• Date: Sat 15 November 2008
  • Venue: Emirates Stadium
  • Ref: Riley, M
  • Attendance: 60,047
0 - 2
Aston Villa

Aston Villa

Agbonlahor (80)

Arsenal vs Aston Villa

Team Lineups

Arsenal

Manuel Almunia
Mikael Silvestre
Gael Clichy
William Gallas
Bacary Sagna (Kolo Toure, K, 71)
Cesc Fabregas
Vassiriki Abou Diaby (Emmanuel Adebayor, 61)
Pereira Neves Denilson
Samir Nasri
Nicklas Bendtner (Carlos Alberto Vela, 68)
Theo Walcott

Aston Villa

Brad Friedel
Carlos Cuellar
Luke Young, L
Martin Laursen
Curtis Davies
Gareth Barry
Stiliyan Petrov
Ashley Young, A
Steve Sidwell
James Milner
Gabriel Agbonlahor


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

Full-Time: ARSENAL 0-2 ASTON VILLA. Arsenal fail to produce anything in the four minutes of stoppage time and Villa claim their first win against the Gunners for a decade.

90

Four minutes of added on time have been indicated but it looks as though Arsenal could play all day and wouldn't score.

89
Yellow Card
 

Sidwell picks up a yellow card after bundling over Adebayor.

87

Fabregas with another corner for Arsenal which he sends it to the near post, a Sidwell diving header sending it away from danger.

83

From the corner taken by Fabregas Villa are unable to clear as Arsenal again fail to put in a decent delivery from a set piece.

82

Friedel produces an excellent save after Walcott played in Fabregas whose effort from a tight angle is pushed over the crossbar.

80
Yellow Card
 

Agbonlahor gets himself a booking for his over the top celebrations following his goal.

80
Goal
 

ARSENAL 0-2 ASTON VILLA. AGBONLAHOR doubles Villa's lead with a very quick counter-attack. Davies lumps the ball upfield catching out the Arsenal defence and Agbonlahor sprints away before placing the ball past Almunia.

78

Toure gets a cross into the box from wide on right but Villa are standing strong at the minute, Cuellar heading Toure's cross away.

75

Adebayor has two chances to put the Gunners level again from Nasri's cross, the first shot is blocked which sends the ball spinning up into the air to allow Adebayor to try an overhead kick which he sends high and wide.

72

Adebayor has a chance to pull Arsenal back level from a lovely cross from Nasri which the Togolese striker heads towards goal but some how Friedel tips the ball over.

71
Substitution
 

Bacary Sagna is carried off with what looks like a serious injury and on in his place comes Kolo Toure.

70
Goal
 

ARSENAL 0-1 ASTON VILLA. Some lovely build-up play results in a cracking cross from Young that finds Agbonlahor whose shot takes a big deflection off CLICHY and beats Almunia.

67
Substitution
 

Arsenal make their second change with the teenage sensation Carlos Vela coming on for the disappointing Nicklas Bendtner.

65

Milner delievers a low cross which takes a massive deflection as it heads in towards the penalty area where Almunia is forced to collect before a Villa player can reach the ball.

61
Substitution
 

Arsenal make their first change of the half with Emmanuel Adebayor coming on for Abou Diaby.

60

Barry puts in a great looking cross from the left towards the near post but Almunia does really well to come off his line to collect the ball with a good catch.

57

Walcott tries his luck from a long way out, sending it skidding towards goal which forces Friedel into a simple save.

56

Fabregas will take a freekick from Arsenal from the left which Laursen heads clear, the ball makes its way back to Fabregas whose second cross towards the far post results in Friedel being fouled by an Arsenal player.

54
Yellow Card
 

Barry gets a yellow card after leaving the ball behind which Walcott steals, only to have the shirt nearly ripped off his back by Barry who receives the booking.

52

Barry with a corner for Villa which he swings in towards the far post, avoiding all the red shirts and finding Ashley Young who tries to strike it on the volley but only succeeds in sending the ball high and wide.

49

Nasri tries to slide a ball through the Villa back four with Diaby seemingley running on to it. However the Frenchman stops his run and the ball trickles through to Friedel. Poor communication from the Gunners.

47

Villa with a chance early on in the second half after Denilson fouled Agbonlahor. From the resulting freekick Ashley Young can only bend his shot five yards wide of goal, failing to trouble Almunia.

