Arsenal boost their chances in the Champions League

 Arsenal boosted its chances of participating in the Champions League, by defeating Aston Villa 1-0 in the 30th round of the English Premier League on Saturday.

Arsenal raised its score in fourth place, the last qualifying for the Champions League, to 54 points, 4 points ahead of Manchester United, the fifth, who played more games.

The win is Arsenal's fifth in a row away from home, for the first time since May 2015, and he aspires to return to the first continental competition for the first time since 2017.

Arsenal thus regained the tone of victories after falling at home to Liverpool 0-2 in the middle of the week in a postponed match, in a match in which the best party was before Liverpool scored two goals in the last 25 minutes.

Arsenal missed its brilliant goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this season with a hip injury, while young Brazilian striker Gabriel Martinelli did not participate due to his illness, so he replaced them with German Bernard Leno and Emile Smith Rowe in the starting lineup.

Arsenal was the best party in the first half and had more than a good opportunity to open the scoring, most notably a shot from Ghanaian Thomas Partey after a quick counter-attack at the hands of former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martins (8). Martinez intervened shortly afterwards when he saved his own goal from an own goal by fellow defender Arzi Konsa.

Arsenal managed to open the scoring through a creeping shot by its international wing, Bukayo Saka, after a frenzy inside the area (30).

On the other hand, Aston Villa did not succeed in hitting any ball between the three woods in the first half.

Aston Villa's performance improved in the second half, but their attackers did not test Leno much. Indeed, Saka almost added the second goal when he fired a powerful ball that passed to the side of Villa's right post (60).

Aston Villa had their first chance in this half when Scottish John McGinn hit a ball that hit the bottom of Arsenal's left post (68).

Aston Villa coach and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard included Danny Ings instead of Ole Watkins in the front line and almost scored from his first chance when he hit a header that fell into the net from above (84).