Arsenal v Aston Villa review – Gunners fill their boots in BIG win

Arsenal needed a win against Aston Villa at home to keep up the fight for the Premier League, and to go back above the Spuds and into fourth place, at least until Southampton play later. But the Gunners would have to do it without our star player, goal machine and talisman, with Alexis Sanchez suffering a hamstring problem.

But Arsene Wenger was happy to be able to give first starts in a while to Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott, and the England speed merchant almost rewarded his manager with a goal in the first few minutes as he raced onto a through ball from Ramsey – but Okore got back to make the tackle.

Arsenal were finding it easy to get through Villa though and the goal was not long in coming, Ozil finding Giroud with a sublime piece of skill, and the Frenchman finished in style after nearly losing the chance. We should have been further ahead soon after but overplayed a bit in the box. And then Ramsey shot narrowly wide from lots of space on the edge of the area.

Coquelin was having another solid and impressive game in the middle, making it very difficult for the visitors to get anything going. One of their few chances came with a corner but Ospina has great hands and caught the ball well, The keeper then started a counter attack which ended with Cazorla being unlucky to see his left foot strike come back off the post. A few minutes later we did have the ball in the net after some intricate passing between Cazorla and Ozil but the German was denied, incorrectly it seemed, by the offside flag.

The Gunners should have been out of sight but Villa were encouraged by still being just a goal behind and nearly broke through our defence about 10 minutes before halftime. Ozil was having a good day and nearly provided a second assist with a perfect pass to Ramsey but the Welshman’s fierce shot was saved by Guzan.

Then a frantic minute before the break saw Ospina make a point-blank save from Gil’s header, and Walcott denied a one on one with the keeper by a last ditch tackle. But Arsenal had been given a clear warning, and a free kick and corner to defend in extra time reinforced it.

We were a bit slow to get going after the restart though and Benteke should have done better when he shot wide from a good position. It was a worry because our slick passing had gone while Villa were having a lot more joy and time with the ball. However, a minute after missing a pass to set up a chance, Ozil got it right to calmly slot in our second with a big help from Giroud’s through ball.

That put a much better complexion on things and the smiles were firmly in place when Walcott showed his pace and finishing to make it 3-0 with half an hour to go. In the absence of Alexis and Welbeck, having all three forwards score is exactly what the boss would have wanted. Giroud scraped the bar with a header just before he and Walcott were replaced by Akpom and Rosicky.

Akpom got straight into the action and soon won a penalty that Cazorla converted, just, to make it four. Rambo got a rest for the last 15 minutes, with Flamini coming on. I thought it might have been a good time to give Gabriel his first game for Arsenal, but maybe Wenger was more concerned with keeping a clean sheet and keeping Ramsey fit and fresh.

Akpom, Ozil, Monreal or Cazorla could have added a fifth but it was Bellerin who did it in the end to complete a good day for the Gunners (and us Gooners!) and the perfect way to prepare for the Spuds next week.

Tags Cazorla Giroud Ozil Walcott

161 Comments

        1. Now do you believe,we need no one ,no Shniederlin.no Cavarni,this squad is gonna get better an better. Let Wenger alone he knows more than we do about his squad,let’s now support and enjoy the rest of season win or lose CB

          1. Really chuffed with that performance! Cant think of a single player who put a foot wrong! This is why us Arsenal fans are never satisfied with 4th despite the media saying that’s what we deserves. Only us fans know the true potential of our team, and with few injuries we can see what we have on our hands here is truly special. Onwards and upwards! COYG!

            1. spot on! its unfortunate we reach our potential this late in the season, but FA Cup, still up for grabs and hopefully we can go far in UCL. And we’re only 6 points off 2nd place right now. this can still turn out to be a decent season.

    1. What other wap to respond when u lose ur top scorer, the team was super today, the only downside is that we could have easily scored more goals today the ball hit the bar 2wice minus the other misses, we did today guys

      1. we hope this form will continue till the end of season BRING ON SPUDS
        NEXT WEEK WE WILL EAT CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA.COYG

    2. world class assist for the 1st goal……… One thing is certain……..mr clean sheet remains our number 1

      1. vital save while we were 1 goal up, game would have changed completely if we had let that goal in.

        oooosssspppppinnnaaaaaaa

    3. WOOOWEE POWEEE BATMAN.
      5 nil.
      Next stop Spuds.

      Awesome, can go to work with a smile on my face again.

