Arsenal has beaten Aston Villa 4 – 2 in a primier league game, rising at the top of the league.
Watkins gained a yard of space far too easily and then beat Aaron Ramsdale with a low left-footed shot.
Image: Curtesy
A few minutes later, Ramsdale delayed a clearance long enough for Watkins to block it in the six-yard box.
Tyrone Mings made a spectacular goalline clearance ahead of Eddie Nketiah, but White had been offside before providing the cross.
Bukayo Saka at the 16th minute belted a goal for arsenal.
Photo: Curtesy
The visitors seemed to have banished their nerves and to be gaining a bit of control when suddenly they went behind again.
Coutinho dropped off to feed Boubacar Kamara, who rolled the ball into the path of left-back Alex Moreno.
Emi Buendia wrongfooted the Gunners’ defence with a brilliant dummy and Coutinho used the space and time he had been granted to perfection.
The goal seemed to knock the stuffing out of Arsenal, who struggled to find openings.
Some tasty tackles were flying in from both sides and emotions spilled over just before the break.
Saka took exception to a Coutinho foul and pushed him.
Douglas Luiz flew in to defend his fellow Brazilian and then almost everyone got involved.
Somehow only Saka and Luiz were shown yellow cards by referee Simon Hooper.
Arsenal came out early for a second half on which their season could turn.
They dominated possession and territory, with Saka a regular outlet, but met stern resistance from a well-organised and determined Villa.
Nketiah was struggling to make an impact but did hit the bar with a header from a White cross.
But on the hour Arsenal worked a short-corner routine, Martin Odegaard fed Oleksandr Zinchenko and the Ukrainian’s precise low shot beat Emi Martinez at his near post.
Photo: Curtesy
Zinchenko didn’t even celebrate, preferring instead to roar for more effort from his team-mates.
Almost immediately, Nketiah nearly rose to the challenge.
But after running on to Odegaard’s through ball and holding off Ezri Konsa, he shot over the bar.
