There will be four added minutes of stoppage time to play here at the Emirates and it looks like Arsenal are taking the points.

Alexandre Song seems to foul Stewart Downing twice before Villa get a free kick in the Arsenal half. He is on a booking so needs to be careful.

Gabriel Agbonlahor almost gets in on goal but William Gallas does enough to put him off and Manuel Almunia palms it out before the Villa man can fire into an empty net.

Villa are trying to respond by getting back a quick goal but Ashley Young wastes a chance to get a ball into the middle by lashing it behind from the left.

A slight worry as Cesc Fabregas was feeling his hamstring after scoring that second goal but it looks like he will carry on.

A chance here down the right flank for Villa as Stewart Downing whips in a free kick but Manuel Almunia again gets distance on his punch.

The game is getting more and more open here as Villa are pressing up the field and are open to quick breaks from the Gunners.

Great football by Arsenal here but Theo Walcott wastes the chance as he smacks the ball across the face of goal with nobody around to get on the end of it.

Richard Dunne fouls Theo Walcott and hurls the ball away which sees him spoken to by Phil Dowd but strangely not booked.

It is still mainly Arsenal in the ascendancy as Arsene Wenger will love a second so he can enjoy the rest of this game.

Cesc Fabregas tees up Alexandre Song on the edge of the D but he fires his effort over the crossbar.

Cesc Fabregas whips a high free kick into the Villa area but William Gallas is guilty of a foul as he goes up for the header.

Villa will have to come out a bit more here and that could leave them open to Arsenal on the break. But the Gunners are good value for the lead.

Richard Dunne brings down Cesc Fabregas in a great position for an Arsenal free kick about 25 yards almost central to goal.

Arsenal come back again with Andrey Arshavin's effort parried by Brad Friedel before Richard Dunne hacks it out for a corner before Samir Nasri can tap in the follow up.

Confusion in the Villa area almost gifts a goal to Arsenal but Brad Friedel can't gather when Richard Dunne leaves the ball for him and Da Silva Eduardo sees his effort hacked off the line.

Cesc Fabregas nearly makes a quick impact as he sends a free-kick from 30 yards over the top of the bar.

From the second corner the ball is knocked down and William Gallas' close range effort is blocked on the line and cleared.

Arsenal have a free kick which Da Silva Eduardo hits towards the back post and Brad Friedel parries it way. Another cross is knocked out for a corner.

Samir Nasri concedes a free kick down the left to Stephen Warnock. Ashley Young plays it in but Manuel Almunia punches it away.

Thomas Vermaelen is struggling to keep up with Gabriel Agbonlahor in a straight race. He falls on the ball and eventually wins a free kick much to his relief.

Villa are now getting some attacking moves together here as they may scent a possible win having secured a 2-0 success at this ground last season.

Richard Dunne tries to pick out Emile Heskey in acres of space down the right but the offside flag is up against the forward.

Arsenal have come out of the blocks quickly in this second half but Villa's defence is still standing firm though.

Da Silva Eduardo's first kick is knocked out for another corner. The second flag kick from the Croatian is well cleared away by Villa.

Vassiriki Abou Diaby's strong run down the right is blocked. Then Stephen Warnock slices an attempted clearance to Vassiriki Abou Diaby as Villa scramble it out for a corner.

Samir Nasri whips in the corner but Richard Dunne gets up well to power it away with his head.

Andrey Arshavin wins a corner off Carlos Cuellar down the left so a chance for Arsenal.

Arsenal are enjoying more possession but their forwards do not look like breaking down Villa at the moment.

Gabriel Agbonlahor is narrowly flagged offside just as he broke clear on goal. There was not too much in it but a correct decision.

The tempo of the match has just dropped off for a moment as the sides lock horns in midfield trying to pick a killer ball out for their respective forwards.

Pereira Neves Denilson commits a foul on Stiliyan Petrov as we await some real goal mouth incident in this game.

Pereira Neves Denilson hits the kick but the wall does its job before Bacary Sagna smashes the rebound over with his right foot.

Referee Phil Dowd finally awards Arsenal a free kick right on the edge of the Villa area after Richard Dunne fouled Pereira Neves Denilson.

Arsenal push forward and Samir Nasri gets room for a shot which loops just over off a defender. From the corner Alexandre Song gets his head to it but it goes over.

Alexandre Song gives away another free kick here for a foul on James Milner. However a header from the kick is down and into the hands of Manuel Almunia.

It is end-to-end stuff but neither keeper has been seriously tested in the opening 25 minutes or so of the match.

Stephen Warnock puts in another timely tackle to stop Samir Nasri getting a shot in on goal. Da Silva Eduardo's resulting corner is hacked clear.

Stephen Warnock is rash as he goes in heavy on Samir Nasri. The free kick is whipped in from the right and Vassiriki Abou Diaby heads over the bar.

Alexandre Song brings down Ashley Young to give Villa a free kick and narrowly avoid a booking. The inital free kick is blocked but James Milner's cross into the area sees Richard Dunne foul Manuel Almunia before putting the ball into the net.

Thomas Vermaelen looks not too steady as he allows a ball through to Stewart Downing who fires just wide at the back post.

End-to-end here as Stephen Warnock gets a vital tackle in on Da Silva Eduardo, before Gabriel Agbonlahor is denied by Alexandre Song's good tackle at the other end.

It is fairly even now as both sides are looking to get forward and you would think there will be goals as the Gunners are the league's top scorers.

The resulting Stewart Downing corner is allowed to bounce in the area before Denilson clears. Villa push forward again and Carlos Cuellar is given space on the edge of the area but hits his shot high and wide.

A good move by Villa sees Ashley Young's shot deflect off Alexandre Song and loop over the top for a corner.

Andrey Arshavin picks up the ball just outside the area but his turn and shot on his left foot is tame and easy for Brad Friedel to gather.

Gabriel Agbonlahor gets the ball with his back to goal but is crowded out by Arsenal players. He lays it off to Emile Heskey whose effort is well blocked.

Villa are just trying to push on and get an attack going now but play is held up as Bacary Sagna suffered a knock.

A second short corner is taken and played out to Pereira Neves Denilson whose effort from 25 yards is over the bar.

It's all Arsenal at the moment as Da Silva Eduardo's right wing corner is headed behind by Emile Heskey for a second flag kick.

Another chance for the Gunners as Da Silva Eduardo is played in inside the area but his shot on the tun is too weak to beat Brad Friedel.

A first skirmish in front of goal sees Arsenal almost score as Samir Nasri's free kick found Thomas Vermaelen at the back post but Stephen Warnock hack his shot clear from near his own goal line.

A tasty cross from Stewart Downing into the centre is plucked from the air by Manuel Almunia as Villa have started brightly.

Great conditions for this festive football feast as Villa also look to make it a clean sweep for the Big Four this season having won at United and Liverpool and beaten Chelsea at Villa Park.