      1. In Ozil I trust. He doesn’t hustle, invissible that pops up unexpectedly. Thata assist is one great of a skill.

    4. I know Wenger is big on preparation and mental strength but bringing Arsenal in for Sunday training is a little unnecessary.

    5. 19 different goal scorers so far more than any team in EPL,yes Sanchez is our superman but we are not a one man team.That’s Arsenal

    1. Agree. All teams in PL are important

      We needed to play well for next week. Winning 5-0 will send Spuds a message

      Also the fact that Walcott, Cazorla, Giroud, Ozil and even Bellerin all scored shows we can win without Sanchez BUT need Sanchez next week

      Get well soon Alexis

      COYG

  1. I bet now the chickens are shaking … can’t wait for next match …
    Good performance and excellent result

  2. 5 we scored five, soooooooo elated! Everything i could hope for happened in this match, walcott, ozil cazorla and belerin all scored and to top it off ospina finally made a save, couldnt ask for more today, great win guys, COYG

    1. Not too many. Maybe if he played instead of Walcott, he would have scored one or two more. Great game, we did not miss Sanchez at all. Lets keep this form and give Spurs a beating they will never forget! 😀

  3. I know its aston villa but i’m really loving this new pressing game from arsenal. A. Sanchez effect?! i guess that’s what happens when you sign big names.

  4. With players in such hot form, can’t wait for the NLD. Imagine, all this without Sanchez. Spurs go hide behind the wall, quick.

    What a match. Awesome.

  5. City game was great, that looked fantastic! Entire team is looking more professional, positive and organised. Considering that some players are still getting back into the groove we are starting to look like the real deal! COYG’s!!

  6. MOTM has got to be THE COQ…

    The biy is just growing into his own.. He hardly exposed our back 4, winning 90% of his tackles..

    THE COQ..

    1. What a shame,we had this talent all the time sitting on the bench and we did not use it.
      The guy is top class,we have no need of another DM in this window,Wenger just has to make sure Lecoq and Akbom sign a new long contract.No way we can loose those guys,Akbom seems to me more naturally gifted than Wellbek and Sanogo.

      1. Its not a shame. Wish u saw the wenger interview with alan smith. Wenger bought him for his talent as a DM. He is even a world champ for france under 17. But somewhere along his development, coq thot he was more of a box to box which affected his game. He finally listened to wenger, took his chance at chalton and is back where he belongs. so more credit due to le prof.

    2. @GOONSTER
      I like how he wasn’t always positioned in front of the back 4. He was slightly off the attack at times and he looked deadly converting defense into attack at the drop of a hat…

      1. Yes, because Villa were offering nothing offensively, so he felt no danger and that’s why he could wander about.. But when the danger was imminent he was there in a blink of an eye.. Like against City, he hardly got to the centre circle..

  7. Le cog impress me yet again..this guy looks really good…his tackles or solid as hell…and may I say ooooooopina 1 more clean sheet….didnt have much to do but came up with 2 world class save when call up on thats what a good goalie do………bring on them s**t from wet fart lane….come onnnnn gunners

  8. Good performance all-round. Bellerin was my Man Of The Match. Coquelin continued to look solid, Walcott scored a great goal and looked a threat and Özil was good too. From the 20th minute to the 55th minute we just fell asleep and let them come at us, but Özil’s goal woke us up again.

  9. Between Bellerin and The Coq for MOTM.. These youngstars are just growing and growing by each game..

    1. Throw in Mesut and Cazorla as well.

      Mesut – 1 assist, 1 goal (Official MOTM)
      Cazorla – 2 assists, 1 goal

      1. Yeah Ozil and Cazorla too.. I only said the 2 youngsters because they have come from nowhere and taken their places like seasoned professionals..

        But Ozil and Cazorla were amazing too. It just feels good right now, most are back from injury..

  10. Hector Bellerin reminds me a little of philip lahm with his technique and tackling abilities and his overall positional play.

  11. 5 things I learnt about this game.

    1) Coquelin is for REAL. Quality on the ball, Quality ball winner, Quality passer, Quality DM.

