London: Arsenal scored three goals in a four-minute span to beat Aston Villa 3-0 on Saturday and halt the host's good start to the Premier League season.
Mesut Ozil answered critics by scoring the first goal in the 32nd minute and then setting up Danny Welbeck two minutes later for the former Manchester United striker's first goal for Arsenal.
The third came shortly afterward, when Kieran Gibbs' low cross into the area was turned into the net by Villa defender Aly Cissokho as the hosts' resistance collapsed.
Arsenal rested new signing Alexis Sanchez but still looked vastly improved from their midweek loss to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and now have nine points from five games. They still trail Villa by one point after handing Paul Lambert's team their first loss of the season.
Villa would have gone provisionally top of the league with a win but despite a bright start they were carved apart in front of watching American chairman Randy Lerner - his first home game for almost two years.
Arsenal made three changes from their 2-0 loss to Dortmund as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Santi Cazorla and Calum Chambers came in.
Villa took advantage of Arsenal's overall indecisiveness as they made a strong start. Fabian Delph forced Wojciech Szczesny into a low save after just two minutes following the goalkeeper's poor clearance.
Alan Hutton nodded over on 17 minutes as Villa continued to carve out the best chances - and they should have taken the lead five minutes later. Chambers was booked for bringing down Gabriel Agbonlahor and Ciaran Clark met Tom Cleverley's delivery at the far post, only to be denied by a point-blank save from Szczesny.
But the Gunners stunned Villa with three quickfire goals to win the game.
The hosts had been edging the contest but collapsed suddenly, starting when Welbeck teed up Ozil to run through and coolly roll past Brad Guzan for his first goal of the season.
Then the World Cup winner repaid the favor when he crossed from the left and Welbeck smashed in from four yards. Villa were bypassed again Gibbs' cross was turned in by the sliding Cissokho.
Aaron Ramsey then shot wide with Villa dazed. Clark had a chance to haul Villa back into the game on 57 minutes but was thwarted by Oxlade-Chamberlain after Ramsey needlessly conceded a corner.
Southampton grabbed a late winner to beat 10-man Swansea 1-0 as the Welsh club sustained their second straight Premier League loss after starting the season with three wins.
Victor Wanyama scored his first goal for the visiting Saints with an angled right-foot shot into the top left corner in the 80th minute at the Liberty Stadium after being set up by Graziano Pelle.
Southampton have now won their last three league matches and moved second with 10 points from five games.
Swansea played more than half the game without Wilfried Bony, who was sent off in the 39th minute for a second yellow card.
Bony saw red for the first time in English football after felling Saints defender Maya Yoshida with a needless tackle from behind on the halfway line. The Ivorian had already been booked for catching Jose Fonte in mid-air after 20 minutes.
Swansea had dominated until Bony's dismissal but the red card proved the game's turning point as Southampton took total command in the second half.
Newcastle substitute Papiss Cisse made an instant impact on his return from knee surgery, scoring twice to recover a 2-2 draw against Hull amid fan protests against manager Alan Pardew.
Despite the second-half comeback, Pardew's side remains without a win five matches into the English Premier League season.
But it could have been much worse at St. James' Park for Newcastle, which was trailing 2-0 - after conceding from Nikica Jelavic and Mohamed Diame - when Cisse came on in the 69th minute.
The Senegal forward, who has been sidelined since April, scored after four minutes on the pitch, and equalised in the 87th.
Comments
0 comment