In a world where modern goalkeepers are often judged on their ability to play out from the back, sometimes nothing compares to the primary job of stopping the ball from hitting the back of the net.
Early in the second half, with the match still goalless and Aston Villa gaining confidence, Amadou Onana unleashed a shot from the edge of the box that deflected off Arsenal’s Gabriel and seemed destined for the goal. Reacting swiftly, Raya leaped backward to tip the ball onto the crossbar.
But Raya’s work wasn’t done. As the ball fell to Ollie Watkins, who looked certain to score with a header, Raya once again showed his reflexes by diving forward and pushing the ball away, much to the disbelief of the Villa fans. Just 15 minutes later, substitute Leandro Trossard made an immediate impact, scoring with his first touch to put Arsenal ahead. Thomas Partey later secured the victory, although Villa keeper Emi Martinez—who departed Arsenal four years ago—might have done better with Partey’s strike, making Raya’s earlier heroics even more crucial.
Since leaving Arsenal, Martinez has claimed to be one of the world’s best, but his error led to relentless taunting from the traveling Arsenal supporters.
While the outcome of the season is far from decided, this victory felt significant, especially since last season, two losses to Villa effectively ended Arsenal’s title hopes. Though the Gunners had moments of fortune in this match, the result was a powerful statement.
“The last two performances against Aston Villa were ones we should have won comfortably on paper, but we didn’t. Today we did,” said Mikel Arteta. “With a bit of luck and some outstanding individual performances, we managed to get the win.”
The game didn’t spark into life until about 15 minutes in, when Bukayo Saka forced Villa’s Emi Martinez into a fine low save. The kickoff had been delayed by five minutes due to communication issues between the officials and the VAR room, and many fans were still finding their seats well into the first half due to a new ticketing system at Villa Park that caused long queues.
Villa seemed content to let Arsenal control possession, and the Gunners’ buildup play was sluggish early on. Villa captain John McGinn had a heated exchange with Arteta after being fouled, and moments later, Watkins missed a golden opportunity to give Villa the lead. After Leon Bailey dispossessed Gabriel, Morgan Rogers played the ball across to Watkins, who, from just 12 yards out, somehow failed to hit the target, much to the frustration of the home crowd.
Arsenal appeared rattled briefly, as Timber ran the ball out of play under pressure from Kosta Nedeljkovic, Matty Cash’s replacement. The tension was palpable: even Villa’s Pau Torres misplaced a simple pass, drawing visible frustration from Unai Emery on the touchline.
Bailey, while not always sharp in attack, was crucial in defense, cutting out a dangerous cross from Kai Havertz. There was even a moment of comedy when McGinn drilled the ball at the prone William Saliba, only for Ben White to return the favor by hitting it straight back at the Villa man. Referee Michael Oliver, who was excellent throughout, managed to calm the situation without resorting to cards.
When Martinelli received a pass from Declan Rice and crossed for Havertz, the German forward found himself tangled up at the near post. Meanwhile, Rogers continued to trouble Arsenal’s defense by dropping deep and running at them, earning a yellow card for Rice when he halted Rogers’ advance.
Arteta’s frustration was growing, particularly when Onana escaped a booking for pushing Thomas Partey.
Then came Raya’s moment of brilliance. First, he tipped Onana’s deflected shot onto the crossbar, then somehow recovered in time to block Watkins’ follow-up header. Yes, Watkins should have scored, but Raya’s quick reflexes were nothing short of spectacular. Rogers continued to excite the crowd, shrugging off challenges from Gabriel Martinelli and Partey to win a corner for Villa.
After Watkins missed his chances, Saka became the next England star to squander a golden opportunity. After a clever one-two with Martin Odegaard, Saka advanced on Martinez but lost his footing at the crucial moment. At the other end, Ezri Konsa volleyed Lucas Digne’s free-kick across the goal.
Just moments before, Arteta had brought on Trossard for Martinelli, and the Belgian made an immediate and spectacular impact. Saka showed incredible speed to keep the ball in play and fire it back into the danger area. Although Rogers managed to get a touch to deny Havertz, the ball fell perfectly for Trossard, who steered it past Martinez to put Arsenal in front.
With Villa pushing forward, gaps began to appear, and Arsenal took advantage to seal the win with 13 minutes remaining. Trossard burst down the left, and when his cross was retrieved by Saka, the young winger found Partey, whose shot from just outside the box slipped past Martinez’s left hand. Odegaard had a chance to make it 3-0 when Rice set him up, but his shot flew over the bar—though another goal would have been harsh on Villa. Saliba still had time to make a vital challenge on substitute Jacob Ramsey as Arsenal saw out the match.
Unai Emery remained hopeful, saying, “Ollie Watkins will score chances like that in the future. It’s not the result we wanted, but we played the way we wanted to.”
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