    2) Arsenal have enough attacking threat at their disposal and would not miss podolski, Sanogo or any NEW signing for the rest of the season. But as a greedy fan, I hope we get one for the sake of it.

    3) The team has finally gelled and our starting 11 and sub bench are fantastic. Competition within the squad is working wonders.

    4) If we continue with this form by beating spurs next week, we will not only retain top4 BUT we can add some more silverware and really surprise our critics in the Champs league.

    5) Our academy works. Bellerin, Coquelin, Akpom are doing very well and I love their hunger as well. They will definitely be keeping starters on their toes.

    In summary, Its been a long time coming, But Arsene Knows best….FACT.

  12. Can’t wait to see highlights
    we really needed a blowout
    5-0 🙂

    At the moment we are tied with Southampton, 1 point behind United, 6 points behind City and 11 points behind Chelsea.

    Seriously, Arsenal should continue winning and who knows what could happen.

    Now Swansea take points of Southampton and give us a cherry on the cake for the afternoon

    Awesome win.
    I will have a nice week at least now

  13. 5-0

    Theo, 1 goal
    Olivier, 2 goals
    Aaron, 1 goal
    Mezut, 1 goal

    assists:
    Santi
    Mesut
    Santi
    Hector
    Olivier

    i wasn’t far off

  14. TayLor’s pre-match pLan to ruin Arsenal’s day was completely foiled………..in fact he automatically became our friend……… We didn’t put a foot wrong not even for a minute

  15. Great 2nd half – 5-0 great for goal diff (now better than ManUre and 2 behind Saints).
    Good run-outs for Theo, Mesut and Ramsey.
    Ospina, Bellerin, Le Coq outstanding + Santi & Olivier did the biz again + no injuries!!
    With Alexis rested bring on you Spuds
    COYG

  16. Defence looks better with Ospina behind and Coquelin in front.
    Mert looked calm and won a lot of headers and no need for last ditch tackles from Kos. Monreal and Bellerin looked good too.
    OK it was Aston Villa, but they must have great confidence having not lost a goal in last few games.
    Ospina is our lucky charm.

      1. Respect everyone’s opinion – but Nacho “shaky” – I didn’t see that whatsoever, I was thinking more how is Gibbs getting back in the team.

        1. Agreed, nice to see the ball being played forward in attacking way, Gibbs slows it down by passing back,plus his closing down is poor Monreal and Bellerin really have made the difference. Isn’t funny but sad if Debuchy who I rate too hadn’t got injured along with the midfield players, Coquelin and Bellerin we would not have seen there true worth CB

    1. I think Cazorla and Ozil played better than him offensively and defensively. Walcott should give way to Sanchez next week.

  17. i don’t know if it is only me but i realize this is when mertesacker should be praised.
    He is, with bossielny grooming Coquelin to be an important player for us.

  18. It was also great for Paulista to see a big win for his first game in the Squad (even if it was watching from the bench)

    He will be thinking “I made the right decision”

    5-0
    Next: Mash the Spuds

  19. This is the Arsenal i know and love. With this current form i fear no team in the world.Today i came in the conclusion, that its diff to find a better dm then Coquelin, he simple was fantastic. Every players was superb, simple anyone. Spurs are about to get crushed. And we need also to do anything to have a good go for the Cl.

    Wenger go out and try to get us Shneiderlin!

    1. I’m sick of hearing that we should get shneiderlin. He doesn’t wanna play for us anyway. Forget that guy

      1. I like Schniederlin a lot but FC is doing a very different specialist and disciplined job for us. It is 100% defensive no-frills – one which MS doesn’t do at Soton, he has a wider role there in getting up and down the pitch switching with Wanyama – MS actually looks quite the B2B player compared with the FC role. I would contrast their roles in the same way that Matic and Makelele are so different – you would class both as CDMs but are very different players.

      1. @muffdiver
        Pass the blunt. My brother don’t front, you had it for a minute but it felt like a month…LOL

      1. There are 101 things that PV could do that Coq can only dream of – but I will tell you this, PV could not play the defensive screening role that has been handed to FC any better. PV’s unerring natural instinct was to maraud up the park and create havoc in his wake.

