LONDON –
Arsenal maintained their perfect start to the season and their place at the top of the Premier League table, with Gabriel Martinelli scoring a second-half winner in Wednesday’s 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
Martinelli bounced the ball briefly into the box from a Bukayo Saka cross and the Brazilian smacked it high into the net to defeat Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez in the 77th minute.
The goal canceled out a bizarre equalizer for Villa just three minutes earlier when Douglas Luiz took a corner and the ball rolled in without anyone touching it to put the visitors back into play.
Jesus opened the scoring in the first half and scored in the 30th minute after Martinelli flew down the left wing and passed through to midfielder Granit Xhaka, whose cross was deflected towards Martinez by a defender.
The former Arsenal keeper weakly hammered the ball down Jesus’ run, who couldn’t have had an easier tap-in.
The win means Arsenal are the only team in the league with a full 15 points from five games. Arsenal fans have ensured an electric atmosphere at the Emirates so far this season and the players have benefited from that.
Villa manager Steven Gerrard, on the other hand, is already under a lot of pressure with four defeats in five games.
Arsenal should have sunk that much sooner after dominating much of the game and creating a number of scoring chances. An uncovered Saka had the best chance just off the post after a precise cross from Martinelli in the 23rd minute. Other opportunities included a second-half free-kick from midfielder Martin Adegaard that nearly defeated Martinez, and a long-range shot from Martinelli that forced the goalkeeper to make a brilliant save.
Adegaard’s complicated play is making this Arsenal side tick, but Xhaka’s transformation from a defensive midfielder into a marauding playmaker has also bolstered the Gunners’ attack. It was his presence in the box that led to Jesus’ goal.
Aston Villa resorted to tactical fouls in the first half to disrupt Arsenal’s play down the middle and down the wings. It started in the first 30 seconds of the game when Lucas Digne set the tone with a foul on Jesus down the touchline before Jacob Ramsey was booked in the 13th for a powerful tackle on Martinelli.
The visitors were in no hurry to take the initiative and booed the home fans when the players took their time on throw-ins and goal-kicks. Their game plan called for sitting back and trying to hit Arsenal with long balls on the counterattack, but the threat didn’t materialize until the 73rd when Leon Bailey’s fierce shot forced Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale into a fingertip save that led to Luiz’ Corner and the subsequent gate led.
There was no real Villa press to beat Arsenal and Ramsdale could easily roll the ball to the midfield players at times. And it’s not getting any easier for Gerrard, whose Villa side are next up against champions Manchester City on Saturday.