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FULL TIME

McGinn scores early in the first half, Aston Villa beats Arsenal and takes third place in the Premier League

December 9, 2023 2:27 PM ET

95'

Good attempt by Leander Dendoncker but his shot hits a defender. It doesn't threaten the goalkeeper.

December 9, 2023 2:23 PM ET

90' -GOAL DISALLOWED

GOAL DISALLOWED! Eddie Nketiah rushes into the crowd after the ball has hit the back of the net, but his joy is short-lived. Referee Jarred Gillett has ruled the ball out due to a handball. After VAR analysis, he confirms the goal was disallowed.

December 9, 2023 2:23 PM ET

87'

Without hesitation, the referee shows the yellow card for the foul committed by Diego Carlos.

December 9, 2023 2:17 PM ET

83'

Leander Dendoncker succeeds in wresting possession away from the attacking play with a trolley, but the referee blows the whistle and signals a foul.

December 9, 2023 2:13 PM ET

76'

Jacob Ramsey tries to dribble the ball away from the opposing player. The ball goes out of play and the linesman points to the corner flag. Kick in favor of Aston Villa.

December 9, 2023 2:04 PM ET

73'

Jarred Gillett shows John McGinn a yellow card for a hard foul.

December 9, 2023 2:03 PM ET

70'

Albert Stuivenberg will make a change. Gabriel Martinelli comes in for Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).

December 9, 2023 1:59 PM ET

68'

With too many players in the box, the short pass finds Ollie Watkins and he takes a first-time shot. The shot is blocked with his legs by goalkeeper David Raya.

December 9, 2023 1:59 PM ET

63'

Douglas Luiz receives the yellow card. The referee had no choice in the matter.

December 9, 2023 1:53 PM ET

GOAL DISALLOWED!

GOAL! No, wait, the shot has been disallowed for offside. Bukayo Saka doesn't agree, but the assistant referee is convinced of his decision.

December 9, 2023 1:53 PM ET

61'

Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) receives a very accurate pass inside the box and only has the goalkeeper to deal with. His shot to the far corner is low and David Raya saves easily.

December 9, 2023 1:49 PM ET

57'

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) header from a corner kick is cleared by everyone and only just misses the target thanks to the intervention of a defender just under the crossbar!

December 9, 2023 1:49 PM ET

57'

The referee points to the corner flag. Bukayo Saka steps up to take it.

December 9, 2023 1:47 PM ET

56'

Ben White can't make the pass in the middle of the defense and the play doesn't continue. Corner. Arsenal have a chance.

December 9, 2023 1:46 PM ET

52'

Bukayo Saka crosses into the box, but Emiliano Martinez intercepts the ball.

December 9, 2023 1:40 PM ET

47'

Gabriel Jesus goes down after a tackle in the box, but the referee immediately dismisses the penalty claims.

December 9, 2023 1:40 PM ET

RESTARTS

Ball rolling for the second half of Aston Villa v Arsenal

December 9, 2023 1:35 PM ET

HALFTIME!

End of first half Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal

December 9, 2023 1:20 PM ET

45'

Youri Tielemans decides to send a cross over the top to find one of his teammates. The opposing defense avoids the danger by taking the ball.

December 9, 2023 1:15 PM ET

43'

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) swings in the corner, but the opposition are alert and clear. Good work by Arsenal, who win a corner.

December 9, 2023 1:14 PM ET

40'

Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa) header from the right side of the box is ruled offside.

December 9, 2023 1:11 PM ET

40'

Emiliano Martinez was forced into action to block Martin Odegaard's (Arsenal) shot. He had space after taking advantage of a good pass and fired into the left corner.

December 9, 2023 1:11 PM ET

36'

Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal) controls an excellent pass inside the box and is in a great position to score. He takes a shot, but it is well blocked by one of the defenders.

December 9, 2023 1:09 PM ET

34'

That was a close one! Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) controls the pass and runs with the ball towards goal before firing a low shot from the edge of the box. The shot went inches wide of the right post.

December 9, 2023 1:06 PM ET

32'

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) shoots into the box to take advantage of a through ball and shoot low to the left post. Emiliano Martinez is alert and blocks his attempt with a fine save.

December 9, 2023 1:02 PM ET

28'

Oleksandr Zinchenko commits a foul and is yellow carded.

December 9, 2023 1:00 PM ET

27'

The referee blows the whistle for the foul. Gabriel Jesus used excessive force in the tackle but escaped without punishment.

December 9, 2023 12:58 PM ET

25'

Declan Rice takes a hard tackle and Jarred Gillett blows the whistle.

December 9, 2023 12:57 PM ET

23'

Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) comes forward and strikes the free-kick straight into the wall.

December 9, 2023 12:55 PM ET

19'

Kai Havertz made an inconsequential foul in an attempt to steal the ball from his opponent. Jarred Gillett had a good view of the play and blew the whistle.

December 9, 2023 12:50 PM ET

15'

Arsenal are seeing a lot more of the ball now.

December 9, 2023 12:46 PM ET

07' - GOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAL!

