Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal: 5 Talking Points

A professional Arsenal side ended their week with a third win in the span of eight days as they beat strugglers Aston Villa 2-0 at Villa Park. An early penalty from striker Olivier Giroud and a counter attacking strike from Aaron Ramsey was enough for the Gunners to see off the not-so threatful Aston Villa side.Arsenal displayed a rare defensive side of their game in the second half to keep their first cleansheet of the Premier League since they beat Swansea City 3-0 on 31st October. The win puts the Gunners into pole position, leading City and Leicester (who have a game in hand) by a solitary point.Here are the major talking points from the game at Villa Park:

#1 Arsenal go top of the table

Giroud extended his goalscoring run from the penalty spot to give Arsenal an early lead

Arsenal cruised to the top of the table with this routine victory as they took an eight-minute lead from a penalty by Olivier Giroud after Alan Hutton held back Theo Walcott. The visitors doubled their lead in the 38th minute after Mesut Ozil had squared the ball to Aaron Ramsey to tuck in after the Welshman earlier robbed the ball off Veretout.

The standout performer for the visitors was again Mesut Ozil. The German midfield magician produced his 14th assist of the season with a clever, unselfish pass to Ramsey to net Arsenal’s second. Earlier this season his contribution against Spurs was the sixth game in a row in which he had assisted a goal, breaking the record for the most consecutive assists in a Premier League season.

Another factor for the Gunners was the performance of Ramsey and Giroud. The duo who was influential midweek against Olympiacos as well were key to the victory again. Ramsey has been the key player for Arsenal. The 6 games that the Welshman missed for the Gunners, he saw his team lose 3 of them, winning only two. But since his return, things have changed for the better for Arsenal.

Giroud who has continued his goalscoring run, has been winning over more fans.

The win meant that with 16 games played, the Gunners are now top of the table with a tally of 33 points, one more than Manchester City’s and Leicester City’s 32 points.

#2 Poor home run continues for Villa

The American keeper has had a poor season between the sticks so far

Aston Villa’s fans have been walking into the ground being resigned to the idea of relegation and there was little on display to offer any hope to them. Villa's players were not good enough and with games against Newcastle, West Ham and Norwich to come they could be effectively relegated before 2016 if they lose them all.

This loss against the Gunners puts Villa at the 20th and the last spot in the Premier League table. Villa’s attendance on the day was almost 9,000 short of the capacity. It was because of their poor home form. In the last 77 home games at Villa Park, the Villans have lost 39 of them, winning only 17, along with 21 draws. With a win percentage of below 22, the players have let down their fans in many ways.

Much of the credit for the home run would go to their goalkeeper who has been disappointing. Brad Guzan had established himself as the club's No.1 under Paul Lambert and was voted Villa's player of the year in Lambert's first season in charge in 2012/2013. The American has come in for a lot of criticism as he has contributed to the goals conceded in many ways. His form has deteriorated drastically in the last 12 months and he had another error-strewn display against Arsenal.

Remi Garde will hope his side can get points from the following fixtures and spur on a relegation battle. The January transfer window will also provide the Frenchman with an opportunity to make additions to the squad. And the Frenchman needs to make the most of it.

#3 Cech, Giroud reach milestones

Cech now has the joint highest number of clean sheets in the Premier League

Before the season started, Arsenal legend, Thierry Henry, had famously claimed that Arsenal cannot win the Premier League with Giroud leading their attack and doubts still persist over the striker. But the younger Frenchman polarises opinion like arguably no other current Arsenal player.

The penalty he scored was his 50th Premier League goal and you have to wonder what more he can do to end the debate over his contribution. It was his 14th goal of the season and 9th in the league. With confidence flowing through his veins after scoring a crucial hat-trick in his previous game against Olympiakos, Giroud reached the landmark in style.

It was also his 72nd Arsenal goal in 152 appearances, making him the third quickest Arsenal player to reach 50 league goals, in 113 appearances. He was the third quickest only behind Theirry Henry (83 games) and his fellow legend, Ian Wright (87 games).

For Petr Cech though, the clean sheet against the Villans ended the wait for his much-needed clean sheet to equal David James’ record of 169 in the Premier League. The former England goalkeeper had managed that figure in 572 appearances, but the Czech Republic international has got to that figure in just 349 games, 333 of which he played for Chelsea.

Cech, who joined Arsenal in the summer after 11 years with Chelsea, was reported to have broken James' record earlier this season, but he clarified on his Twitter account that four of his clean sheets could not be counted because he had not completed the full match.

Cech wrote on September 13th, “I have 171 Premier league clean sheets in total but can't count 4 because I didn't play full 90 minutes."

Hence, the record has been equalled now.

#4 Better 2nd half for Villa

Remi Garde’s side are running out of precious time to pull themselves out of the relegation places

The supporters inside Villa Park were boosted by a bright start from their side when Scott Sinclair sent a powerful early strike straight at Petr Cech. But Villa rarely threatened before the break, with Cech able to look on comfortably. However, after the break, Garde's men responded with extra pace to their play. But their hopes of reducing the deficit early in the second half were dealt a blow when Rudy Gestede wasted a golden opportunity as he headed wide of the post.

The Gunners, on the other hand, struggled to retain the control they enjoyed in the opening 45 minutes, and Cech was left breathing a sigh of relief when an unmarked Sinclair sent a header over after being found by Hutton. Fullback Leandro Bacuna then threatened with a curling effort which drifted just over after being gifted space on the edge of the box, but Villa's failure to score while on top would cost them as Arsenal improved once again.

Villa were unable to set up an uncomfortable finish for Arsenal as youngster Adama Traore sent a shot into the side-netting. Twelve minutes from time, Jack Grealish was introduced as a substitute, for his first appearance at Villa Park in nearly two months.

There is no doubting the 20-year-old’s ability but he must start showing why he was at the centre of a battle between England and the Republic of Ireland earlier this year. With little flair in this mishmash of a team Garde has inherited, Grealish must also come good in the next few games, both for his club and his career.

#5 Win sets up crunch game against Manchester City

Wenger will be delighted with the way his side has managed to perform despite the ongoing injury crisis

Arsene Wenger's men moved back on top of the Premier League with this routine win against a dire Villa. This win has set up an exciting clash against Manchester City at the Emirates on December 21. The Gunners had to expend little energy to secure the three points and they can rest now before City's visit.

Arsenal barely broke a sweat against an Aston Villa team that can already feel the icy fingers of relegation clawing away at their throats. Even with an injury-ravaged squad, Arsene Wenger is well in contention to end his agonising wait to lift the league title and Arsenal will face Manchester City next Monday in a buoyant mood.

The game represents another huge opportunity for Wenger’s squad to prove they are the real deal, especially with City struggling for consistency domestically. With Alexis Sanchez expected to return to the squad next week, the future appears bright for Wenger after so many years of teasing its fans with false promise.

With striker Giroud firing on all cylinders- Ramsey back on healthy form- Ozil stacking up the assists- Flamini proving to be a good backup- fullbacks Monreal and Bellerin in fine form- central defense assured with Koscielny and Mertesacker – Campbell, Walcott and Chamberlain fighting for one position – Wenger’s team look like the team to beat this season, and City should be wary if they are to bounce back. Otherwise, it could be Arsenal’s season through and through.