Aston Villa moved to within two points of the Premier League summit as they continued their outstanding home form with victory over Arsenal.
The Gunners had led the table heading into the weekend but slipped to a 1-0 loss courtesy of captain John McGinn’s seventh-minute strike – with Villa extending their winning home league run to 15 games in the process.
Arsenal twice had the ball in the net in the second half but Bukayo Saka was offside before Kai Havertz was denied a late equaliser having been penalised for handball.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery would have particularly enjoyed getting one over his successor – although Mikel Arteta watched on glumly from the directors’ box as he served a one-match touchline ban.
Villa beat champions Manchester City here on Wednesday night and this success shows that they are legitimate challengers for the title this season.
Arsenal were disjointed for large periods of the game with Saka, in particular, struggling to make an impact on proceedings in a manner which he has become accustomed.
This season, Arsenal have often struggled to break down a low-block while largely enjoying themselves against sides who look to press.
Therefore, this was testament once again to the ruthlessness and guile with which Villa employ Emery’s tactics and continue to befuddle some of the best teams in the land.
Saka had a good chance to open the scoring early on but, after drifting in unmarked at the back post he could not make meaningful contact on Gabriel Martinelli’s swinging cross.
Villa would hit the front soon after, playing out from the back and not letting Arsenal get near the ball as Leon Bailey burst into plenty of space to break down the right before playing in McGinn, who had time to take a touch and turn before finishing emphatically past David Raya.
Having been so front-footed and driven in the win over City, there could have naturally been some drop-off less than three days later but the home side were running the show in the opening quarter of the game.
Martin Odegaard then shot into the side-netting as Arsenal at last began to string together some passes in the final third.
Martinelli was next up, beating the onrushing Emiliano Martinez to a ball over the top and looping a shot at goal that was cleared away by Diego Carlos.
With the visitors building up a head of steam, Odegaard had a fine chance to equalise but saw a shot from 12 yards out once again kept out by Martinez, who then saved from Gabriel Jesus before the break.
Arsenal saw calls for an early second-half penalty turned down after Douglas Luiz caught Jesus but a VAR check quickly came down on the side of the hosts.
Miscommunication in the Villa box almost gifted Arsenal their equaliser as Martinez looked to claim a corner but could only palm the ball into the back of Ollie Watkins, who was leaping to clear, and it hit the post before being collected.
Odegaard, who had arguably wasted Arsenal’s best chance in the first half, then skewed a shot horribly wide as Villa’s goal continued to live a charmed life.
Despite clearly tiring, Villa were still able to pose a threat themselves as a simple ball through the middle eventually saw half-time substitute Moussa Diaby picked out and he played in Lucas Digne, who shot low at Raya.
Saka then had the ball in the net only for the offside flag to bring an abrupt end to celebrations before Raya was again called upon to save from Watkins.
Havertz thought he had levelled in the last minute but referee Jarred Gillett awarded Villa a free-kick for handball against the German, with a lengthy VAR check ultimately siding with the on-pitch official.
Nagelsmann impressed after biggest win of Germany tenure
Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann was impressed by his team after they inflicted a heavy 7-0 defeat on Bosnia-Herzegovina in the Nations League.
The thumping win in Freiburg secured top spot for the Germans in Group A3, with Nagelsmann's side now five points clear of second-placed Netherlands with one game to go.
Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst netted two each, while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane were also on target in the victory that was Germany's biggest win since Nagelsmann took charge in September 2023.
The former Bayern Munich manager, who replaced Hansi Flick, failed to take hosts Germany past the quarter-finals in the summer's Euros, but his side now have a chance of securing their first silverware under the 37-year-old.
"We have no injuries from the game and our counter-pressing was extraordinarily good," Nagelsmann said after the game.
"And then to score seven goals against an opponent sitting so deep is something.
"We wanted to win possession and then quickly play the ball forward, be quick in transition and find those runs, something we did not do often enough at the Euros [in June]. We did it well," he said.
Glenmuir outclass STETHS 5-2 to maintain daCosta Cup dominance; McGrath, Garvey Maceo, Ocho Rios also into semis
Glenmuir High continued their dominant march in the ISSA/Wata daCosta Cup with an emphatic 5-2 victory over St Elizabeth Technical High School (STETHS) in their final Group A quarterfinal match on Saturday.