  20. Coquelin, Bellerin and Monreal provide so much cover for the CB and Goalkeeper, they are much better than the other plaeyrs that play in these positions (defensivle). Ospina had to make 2 world class saves and he made them. I know if it was Scszesny he would have watched while that Wiemann header passed by him. The only time other than that when we were exposed was early in the 2nd half that Benteke chance, that could’ve bought them right back in it. Although we had so many chances, I think we would’ve still won if that went in.

  21. Convincing score..nice! Can’t wait to see MOTD!!

    glad to see Ozil and Walcott got on the scoresheet. Good for their and the teams confidence..

  22. A “one man” team scores 5 goals without that one man.

    This match really showed the PL that even though Alexis is World Class we are still winners even without him. Our team has a lot of quality

    Now Spuds you will face us with Alexis (hopefully).
    We will be even better

  23. Our team looks really well balanced. Creativity in the middle with Cazorla, Özil and Rosicky, balanced out with the defensive work of Coquelin. Pace on the wings with Walcott and Alexis, combined with the strength and physical presence of Giroud.

  24. hats off to this team performance . i am a very proud gunner today . a special word for the kides in the team , our future looks secure. the trick is to bring it on to spurs now , otherwise this victory will have no meaning .no gunner could not have enjoyed this team performance today , wonderful , keep it going .

  25. Sanchez, Welbeck, Wilshere, The Ox Debuchy, Paulista and Chambers (The Vampire) all did not play.. That’s a solid squad if we are to go about it on paper.. Only another DM in case THE COQ is injured. I don’t trust Flamini..

    Hope we can click now to the end of the season, we have good players..

  26. 5-0 & clean sheet what more to say…Ospina and Coquelin are doing wonders for our defence. Calm, composed and commanding for the first one and grit, strength and dedication for the latter. He’s making the DM his and continues to improve and impress!!Bellerin’s really got it, the speed to track back and go forward, the defensive awareness and recovery: Debuchy is a starter but might have a little trouble getting in if Bellerin continues to improve. Last but least Ozïl, the talent is there and we know it: on any given day at the top of his form he is arguably the best #10 in the world and just need performances like this and the previous one to show it and remind everyone (what a pass for Giroud); will do a lot for his confidence and also felt he could’ve been more involved in the team play but that will come with game time (got 90 mins today)…Hopefully that doesn’t stop until season’s end and keep them passes and goals coming…Dare I say I would’ve love to see once a front of Alexis, Ozïl, Walcott/Chamberlaine and Cazorla (mouthwatering)!!!

  27. The last 5 games haven’t been typically nervy. I think Arsene’s new tactical approach is really working the magic for us. Look the ball possession, villa had more of the ball, now that doesn’t happen at the Emirates. Beautiful game and a well deserved win. And ooh Ozil’s second goal was rightly ruled offside, should’ve seen the match analysis.

  28. Seriously guys, I think I saw an article titles “Cocquelin can save Arsenal $20M”, Obviously by the way he is playing so we do not have to buy another DM. I personally think we need one more to replace flamini, maybe not one of high calibre – because cocquelin is developing so well – but we do need one more. What do y’all think?

    1. We do need one more thought Flamini might move to accommodate le Coq and aWC DM like let’s say Scheinderlin or Llaramendi for example…to fulfill our objectives next season and not lose so many points so early & also be more solid against big teams consistently…but given room for Coquelin to keep improving and getting is a testament of the manager trust that he can be that guy for us until the end of the season and play a big role the next one even with a DM purchase.

    2. We’re still light in CDM position. I expect Diaby and Flamini out, and Arteta to stay. But Mikel getting old and his fitness is declining. Another CDM this summer and I’m very confident this squad can achieve big things. I’m also pleased to see AW learning from his mistakes a bit. It took a him decade… but glad to see it. Still unsure if he can win us the big trophies again though, but we’ll see.

  29. Aghh no negative members typing there drivel “it’s only villa, we need to spend 100 million plus Surez”

    In wenger i trust.

  30. @ozil Ogrillz:only nacho looked shaky,are you sure we watched the same game??by the way nacho has been performing well for quite a while now,the guy is getting better with each game!!

  31. Akpom needs to learn to keep a cool head. He shows too much enthusiasm at times. But nevertheless an upgrade on Sanogo who i dont want to see at Emirates again.