FROM ASTON VILLA! Goal! A precise cut-back by Leon Bailey finds John McGinn in front of goal, and he puts the ball into the left-hand side of the net without too much difficulty. 1:0.

December 9, 2023 12:42 PM ET

06'

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) meets the cross and unleashes a shot that is just wide of the target. A fine team move, though.

December 9, 2023 12:41 PM ET

02'

Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) races through on goal, but the defender manages to catch up and clear the danger. Aston Villa swings in the corner.

December 9, 2023 12:36 PM ET

START THE GAME!

Ball rolling for Aston Villa v Arsenal in the Premier League

December 9, 2023 12:31 PM ET

LOOK AT THEM!

Aston Villa's top scorer in the PL, Ollie Watkins (8G) enjoys playing against Arsenal with a healthy return of four goals in his last six H2Hs in the PL. As for Arsenal, Declan Rice became only the third player to score twice in a PL win in the 90th minute or later in a single campaign. His goal against Luton came at 96:23, the latest goal in a PL away win for Arsenal!

December 9, 2023 12:26 PM ET

David Raya

Since then, heated debates have arisen over whether goalkeeper David Raya should be replaced by Aaron Ramsdale, although Arteta himself remains focused on extending his excellent run of six consecutive competitive wins. Another away game awaits Arsenal and, although they travel with back-to-back victories as visitors, a return of just three wins in their last seven trips perhaps raises some doubts (1E, 3D) as to whether the Gunners will be able to record a third successive win at Villa Park.

December 9, 2023 12:20 PM ET

without Mikel Arteta

Arsenal will be without suspended manager Mikel Arteta on the bench following his undisciplined celebrations in the dramatic 4-3 win over Luton in midweek. That seems a small price to pay for a wave of excitement after becoming the first team in PL history to score five goals that resulted in wins in the 90th minute or later in a calendar year, while maintaining their position at the top of the table.

December 9, 2023 12:15 PM ET

Aston Villa like to score goals!

Winning by just one goal seems to be the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Villa's home winning streak, as each of their eight victories prior to Wednesday saw them score at least twice, while each of their last six has been accompanied by a multi-goal margin. This game in particular has an extra layer of spice for Villa manager Unai Emery, who was sacked as Arsenal manager in 2019 but remains unbeaten in four of his five career games against his former employers (1V, 3E, 1D).

December 9, 2023 12:14 PM ET

Villans

Aston Villa proved to be the latest storm for Manchester City by beating the triple champions 1-0 on Wednesday night, an impressive result that extended their home winning streak in the Premier League (PL) to 14 games. Perhaps most importantly, that win put the Villans ahead of Manchester City in third place, meaning they are undeniably in the title race at this stage, just four points behind leaders Arsenal.

December 9, 2023 12:01 PM ET

Arsenal XI

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice; Martinelli, Havertz, Odegaard, Saka; Gabriel Jesús

December 9, 2023 11:54 AM ET

Aston Villa XI

Martínez; Konsa, Diego Carlos, Torres, Digne; Bailey, Kamara, Douglas Luiz, McGinn; Tielemans; Watkins

December 9, 2023 11:48 AM ET

BRAZILIAN DUO TO START FOR VILLA

In all, there will be five Brazilians on the pitch. In addition to the Arsenal trio, the duo of Diego Carlos and Douglas Luiz will start for the home side.

December 9, 2023 11:45 AM ET

Mikel Arteta:

It's going to be a great setting, one of my favorite stadiums, a very English ground with a great atmosphere," said coach Mikel Arteta.

December 9, 2023 11:43 AM ET

Arsenal:

Arsenal, on the other hand, are coming off the back of a surprising midweek game: a 4-3 win over Luton Town, with the winning goal coming in second-half stoppage time.

The Londoners are also enjoying a good run of form. After defeats to West Ham and Newcastle, they have won six in a row this season, four of them in the Premier League.

Interestingly, the last team to beat Aston Villa in Birmingham was Arsenal, 4-2, in February this year.

December 9, 2023 11:38 AM ET

Aston Villa come from behind to beat City:

Aston Villa had already been praised for their good run in the Premier League, but the team may have moved up a level and placed themselves as title contenders with the way they beat Manchester City. In the words of manager Pep Guardiola, Villa have already entered the fray.

December 9, 2023 11:28 AM ET

Unai Emery:

Tomorrow (Saturday) will be very difficult. It's the biggest challenge we'll face so far. We'll try to transmit our energy, our idea, our style. And the fans will connect with us 100% - said Emery.

December 9, 2023 11:22 AM ET

Arsenal record at Villa Park is perfect

Arsenal lead the competition with 36 points, four more than third-placed Aston Villa. So if Unai Emery's side win at home, they'll be in the driving seat. And their record at Villa Park is perfect: seven wins in seven league games in 2023/24.

December 9, 2023 11:21 AM ET

Leaders vs sensations team

It's the day of one of the most anticipated Premier League matches in recent months. Premier League leaders Arsenal face Aston Villa, the sensations of the moment. The match takes place at Villa Park in Birmingham in the 16th round.

