuki then kept his side in the contest with an excellent one-on-one save to deny Kai Havertz.
Despite late pressure from the hosts, Arsenal remained composed and protected their advantage to secure another clean sheet.
The defeat leaves Villa without a point after two matches. More concerning for Emery’s side is their lack of attacking production, having failed to register a shot on target in either of their opening league fixtures.
Arsenal, on the other hand, have made a strong start to their title defence, collecting maximum points without conceding a goal.
The victory was also a fitting milestone for Arteta, who has now completed 250 Premier League matches in charge of Arsenal since taking over in December 2019.
New signing Bruno Guimaraes made his Premier League debut for the Gunners, while Ezri Konsa came off the bench against his former club.
Arsenal will take the confidence from another hard-earned victory, while Villa must quickly find a response after a difficult opening to the campaign.