In a display of clinical finishing and cohesive play, Glenmuir, through goals from Orel Miller (12th), Conroy Nicely (32nd), Orane Watson (45th and 67th), and Ricardo Binns (90+1), overwhelmed their opponents at home in Santa Cruz to further solidify their status as title favourites. Justin McPherson (80th) and Shemmar Smith (83rd) got STETHS consolation.
The win saw Glenmuir finish atop the group with maximum nine points, five points ahead of McGrath High, who blanked Frome Technical 4-0 to also book a semi-final berth. They finished ahead of STETHS on goal difference after both ended on four points each.
Glenmuir’s Head coach, Andrew Peart, was again pleased with how his team went about business.
“Every game you play, you try not to concede but we can live with it. We were 4-0 up when we conceded so we can work on those. I thought today was one of the displays that you’re really proud of; at the start we weren’t really in control but we managed to settle and play our game and score some goals so again, I am really proud of them,” Peart said in a post-game interview.
Though a bit slow out the blocks, Glenmuir quickly gathered momentum and broke the deadlock inside 15 minutes when Miller capitalized on a perfectly weighted cross from Tajaun Cummings, rising above defenders to power a header into the net.
STETHS had a chance to respond shortly after but Deandre Barnett’s header struck the upright.
That was all STETHS would get at that point as Glenmuir extended their lead two minutes past the half-hour mark with a goal that showcased their set-piece prowess. A weighted corner kick from O’Neil Headly was cleverly flicked on by Dusting Cohen, allowing Nicely to tap in at the far post.
Watson added his name to the scoresheet just before halftime, when he slotted into an empty net after STETHS’ goalkeeper Johnoi Steadman advanced and failed to get a hand on Okeem Saunders’ perfectly measured cross. caused confusion in the STETHS defense, with misjudging the delivery as Glenmuir went 3-0 up at the interval.
Glenmuir maintained their attacking intensity at the restart, with Watson again proving troublesome.
In the 67th, Saunders once again played provider, delivering a precise pass that Watson controlled expertly before unleashing a powerful drive from the edge of the box. With that, his second goal of the game, Watson took his tally to 31 for the season, a testament to his exceptional form.
Despite trailing by four goals, STETHS showed resilience in the final 10 minutes. McPherson pulled one back in the 80th minute, finishing from close range to bring the home crowd to life.
Just three minutes later, McPherson turned provider, delivering a pinpoint cross that Stewart headed home for his fifth goal of the season.
However, Glenmuir had the final say as Binns found himself unmarked in the penalty area and easily headed home a perfectly floated cross from Cohen to complete the rout. It was Binns’ seventh goal of the season and a fitting end to a commanding performance.
STETHS’ Head coach Omar Wedderburn and his troops will now have to look to the Ben Francis Cup for redemption.
“We weren’t focused enough in the first half and three goals scored from the service. We tried to make some adjustments in the second half but it barely bore fruit but that’s how it is; it is a hard one to digest and we just have to do what we have to do,” he noted.
Saturday’s Results
Glenmuir 5, STETHS 2
McGrath 4, Frome Technical 0
Munro College 3, Central High 1
Ocho Rios 2, Garvey Maceo 0
Germany 7-0 Bosnia-Herzegovina: Nagelsmann's side thump visitors to confirm top spot
Germany posted a commanding 7-0 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina in their penultimate fixture in Freiburg to secure top spot in Group A3 of the Nations League.
Florian Wirtz and Tim Kleindienst scored two goals each while Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Leroy Sane were also on the scoresheet as the Germans posted their fourth win and maintained a five-point lead over the Netherlands in second place.
Julian Nagelsmann's side made a blistering start as Musiala headed home with just 78 seconds on the clock.
Borussia Monchengladbach striker Kleindienst then opened his account for Germany as Robert Andrich's effort deflected off him on its way into the goal in the 23rd minute.
Havertz ensured the hosts went into the interval with a three-goal lead, while Wirtz added two more, including a superb free-kick, before the clock struck the hour mark, effectively ending Bosnia's hopes of a comeback.
Sane joined the party in the 66th minute with Germany's sixth before Kleindienst sealed the victory with his second of the night, a close-range finish, 11 minutes later.
The hosts will wrap up their group stage campaign with a trip to Budapest to face Hungary on Tuesday, while Bosnia, sitting bottom with one point, will host group runners-up Netherlands.
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