December 9, 2023 11:16 AM ET

1 HOUR!

One hour to go until the ball rolls for Aston Villa v Arsenal

December 9, 2023 11:11 AM ET

Channels for Aston Villa vs Arsenal on TV in real time?

Aston Villa - Arsenal

Premier League

Date: Saturday, December 9, 2023;

Time: 1 pm ET

Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham, England;

Where to watch: ESPN 2 (closed TV) and Star+ (streaming).

December 9, 2023 11:06 AM ET

When is the Aston Villa vs Arsenal match?

The match between Aston Villa and Arsenal will kick off at 14:00 BST at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, in the 16th round of the Premier League 2023/24. You can watch it all here on VAVEL Brasil.

December 9, 2023 11:01 AM ET

Arsenal's probable line-up against Aston Villa

Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Havertz; Saka, Gabriel Jesus, Martinelli.

December 9, 2023 10:56 AM ET

Aston Villa's probable line-up against Arsenal

Dibu Martinez; Konsa, Diego Carlos, Pau Torres, Digne; Diaby, Luiz, Kamara, McGinn; Tielemans; Watkins.

December 9, 2023 10:51 AM ET

Tomiyasu

Coach Mikel Arteta will be without full-back Takehiro Tomiyasu for some time due to a calf injury. The Gunners have other absentees such as Emile Smith Rowe, Fabio Vieira, Thomas Partey and Jurrien Timber.

December 9, 2023 10:46 AM ET

Leon Bailey

Aston Villa's standout performer in the win over Manchester City last time out, Leon Bailey is doubtful for the match as he left the field feeling uncomfortable. The team's confirmed absentees for the match include Bertrand Traore, Emiliano Buendia and Tyrone Mings.

December 9, 2023 10:41 AM ET

Arsenal

Arsenal have been given an extra day to recover their players and prepare for this Saturday's match. Their previous Premier League fixture took place on Tuesday, December 5. However, they had to sweat until the last second to beat Luton 4-3 on home soil and maintain their lead at the top of the table.

They opened the scoring in the 20th minute through Gabriel Martinelli from Saka's pass. The hosts, however, reacted quickly. They hit back five minutes later through Osho. Just before half-time, in the 45th minute, Gabriel Jesus put Arsenal back in front. He made the most of White's waiter work. In the second half, however, Luton turned the game around with goals from Adebayo in the fourth minute and Barkley in the 12th minute.

The Gunners even gave the impression that they would score a second quickly. In the 15th minute, Gabriel Jesus provided the pass that allowed Havertz to score the third goal. However, the fourth goal wasn't scored until the 52nd minute by Rice. He received an assist from Odegaard. This took them to 36 points (11 wins, three draws and one defeat). They maintained their lead and a two-point advantage over second-placed Liverpool. As visitors, they also have the best record in the tournament. Of the 21 points they've scored in column two, they've won 16 (five wins, one draw and one defeat). They have scored 13 goals and conceded six.

Arsenal
Arsenal

 

December 9, 2023 10:36 AM ET

Aston Villa

Aston Villa, who have been performing well this season, raised the bar for their results on Wednesday, December 6. With the chance to play at home, they beat Manchester City, last season's triple crown winners, 1-0. It was the club's most significant victory in recent years.

It wasn't an accidental result. It was the result of a brilliant performance that made the scoreline tight in the face of their attacking output. They had control of the ball for 46% of the time, created 22 chances and had seven of them on target. He scored in the 29th minute of the final phase. Bailey's goal was assisted by Tielemans. Trapped like a small team, Manchester City only managed two shots, both on target, throughout the match.

Aston Villa extended their unbeaten run to six matches. Between games in the Premier League and the European Conference League, they've won five and drawn one. In the Premier League, with 32 points (ten wins, two draws and three defeats), they moved up to third place. As a home side, he has a perfect record. They have won all seven of their games at Villa Park. They've scored 24 goals and had their defense breached on just five occasions.

December 9, 2023 10:31 AM ET

TIME AND PLACE!

The match between Aston Villa and Arsenal is valid for the 15th round of the Premier League 2023/24.

The Villans are in third place in the Premier League with 32 points and are enjoying a great season at Villa Park. The shock 1-0 win over Manchester City last time out was Aston Villa's 14th in a row at home.

At the same time, the Birmingham club ended City's 10-year unbeaten run in head-to-head encounters and come into the game on a high to face another Premier League powerhouse.

In addition, Brazilian Douglas Luiz is having a great season with the Villans and is one of the team's standout performers. The good news is that the midfielder is confirmed for this Saturday's game.

The match takes place in England's Premier League on December 9, 2023 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.

December 9, 2023 10:26 AM ET

Welcome to the Aston Villa vs Arsenal commentary

Hello, soccer lovers! It's now time for a crucial Premier League match between two teams: Arsenal on one side. On the other is Aston Villa. Follow all the action between the teams here, in real time on VAVEL Brasil.

December 9, 2023 10:21 AM ET
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