Andrei Arshavin ended his 11 match goalless streak in the 39th minute at Villa Park, giving Arsenal something to show for a dominant first half of play. The goal, however, was less a result of Arsenal brilliance and more on account of a Luke Young mistake, with Arshavin given free reign no the left side during a break, eventually cutting onto his right foot for the goal.
Aston Villa Vs. Arsenal: Andrei Arshavin Puts Gunners Up, 1-0 After 38 Minutes
The Villa mistake came when Luke Young came in from his right back position to contest an aerial ball in the center circle. Center half Richard Dunne was already there, and when the two Villa defenders collided, the ball ended up going to Arsenal’s vacated left flank.
There, Arshavin picked up the ball and went uncontested into Villa’s penalty area. Cutting back onto his right foot, Arshavin led fly with a 16 yard shot the beat Brad Freidel just inside the `keeper’s left post, giving the Gunners a 1-0 lead.
Arsenal has had control of the first half, generating almost all of the scoring chances while controlling over 60 percent of the possession. Marouane Chamakh and Samir Nasri have been dangerous for the Gunners, but until Arshavin broke through in the 39th minute, Aston Villa had looked to get to halftime scoreless. Now, with Nasri already having a chance to make it 2-0, Villa is trying to limit the damage.
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