Arsenal’s stallion completes 98% of his passes as Gunners defeat battling Villa

Arsenal reclaimed their spot at the top of the Premier League table after a hard fought victory over Aston Villa.

The Gunners dominated proceedings and took the lead early on when Jack Wilsherefinished off a clever move in the 34th minute and within 59 seconds Olivier Giroud had doubled the club’s advantage, firing into the bottom corner from 10 yards.

Christian Benteke’s diving header reduced the deficit late on, setting up a nervy finish to the match, but Arsenal defended valiantly, securing three points and a return to first place.

Key Stats

With a 60% share of possession, Arsenal were dominant throughout the course of the match and this is apparent in the final score line. Comfortable in control, the Gunners completed 556 passes in total as they moved the ball around Villa with ease. Paul Lambert’s side could only manage 259 passes, registering a completion rate of 78% (vs Arsenal’s 88%).

This is not to say Villa did not challenge Arsenal. In terms of efforts on goal, both sides hit the target on four occasions, yet the Midlands club managed nine attempts in total, one more than the London outfit.

Wenger’s men were forced to make 55 clearances throughout 90 minutes, as Villa tried on various instances to break down their opponent’s resistant defence.

Man of the Match

Laurent Koscielny has been outstanding for Arsenal this season and he proved his worth, once again, collecting the Man of the Match award against Aston Villa.

The Frenchman has formed a formidable partnership with German teammate Per Mertesacker at the heart of the club’s defence, with the duo forming the rock that the club’s title bid has been built upon.

Koscielny received a Squawka Performance Score of 53 points as he played a vital role in removing the threat posed by Christian Benteke, particularly in the first half.

Throughout 90 minutes the defender won 100% of his tackles, 3 headers, 3 interceptions, 16 clearances and completed 98% of his passes.

Performance Score

The two sides remained fairly level prior to Wilshere’s opening goal, but from this stage forward Arsenal made full use of their advantage, scoring a second and essentially wrapping up the match.

Benteke’s second half strike gave the Villans a glimmer of hope in the last 20 minutes and the performance score deficit was reduced by a fraction.

However, Arsenal’s efficient display saw them quell an enthusiastic Villa to finish the match on top. On 90 minutes, the Gunners recorded a final score of 347 points, in comparison to the 13 of the hosts.

Key Observations

Yesterday’s match saw the return to the score sheet for a certain Aston Villa striker, as Christian Benteke finally regained his form in front of goal. The Belgian frontman had failed to score for 14 hours 45 minutes stretching back to 14th September, but his header against Arsenal (his third goal against the club this season) will surely see him regain some form of confidence. Villa were reliant on his services when avoiding relegation last campaign and a similar situation could arise this time round.

We must, of course, take a moment to admire the defensive ability and discipline of the Arsenal back four. Laurent Koscielny’s performance has already been noted with his man of the match award, however the displays from Mertesacker, Nacho Monreal, Bacary Sagna and, later, Kieran Gibbs should not go amiss.

Mertesacker’s importance to the club continues, as does his thriving partnership with Koscielny. With the two featuring alongside one another in central defence, Arsenal have won 20 of 28 games over the last two years, drawing the remaining matches. The German completed 100% of his passes against Villa, winning four headed duels and three tackles.

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Furthermore, the club’s two full-backs, Monreal (left) and Sagna (right) were instrumental in both defence and attack. Their efforts up and down each wing are epitomised by their respective Heat Maps.

Sagna completed 63 passes and played five crosses into the penalty area, whilst making five clearances, winning three headers and one tackle. Meanwhile, Monreal completed 91% of his attempted passes, as well as making two interceptions, three clearances and one tackle. After being released down the flank by Mesut Ozil, in the first half, he provided the pass to assist Wilshere’s opening goal.

Kieran Gibbs featured in the 66th minute as he replaced the latter at left-back. He came on to make two tackles and five interceptions, whilst in attack he completed three, of an attempted four, take ons – more than the Villa team combined.