Aston Villa 1-0 Arsenal LIVE: Score and Premier League latest, Trezeguet GOAL

ASTON VILLA 1-0 ARSENAL | TREZEGUET [26]

Aston Villa XI: Reina, Elmohamady, Mings, Konsa, Targett, McGinn, Hourihane, Luiz, Grealish, Trezeguet, Samatta

Arsenal XI: Martinez, Soares, Holding, Luiz, Kolasinac, Saka, Torreira, Ceballos, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah

• Mikel Arteta makes SIX changes from Manchester City victory at Wembley

• Dean Smith fields unchanged starting XI from Aston Villa side who drew with Everton

• “Back Arteta – Kroenke Out” Plane banner flown over Villa Park

• Huge goal for Aston Villa as Trezeguet smashes home from a corner

ASTON VILLA 1-0 ARSENAL

80: Final countdown. Cedric Soares is replaced by Joe Willock for the closing stages. Arsenal have got about eight attackers on the field!

78: DOUBLE WOW! This is chaos. Pure, beautiful chaos. Villa miss a chance at one end, and Arsenal somehow don’t score at the other. Eddie Nketiah rises highest to glance a corner against the INSIDE of the post, and the spin sees the ball rebound into the arms of Pepe Reina.

77: WOW! That… that could have been it. I’m staggered. Jack Grealish shows his class when skipping two challenges and driving into the Arsenal half. His inch-perfect threaded pass is collected by substitute Keinan Davis, who curls it agonisingly wide. Should have been 2-0.

65: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang drives down the left channel and he’s made himself a couple of yards. The forward clips a cross into the penalty area but there’s no yellow shirt in there to apply the finish.

63: How many times has Jack Grealish gone down or been fouled tonight? No wonder why he’s the most fouled player in the division. Alexandre Lacazette is the latest to have a nibble at his ankles and receives a yellow card.

60: We have half-hour left on the clock and I don’t mind admitting that I have absolutely no clue what’s going to happen here at Villa Park. I mean the hosts look more likely to score a second but how many times have we said that about Aston Villa this season shortly before they concede.

Double change for Arsenal as David Luiz is replaced by Nicolas Pepe. Kieran Tierney on for Bukayo Saka. The Gunners switching to a back four.

58: Close! Arsenal fail to clear their lines from Aston Villa’s corner and the ball falls kindly to Ezri Konsa, whose snapshot is deleted wide.

55: David Luiz isn’t looking at the ball and ploughs straight into Jack Grealish. The Brazilian is then staggered as the linesman, who was stood two yards away, gives Aston Villa a free-kick. Alexandre Lacazette does his defensive duties and heads clear Conor Hourihane’s delivery. This is brave, attacking stuff from Dean Smith’s side.

54: Tidy stuff from Sead Kolasinac and Dani Ceballos, who exchange a few passes inside the Aston Villa penalty area. The midfielder can’t quite get his shot away before it’s hacked away. Bukayo Saka then heads a half-chance miles over the crossbar.

51: That’s what Aston Villa will need to do throughout this second half. They have stepped up the pitch and putting pressure on Arsenal. Jack Grealish wins a corner that Rob Holding deflects behind. The second is played short with Douglas Luiz making a real hash of it. Wasted.

48: Aston Villa have been winning at half time in 10 of their fixtures this season. They’ve won five, drawn one and lost four. No wonder manager Dean Smith is looking steely-eyed on the touchline.

ASTON VILLA 1-0 ARSENAL

45: PEEP! And we’re back underway folks. Lucas Torreira is replaced by Granit Xhaka, who is experiencing something of a revival with Arsenal. He’s been excellent.

ASTON VILLA 1-0 ARSENAL

HT: So far, so very good for Aston Villa. 45 minutes before clinching a simply enormous victory. You wouldn’t imagine Arsenal will be as obliging in the second half – not after their recent displays anyway.

45: I guess it’s easy to say but Arsenal are looking a bit leggy tonight. Not much spark or threat from their front three. Three minutes of added time are signalled as Jack Grealish breaks away from the edge of his own penalty area and curls an effort wide. Would have been a beaut.

43: Aston Villa win three corners in the space of a few minutes but none are particularly threatening as Trezeguet heads tamely over the crossbar from the last.

