Aston Villa vs Arsenal live score, updates, highlights & lineups as Bukayo Saka and Ollie Watkins strike

By | February 18, 2023
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Aston Villa and Arsenal are both looking to end winless runs when they meet in the Premier League at Villa Park.

The hosts’ 3-1 defeat at Manchester City on February 12 was their second successive setback following their 4-2 loss at home to Leicester City eight days earlier.

The Gunners were beaten 3-1 at home by City in their top of the table clash on Wednesday, extending their wait for a victory to four matches in all competitions.

The Sporting News is following the match live and providing live score updates and commentary.

MORE: Watch every Premier League match live with fuboTV in Canada

Aston Villa vs Arsenal live score

  1H 2H Final
Aston Villa — — —
Arsenal — — —

Goals:
 

Aston Villa vs Arsenal live updates, highlights from Premier League

17 mins: Aston Villa 1-1 Arsenal

Bukayo Saka is now Arsenal’s top scorer this season with 10 goals. How far clear would they be going at the top this afternoon if they had Erling Haaland spearheading things?

The return of Gabriel Jesus is going to represent another intriguing twist in this Premier League season.

16 mins: Aston Villa 1-1 Arsenal

Contrasting responses on the bench to that goal, as you might expect. Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta instantly held both arms aloft as Bukayo Saka’s scything shot flew in, while his Villa counterpart, Unai Emery, has been telling his players to keep calm with a gesture you can probably imagine.

15 mins: GOAL – Aston Villa 1-1 Arsenal (Bukayo Saka)

An even better finish than the first goal! Ben White reaches the byline inside the penalty area on the right and clips back a cross that Tyrone Mings tries to head clear.

Bukayo Saka still has a lot to do to send in a shot on goal as the ball bounces up for him inside the box, but he manages to fizz a superb half-volley into the far corner of the net. Emi Martinez had no chance with the zip on that – a marvellous piece of technique!

12 mins: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

Leandro Trossard has been given a start today and he tries to cause some trouble down the left with a cross. Then he sends a corner to the far post from the same side, which Villa eventually clear.

11 mins: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

A nervy moment for Villa is expertly dealt with by Tyrone Mings under his own crossbar!

The defender signed a new contract on Friday and he shows his worth by diverting the ball onto the crossbar with an outstretched leg after Ben White gets behind the Villa backline inside the penalty area on the right and loops a cross towards Eddie Nketiah’s head in front of goal.

10 mins: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

Ollie Watkins thinks he has a chance of making it five goals in four games after Aaron Ramsdale needlessly dallies on the ball for too long, just about clearing.

8 mins: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

Mikel Arteta issues instructions at close quarters to Ben White on the touchline. Most of Villa’s attacks have continued to come down their left, where that splendid goal originated from.

6 mins: Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

5 mins: GOAL – Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal (Ollie Watkins)

Ollie Watkins has a fourth goal in as many matches with a terrific finish!

Matty Cash dispossesses Oleksandr Zinchenko outside Villa’s penalty area on their right. The Poland international is straight on the attack, lofting a lovely diagonal pass on to the run of Watkins just outside the Arsenal box.

The striker shows what confidence his run of goals has given him, nonchalantly moving into space past William Saliba before rifling a low drive into the far corner of the net past Aaron Ramsdale’s drive!

4 mins: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

Villa keep working the ball towards that left-hand side but they haven’t had any joy out of Ben White and company yet.

“Their strength this season has not been starting this season and sometimes teams can work them out,” says Lucy Ward on BT Sport.

3 mins: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

Granit Xhaka tries to create something for Arsenal on the left, narrowly failing to win a corner. Then Villa set off on the opposite flank on an attack that also fizzles out.

2 mins: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

Mikel Arteta is on his feet, as you’d expect, and issuing instructions. Villa have the first half-promising attack, Philippe Coutinho cutting inside from the right and playing a low pass to Douglas Luiz, who has a shot from an outrageously long way out that threatens the corner flag as much as Arsenal’s goal.

1 min: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

Fashion news: Unai Emery is wearing a gold sleeveless puffa jacket above his formal attire today. Mikel Arteta, who he shares a pre-match embrace with, is all in black.

Arsenal kick us off, attacking from right to left in the first half.

20 mins from kickoff: Emery has drawn three and won one of his encounters with Arsenal.

Villa have lost their last three against Arsenal. The Villans won the fixture three times in a row before that, but lost each of their previous seven attempts to do so.

40 mins from kickoff: Let’s take a look at what Unai Emery said before this game. Villa had made a promising start to his reign before those defeats to City and Leicester.

“Our objective is not to change,” he says. “When I arrived here, we were near the bottom; we progressed and then two weeks ago, before the match against Leicester, we were very excited about the possibility to get in the top ten and close to playing in Europe next year.

