Premier League - Half Time Report: Aston Villa 0 - Arsenal 2
There was a French reunion taking place in the Midlands with Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger's side taking on an Aston Villa side managed by his friend Gerard Houllier and containing former Gunners star Robert Pires. But there was little
room for niceties with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Villa are just three points off the drop zone and play an Arsenal side who have the incentive to go atop the Premier League with victory as they aim to avoid a third defeat in a week.
Former Arsenal star Robert Pires made his first Aston Villa start against his former club as he replaced midfielder Stephen Ireland. Centre-back James Collins and striker John Carew returned to the side as Jonathan Hogg and Gabriel
Agbonlahor - who is ill - made way. Arsenal are without injured captain Cesc Fabregas but midfielder Jack Wilshere started and centre-back Laurent Koscielny came back into the side, with Johan Djourou dropped to the benches which also included Robin van Persie
and Theo Walcott.
The game was only 23 seconds in and we nearly got a goal. Stephen Warnock carelessly gave the ball away and suddenly Andrey Arshavin found Marouane Chamakh in the area - only for Brad Friedel to make a fine save racing off his
line.
It was all Arsenal; they were not letting Villa have a kick. Robert Pires lost out to Alex Song and the pressure was already relentless as Tomas Rosicky drove low across goal and wide from 15 yards after a wonderful pass from the
visionary Jack Wilshere.
Not sure even a politician could argue that they don't deserve to be ahead. It was a bit easy as Villa were caught high up the pitch and Andrey Arshavin had acres of space down the left to scamper away; he cut into the box and
drove a shot low into the far corner via the fingertips of Brad Friedel. They really earned that goal.
The game opened up after the goal; it was all Arsenal from the start. Andrey Arshavin's trickery dumped Robert Pires on his backside on the right and when the ball came into the box, Marouane Chamakh laid it off for Samir Nasri
- the Frenchman placed his foot through it, but it hit the Moroccan and Villa were spared once more.
If the first goal was amazing then the second was a fabulous, fabulous goal. There weren’t 30 passes in this one - Arsenal had a corner, Andrey Arshavin floated it to the edge of the box where Samir Nasri was waiting and the Gunners'
current French hero slapped in a beautifully-executed volley that took a deflection off Luke Young and nestled in the Villa net.
A dominant Arsenal went in 2-0 up in the first half but, unlike last week when they let a similar advantage slip in a 3-2 defeat by Spurs, the Gunners had it a lot easier in holding on to their lead this time around.
Goals: Arshavin 39, Nasri 45
Starting line-ups:
Aston Villa: Friedel, Luke Young, Dunne, Collins, Warnock, Ashley Young, Clark, Bannan, Downing, Pires, Carew.
Subs: Guzan, Ireland, Delfouneso, Beye, Hogg, Lichaj, Herd.
Arsenal: Fabianski, Sagna, Squillaci, Koscielny, Clichy, Rosicky, Song, Wilshere, Nasri, Chamakh, Arshavin.
Subs: Szczesny, van Persie, Walcott, Denilson, Djourou, Gibbs, Bendtner.
Referee: Mark Clattenburg (Tyne & Wear)
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