Premier League: Calafiori Assists Saka Goal as Arsenal Beat Villa 1-0 for Second Straight Win

At 3:00 a.m. Beijing time on September 1, Arsenal visited Villa in the second round of the Premier League. In the 59th minute, Saka scored from close range to net the only goal of the match. Both teams managed just seven shots throughout the game, and Arsenal eventually secured a 1-0 away victory over Villa to start the season with two consecutive wins.

In the 6th minute, McGinn tried a long-range effort from the left side of the attacking area, but the ball went well over the goal. In the 9th minute, Arsenal won a corner from the front, and Gabriel headed wide after challenging in the middle. In the 12th minute, Villa won the ball back high up the pitch, and Buendia's long-range shot from the edge of the right side of the penalty area struck the frame of the goal. In the 14th minute, Odegaard received a pass from a teammate on the right side of the box and curled an effort wide. In the 25th minute, Arsenal took another corner, and Rice's header from the middle was saved by the goalkeeper.

A dull first half ended with the two teams level at 0-0, and neither Arsenal nor Villa registered a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.

After the break, in the 47th minute, Villa launched a quick counterattack. Maatsen received a long pass from a teammate and moved into the left side of the penalty area before forcing a shot that went high. In the 56th minute, Saka went down near the edge of the box, and the referee initially awarded a penalty, but the decision was changed to a free kick after VAR intervention. In the 57th minute, Odegaard's free kick went wide of the right side of the goal line.

In the 59th minute, Arsenal scored after a series of quick passes! Mosquera first played a through ball through the middle, Eze on the left moved the ball forward, Calafiori made a forward run and crossed into the box, and Saka finished with a close-range tap-in to make it 1-0 for Arsenal!

In the 75th minute, Rice played a through ball near the halfway line, and Havertz ran onto it for a one-on-one chance, but his shot was saved by Zion Suzuki. The referee then indicated that Havertz had been offside. In the 77th minute, Mosquera suffered an injury, and Konsa came on as a substitute to make his Arsenal debut against his former club Villa.

In the following minutes, neither side created any clear chances, and the match ended with Arsenal securing a 1-0 victory over Villa.

Starting lineups:

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): 1-Raya/33-Calafiori, 6-Gabriel, 3-Mosquera (77th minute, 15-Konsa), 4-Ben White/41-Rice (85th minute, 36-Zubimendi), 49-Skelley (71st minute, 39-Guimaraes)/17-Trossard (46th minute, 10-Eze), 8-Odegaard (71st minute, 23-Merino), 7-Saka/29-Havertz

Villa (4-2-3-1): 1-Zion Suzuki/22-Maatsen, 14-Pau Torres, 3-Lindelof, 2-Cash (78th minute, 29-Wan-Bissaka)/6-Barkley (78th minute, 17-Garnacho), 8-Kamara/53-Hemings (71st minute, 47-Alisson), 7-McGinn, 10-Buendia/11-Nicolas Jackson (71st minute, 18-Abraham)

(Original report by Sohu Sports: La De)