    1. I find myself agreeing with you the majority of the time 49, but the chap is 19 years old and is obviously attempting @ every turn to impress Le Prof. Ive been impressed with his skill set and direct, attacking approach to the game, future looks bright.

    2. @invincibles49
      Sanogo is way better than Akpom. He’s a better fighter and targetman. Akpom need to pick up his head and look around sometimes instead of trying to go straight for goal…

  32. Im really delighted with the change in emphasis away from possession retention to efficient attacking, it really plays into our players’ ballpark, and protects us from lack of pace at the back

    1. Not to forget that Fabianski made a couple of great saves and Shelvey scoring a superb goal.

      Would love Swansea to score another goal.

      A great weekend for Arsenal indeed.

  33. Ashley Williams was great. Thanks for keeping Southampton from scoring when Fabianski was doing a flappyhanski….

    1. Shelvey hit the post earlier before scoring.

      Wish he had scored his first attempt to give Swansea a 2-goal win.

      But, Ashley Williams was simply great on several occasions.

  34. Oh happy day!
    Now 1 goal behind Saints, 1 point behind ManUre, only 6 points behind City.
    Let’s take our best Man City game to the Spuds and get 3 points to keep the roll going
    COYG!!!

  35. 3 points and 7 goals behind Southampton at the start of the day. 0 points and 1 goal behind Southampton now – Progress. Only one point behind United in 3rd place too..

  36. 2 goals behind Southampton now, and level on points. Hope our strikers can keep firing, because we need all the goals we can get!

  37. I concede the fact it has only been a handful of Premier League fixtures and the title race, as well as Champions League gold is probably a touch ambitious but I have been extremely impressed wirh Arsenal over the last few weeks and owe Le Prof a personally aplogy. A continued shift toward defensive solidarity, high pitch pressing and a few additions in the summer and this team will be one of the best in Europe.

    Btw, does Marco Reus qualify as the quality player to knock on Wengers door?

    1. it wont be deadline day tomorrow for sure. His 25mill release clause only goes into effect during the summer.

  38. I do believe that when a team is confident with its goalkeeper and defence, it can do great things (obviously with the right talent..). It brings out the teams confidence and makes for a great team spirit.

    I like our squad depth and balance, and would say one or two additions for ageing players might be in order, but generally speaking we are looking good for a cracking end to the season.

    If Chelsea and City falter, we have an outside chance of the title, but it relies on us being invincible for 15 games.

    Whatever happens, it’s great to see us play so well and with such confidence.

  39. i am going to call out new signing gabriel angel gabriel as he will watch over our defence and take good care of us , lol.

  40. 4 clean sheets in 4 games Ooooooooooospinnnaaaa!!!….. I don’t want to see Szceszny near our starting XI again

  41. Good stuff Gooners! Awesome game from Le Coq. He showed his discipline and didn’t pick up a booking. Maybe I’m not used to that by watching Flamini run around and kick people for 90 minutes. What a statement win… bring on the N…… L…….. D…….. Spuds, you have been warned.

    Shout outs to Ozil (World class assist), the true number one Ospina, Hairdo Giroud, TW14 (nice welcome back goal), Akpom, Cazorla, Bellerin, EVERYONE!!!! COYG.

  42. Anybody else notice Coq literally JUST defends. It’s insane really – he wins the ball and even if he’s in a more promising position will just give it to a ball player for them to make the game tick. He did it SO many times. It’s actually really good tactical play – it releases our attackers to be creative and flexible, while le coq holds everything together. Rambo is still gung-ho but his game is slowly coming back. Cazorla is beasting it. Ozil and Theo are welcome additions. Giroud is finding a vein of consistency. Bellerin is coming on leaps and bounds. The best CB partnership in the premiership is coming good again. Even Monreal and Ospina are showing moments of class.

    If this keeps up, we’re really gonna start being a scary opposition. I just wish we had 1 more game before we faced Spurs – for no other reason then that I’d like just a LITTLE more gel time. The fact we had FA Cup between our last prem game and Villa feels a little bit like a momentum killer. 1 more game on our roll of wins (now our best run of the season) would be lovely. Keep the ball rolling against spurs and we’ll be flying. Keep our fingers crossed for fellow London clubs QPR and West Ham too – could end up in 3rd come next Sunday evening with a win and some good results!

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