41: Just a reminder Villa fans – you are OUT of the relegation zone as things stand. Stay calm everyone, there’s plenty of time left.

39: Frederic Guilbert is caught napping as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang wins a corner for his side. It’s played short and Arsenal are then penalised for offside. Mikel Arteta itches his neck in the technical area – looks quite anxious actually.

36: Lucas Torreira grabs his seventh booking of the season. Almost an impressive tally for the Uruguayan, who ploughed through the back of Conor Hourihane.

34: Penalty appeal! And not a convincing one. Jack Grealish sticks is leg out to try and collect a lofted pass forward and makes the faintest of connections with Alexandre Lacazette, who was doing the same. Nothing given. The Frenchman didn’t appeal either.

31: Mbwana Samatta is down and needs treatment but he’s OK to carry on before Jack Grealish draws yet another free-kick. The box is loaded but Arsenal clear easily.

28: Easier said than done but Aston Villa have to try and grab the second. They’ve thrown away more than a few points from winning positions this year. Can’t afford any more slip ups.

Trezeguet has now scored three goals in his last three Premier League games, as many as he managed in his previous 30 matches.

ASTON VILLA 1-0 ARSENAL | TREZEGUET

26: GOAL! Would you believe it! Aston Villa have scored what could be a HUGE goal in their battle against relegation.

Winger Trezeguet seems to love the big occasion. He’s hovered towards the far post and arrives to slam in a Conor Hourihane corner popped out kindly for him. Dean Smith doesn’t move a muscle on the touchline.

25: Frederic Guilbert returns to senior action for the first time since March. He’s on to replace Ahmed Elmohamady, who looks to have tweaked his hamstring.

24: Drinks break. And a drinks break that will need to be used to good effect by both managers

21: Well Dean Smith’s relegation-threatened side look fairly solid at the back but there’s been almost nothing going in the opposite direction. Jack Grealish has barely been involved other than drawing one… two… three fouls.

John Terry stares from the sideline with a biro in his mouth.

18: Cedric Soares drills a cross into the penalty area that Matt Targett turns behind for an Arsenal corner. Targett then gives away another from the same corner but Conor Hourihane manages to glance that away from goal.

15: A quarter-hour gone and it’s goalless. Quite a cagey and tense affair with Arsenal just about shading it.

13: Bukayo Saka looks to capitalise against Ahmed Elmohamady down that left channel. He finds Eddie Nketiah, whose first touch isn’t great and couldn’t connect with the effort. Tyrone Mings clears.

10: Ten minutes in at Villa Park and Dean Smith may be forced into an early substitution. Ahmed El Mohamady is the player hobbling. Frédéric Guilbert is warming up but the Villa right-back isn’t calling it quits that easily.

8: “Back Arteta – Kroenke Out,” is the banner flown over Villa Park tonight. Make of that what you will. To matters ON the pitch Jack Grealish’s cross is cut out and John McGinn heads the second ball over the top.

5: Eddie Nketiah starts on the right of a front three for Arsenal with Alexandre Lacazette central and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang left. No chances to discuss in these formative stages – I would like to see a bit more ‘oomph’ from the hosts.

3: Dean Smith said Aston Villa cannot continue to accept being “valiant losers” a few weeks ago.

That resonated with me. Not only because I was a big Tim Henman fan… but because he’s spot on. The Villains have played some good stuff this season and pushed plenty of sides hard before succumbing to a mistake or moment of brilliance. Can’t happen tonight.

ASTON VILLA 0-0 ARSENAL

1: PEEP! And we’re underway at Villa Park folks! Massive night for both sides. I did hear that the Aston Villa players watched the first half of the Watford vs Manchester City game before warming up. Could be a big motivator tonight…

Bad omen…

They might have a spring in their step during the warm up, but Villa’s record against the Gunners isn’t great.

Aston Villa have lost six consecutive Premier League matches against Arsenal, by an aggregate score of 19-3.

All done.

Manchester City beat Watford 4-0 tonight at Vicarage Road. No real surprise given the manager fiasco and the fact Pep Guardiola’s side had over 80% possession.