Second half
 

Mike Riley gets the second half underway with Arsenal taking the kick-off knowing they must greatly improve if they want to maintain their hold on third place.

Half time
 

Half-Time: ARSENAL 0-0 ASTON VILLA. All square at the break although Villa should be ahead after being guilty of missing a number of good chances.

44
Yellow Card
 

Brad Friedel gets himself a silly booking for time wasting after taking too long to take a Villa free-kick.

41

Barry's corner is punched away by Almunia but only as far as Petrov on the edge of the area who takes a swipe at the ball but its blocked on the edge of the area and Arsenal again have to clear upfield.

38

Barry takes a free-kick for Villa from a wide position which is flicked away by an Arsenal head before Walcott can clear.

35

Clever play from Villa with Agbonlahor holding the ball up before laying it off to the on rushing Barry whose right footed effort is blocked well by Almunia six yards from goal, lovely play from the visitors who should be ahead.

32

AshleyYoung has yet another strike on goal and certainly wants to make amends for his penalty miss, this time his effort is straight at Almunia who holds onto the ball from the effort.

31

Fabregas takes another corner for Arsenal which Silvestre rushes towards but can't quite beat Davies for it and Villa can clear.

29

Young tries a long range effort which has Almunia beaten, the goalkeeper seeing the shot late as it whistles past the post.

25

Diaby does well to pick out Nasri with a brilliant ball into the penalty area but the Frenchman lets himself down with a poor first touch and the ball spins through for Friedel to collect.

22

Fabregas swings in a corner for Arsenal, outswinging towards the far post looking for a red shirt but Gabriel Agbonlahor beats Denilson to the ball and Villa can clear.

20

Villa are really on top at the minute and Sidwell nearly gives his side the lead against his former club but can only hit his half-volleyed effort into the waiting hands of Almunia.

19

Brilliant save from Almunia who denies Ashley Young with a save low down to his right and forcing the ball behind for a corner before Young can get the rebound in.

18
Yellow Card
 

Fabregas is given a yellow card after a badly timed tackle on Barry in the build-up to the penalty.

18

Ashley Young wins a controversial PENALTY after a series of mistakes at the back by Arsenal results in Walcott diving in on Young and Mike Riley points straight to the spot.

17

Fabregas floats in a quick free-kick from a deep position towards the far post but it's too close to Friedel who collects easily at the far post.

14

Good chance for Arsenal after Nasri's cross was headed away by Sidwell, only as far as Fabregas, whose low effort is saved but spilt by Friedel and Davies has to clear away as Diaby comes charging in.

10
Yellow Card
 

Denilson gets a booking after a poorly timed lunging tackle on Stiliyan Petrov.

9

Arsenal win their first corner of the match which they take quickly, Fabregas putting in a low cross towards the near post which Friedel bravely collects.

5

Villa win the first corner of the afternoon which Barry takes, swinging it in towards the near post but Gallas is pulled back in trying to head the ball clear and Mike Riley awards the Gunners a freekick.

4

Walcott is again the thorn in Villa's side, getting in behind their backline but unable to find a red shirt in the box from a tight angle. Fast and frantic start at the Emirates.

3

Walcott, with his first touch of the afternoon, skins Luke Young before whipping in the cross which is just behind Bendtner, the Danish forward unable to direct the header anywhere but wide.

1

Villa make a very bright start from kick-off with Ashley Young powering down the left before driving in a low shot which Almunia has to deal with and makes a decent save.

1
Kickoff
 

Referee Mike Riley gets the game underway with Arsene Wenger yet to suffer a home league defeat to any Midlands side since he took over at the club. Aston Villa will need a clear five-goal victory if they want to climb above today's opponents.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Aston Villa XI: Friedel, Cuellar, Laursen, Davies, Luke Young, Ashley Young, Sidwell, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Aston Villa will look to end their run of 19 league games without a win against Arsenal as Stilliyan Petrov and Luke Young return to the side with Nigel Reo-Coker and Nicky Shorey missing out. John Carew starts on the bench.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Arsenal XI: Almunia, Sagna, Gallas, Silvestre, Clichy, Walcott, Fabregas, Denilson, Nasri, Diaby, Bendtner

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Arsenal name the same starting eleven that beat Man Utd last week with Manuel Almunia shaking off the nasty knock he took from Michael Carrick whilst Emmanuel Adebayor is poised for action from the bench for the first time since the defeat to Stoke