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Ollie Watkins has scored in four successive games for Aston VillaUnai Emery's Aston Villa denied his former club Arsenal the chance to go back to the top of the Premier League as they played out a dramatic draw at Villa Park.
Villa twice went ahead through Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho in the firstt half as they hosts pressed high early on.
They were pegged back by strikes from Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko either side of the break, but Villa's defensive strength was evident as they earned a deserved point.
Mikel Arteta's side remain level on points with Manchester City, but are now winless in three league games
There was an electric pace to the game from the off, and Villa took the lead inside five minutes through Watkins' fourth goal in as many games.
He caught the Gunners cold on the counter, latching onto Matty Cash's long pass before beating William Saliba and finishing off the far post.
It took just 11 minutes for Arsenal to respond, though. Moments after Tyrone Mings cleared Eddie Nketiah's shot onto the bar, Saka levelled with a powerful effort into the roof of the net, giving Emi Martinez no chance.
Coutinho, in for his first league start under Emery, put the hosts back in front just past the half-hour mark, rounding off a wonderful team move with a calm finish from inside the area.
On the hour, Zinchenko found space at the edge of the box and fired into the near post from a short corner, restoring parity with his first Gunners goal, before Nketiah fired over minutes later.
Odegaard missed a golden opportunity to put Arsenal ahead 14 minutes from time, sliding a shot wide after being played in Nketiah's left-hand cross, before Aaron Ramsdale denied substitute Leon Bailey n a breathless finish.
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Aston Villa
Squad number1Player nameE Martínez- Squad number2Player nameCash
- Squad number4Player nameKonsa
- Squad number5Player nameMings
- Squad number15Player nameÁlex Moreno
- Squad number7Player nameMcGinn
- Squad number6Player nameDouglas Luiz
- Squad number44Player nameKamara
- Squad number23Player namePhilippe Coutinho
- Squad number10Player nameBuendía
- Squad number11Player nameWatkins
- Squad number22Player nameDurán
- Squad number27Player nameDigne
- Squad number31Player nameBailey
- Squad number32Player nameDendoncker
- Squad number41Player nameJ Ramsey
Arsenal
- Squad number1Player nameRamsdale
- Squad number4Player nameWhite
- Squad number12Player nameSaliba
- Squad number6Player nameGabriel Magalhães
- Squad number35Player nameZinchenko
- Squad number8Player nameØdegaard
- Squad number20Player nameJorginho
Squad number34Player nameXhaka- Squad number7Player nameSaka
- Squad number14Player nameNketiah
- Squad number19Player nameTrossard
- Squad number11Player nameGabriel Martinelli
Squad number16Player nameHolding- Squad number18Player nameTomiyasu
- Squad number21Player nameFábio Vieira
Line-ups
Aston Villa
Formation 4-4-2
- 1E MartínezBooked at 84mins
- 2Cash
- 4Konsa
- 5Mings
- 15Moreno LoperaSubstituted forDigneat 78'minutes
- 7McGinn
- 6Douglas LuizBooked at 45minsSubstituted forDendonckerat 67'minutes
- 44Kamara
- 23CoutinhoSubstituted forJ Ramseyat 62'minutes
- 10BuendíaSubstituted forBaileyat 67'minutes
- 11WatkinsSubstituted forDuránat 78'minutes
Substitutes
- 9Traoré
- 16Chambers
- 18Young
- 22Durán
- 27Digne
- 31Bailey
- 32Dendoncker
- 38Sinisalo
- 41J Ramsey
Arsenal
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Ramsdale
- 4WhiteSubstituted forTomiyasuat 79'minutes
- 12Saliba
- 6Gabriel
- 35Zinchenko
- 8ØdegaardSubstituted forHoldingat 90+6'minutes
- 20Jorginho
- 34XhakaSubstituted forFábio Vieiraat 79'minutes
- 7SakaBooked at 45mins
- 14Nketiah
- 19TrossardSubstituted forMartinelliat 68'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Tierney
- 10Smith Rowe
- 11Martinelli
- 15Kiwior
- 16Holding
- 18Tomiyasu
- 21Fábio Vieira
- 24Nelson
- 30Turner
Live Text
Substitution, Arsenal. Rob Holding replaces Martin Ødegaard.
Own Goal by Emiliano Martínez, Aston Villa. Aston Villa 2, Arsenal 3.
Jorginho (Arsenal) hits the bar with a right footed shot from outside the box. Assisted by Gabriel Martinelli.
Attempt saved. Jhon Durán (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top left corner. Assisted by Jacob Ramsey.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by John McGinn.
Eddie Nketiah (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Leon Bailey (Aston Villa).
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa).
Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Jhon Durán (Aston Villa).
Attempt saved. Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Jorginho.
Attempt missed. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box misses to the left following a corner.
Corner, Arsenal. Conceded by Ezri Konsa.
Hand ball by Jhon Durán (Aston Villa).
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa) is shown the yellow card.
Attempt missed. Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal) header from the centre of the box is too high. Assisted by Martin Ødegaard with a cross following a set piece situation.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) wins a free kick on the right wing.
Foul by Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa).
Attempt saved. Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) right footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the top centre of the goal. Assisted by Boubacar Kamara.
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