So… An Aston Villa win would take them out of the bottom three with just one game to go. Bournemouth are still alive in the top-flight. Oh, and if Villa fail to beat Arsenal then West Ham will be mathematically safe.

Twitter round-up

Jean-Michail: The only uncertainty surrounding Aubameyang’s hat-trick today is how the goals will be divided between the two halves.

Matt: Come on lads lets send this football-playing Arthur Shelby where he belongs, Championship! COYG!

Dwight: interested to see the shape up front today with both Alexandre Lacazette & Eddie Nketiah in there. Will Laca be more of a false 9 today? Nketiah doesn’t tend to play out wide?

Antonio: If this Watford vs Manchester City result doesn’t motivate the Villa players to at least out work and run their opponents then they don’t deserve to play PL football next season!

I believe Matt is referring to Jack Grealish looking like the fella from Peaky Blinders…

And the top half…

Arsenal are in tenth on 53 points and I can’t really see Mikel Arteta’s side securing European football through the Premier League.

They can reach a maximum of 59 points and that’s the number of points that sixth-placed Wolves are on already. Tottenham are in seventh on 58 points with a superior goal difference. Six more than their north London rivals.

Maybe… maybe… but Arsenal could do with a BIG win tonight and Sunday.

Latest standings

This is big. This could be really, really big folks.

Manchester City are now winning 4-0 against Watford with over 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

Other than being embarrassing and a pitiful performance… that leaves the Hornets level on goal difference with Aston Villa and Bournemouth. They are all on -27.

Watford have also scored the LEAST goals out of the three. So IF Villa can win tonight then they’ll jump out of the relegation zone.

Final games? Watford have Arsenal away, Villa travel to West Ham and Bournemouth are up against Everton at Goodison Park.

Team news – Arsenal

Mikel Arteta makes SIX changes from the side who beat Manchester City at Wembley on Saturday. Yes, that’s right, six.

Eddie Nketiah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang AND Alexandre Lacazette all start for Arsenal.

In come Lucas Torreira, Rob Holding, Cedric Soares, Eddie Nketiah, Sead Kolasinac and Bukayo Saka.

Out go Granit Xhaka, Nicolas Pepe, Shkodran Mustafi, Kieran Tierney, Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Hector Bellerin.

Team news – Aston Villa

Dean Smith sticks with the same starting XI who drew with Everton at Goodison Park last Thursday. Deserved to win that night.

Kortney Hause returns to the squad after injury. Oh, and will tonight be Jack Grealish’s last game in a Villa shirt at Villa Park?

Starting XI

Team news arrives at precisely 7.17pm. Sorry, was heating up my lasagne… Mikel Arteta is going for it tonight with his selection, very attacking indeed.

Aston Villa XI: Reina, Elmohamady, Mings, Konsa, Targett, McGinn, Hourihane, Luiz, Grealish, Trezeguet, Samatta.

Subs: Nyland, Lansbury, Nakamba, El Ghazi, Jota, Guilbert, Hause, Vassilev, Davis.

Arsenal XI: Martinez, Soares, Holding, Luiz, Kolasinac, Saka, Torreira, Ceballos, Aubameyang, Lacazette, Nketiah.

Subs: Macey, Bellerin, Tierney, Sokratis, Maitland-Niles, Pepe, Willock, Xhaka, Smith.

The latest…

Aston Villa supporters will be watching events at Vicarage Road. In fact they’ll be glued.

Watford, as you’ll know, inexplicably sacked Nigel Pearson with two games remaining in a move that’s turned the universe football family against them.

“They deserved that,” will be the cry if they can’t avoid the drop.

Anyway, they trail Manchester City 2-0 after the 50-minute mark. It looks like it could potentially be 10-0 come full time and that could be great news for the Villans.

Rodri has actually completed more passes than the entire Watford team. Let that sink in.

Evening…

Hello everyone and welcome to our LIVE coverage of Aston Villa vs Arsenal from Villa Park.

Big night? Just a bit.

Dean Smith’s Villans have just two fixtures remaining to save their top-flight status. A win tonight would be… well I don’t think there’s a word big enough to do it justice.

But points against an Arsenal team who have just beaten Liverpool AND Manchester City on consecutive matches will not be easy.

I’ll get into the nitty-gritty in a few moments. Team news and line ups coming shortly. Standby.