“The target is the same as before the match against Leicester and after the two games we lost: we must try to escape the bottom – we are not there yet. We are trying to add points and get to the top ten, and if we can catch some teams we are going to try and do it.”

55 mins from kickoff: There are two changes for Arsenal: Takehiro Tomiyasu and Gabriel Martinelli come out, Ben White and Leandro Trossard are brought in.

60 mins from kickoff: Team news! Aston Villa make five changes, including the restoration of England defender Tyrone Mings, who’s just signed a new contract at the club.

Matty Cash, Alex Moreno, John McGinn and Philippe Coutinho are also in, with Ashley Young, Calum Chambers, Lucas Digne, Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey making way.

80 mins from kickoff: Make sure you follow The Sporting News’ dedicated football channels on Twitter and Instagram.

Full of insights, stats and analysis, they go as well with the beautiful game as Unai Emery with the Europa League trophy or Mikel Arteta with the edge of the technical area.

100 mins from kickoff: This is the first time since 20 August that Arsenal are not starting a round of fixtures on top of the Premier League table.

“That’s an opportunity,” says head coach Mikel Arteta, adding that there were “a lot of positives” to take from that first home defeat of the season.

“We’ve talked about it for a few months now: the position that we’re in, the way the team is playing, and all the right things that we have to continue to do to earn the right to be there. We’ve seen where the level is, we want to be at that level and we are on that journey together.”

120 mins from kickoff: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ coverage of Aston Villa and Arsenal’s meeting in the first Premier League match of the weekend!

Aston Villa overlord Unai Emery took charge of 51 top-flight games for Arsenal between August 2018 and November 2019, winning 25 and losing 13 of them during his ill-fated succession to Arsene Wenger – a daunting manager to replace for any coach.

Manchester City, who beat Arsenal 3-1 at Emirates Stadium to move top of the table on goal difference on Wednesday, are now hoping the Spaniard does them a favour by inflicting a second successive defeat on the Gunners, who’ve gone four games without victory since their barnstorming 3-2 win at home to Manchester United on January 22.

Aston Villa vs Arsenal predicted lineups

Emery has hinted defender Tyrone Mings will not be fit in time to return for this game with Diego Carlos, Jed Steer and Bertrand Traore all still out.

However, Matty Cash and John McGinn could return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench in the defeat at City.

Aston Villa starting XI (4-4-2): Martinez (GK) — Cash, Konsa, Chambers, Digne— McGinn, Kamara, Luiz, Buendia — Watkins, Bailey

Aston Villa subs: Sinisalo (GK), Young, Ramsey, Moreno, Dendoncker, Swinkels, Sanson, Coutinho, Duran

Arteta will make a late call on Thomas Partey, after he missed the defeat to City through injury, but Gabriel Jesus and Emile Smith-Rowe are still sidelined.

Defensive midfielder Mohamed Elneny is a long-term absentee after having knee surgery in January.

Arsenal starting XI (4-3-3): Ramsdale (GK) — White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko — Odegaard, Partey, Xhaka — Saka, Nketiah, Trossard

Arsenal subs: Turner (GK), Tomiyasu, Kiwior, Tierney, Holding, Jorginho, Martinelli, Vieira

What time is Aston Villa vs Arsenal kick off?

This Premier League clash will kick off at Villa Park on Saturday, February 18 at 12:30 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:

  Date Kickoff time
USA Sat, Feb. 18 07:30 ET
Canada Sat, Feb. 18 07:30 ET
UK Sat, Feb. 18 12:30 GMT
Australia Sat, Feb. 18 23:30 AEDT
India Sat, Feb. 18 18:00 IST
Hong Kong Sat, Feb. 18 20:30 HKT
Malaysia Sat, Feb. 18 20:30 MYT
Singapore Sat, Feb. 18 20:30 SGT
New Zealand Sun, Feb. 19 01:30 NZDT

Aston Villa vs Arsenal live stream, TV channel

Here’s how to watch all of the action from this match in some of the major territories:

  TV channel Streaming
USA NBC USA Network, Universo NBC app, fuboTV, Universo NOW, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo, 
Canada — fuboTV Canada
UK BT Sport 1 BT Sport app/site
Australia — Optus Sport
New Zealand Sky Sport Premier League Sky Sport NOW
India — Jio TV, Hotstar VIP
Hong Kong Now Premier League TV (Ch. 620-621) now TV
Malaysia Astro SuperSport 3

Astro GO, sooka
Singapore 221 Hub Premier 1 StarHub TV+

UK: This match will be broadcast live via BT Sport’s television and streaming services in the UK.

USA: This match streams on NBC’s USA Network platform for subscribers in both English and Spanish.

Canada: Every Premier League game this season is live streaming exclusively via fuboTV in Canada.

Australia: Fans in Australia can stream every match live and on demand on Optus Sport. 

MORE: Watch every Premier League match live with fuboTV in Canada

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