FA Cup finals and 3-2 thrillers: Five great matches against Aston Villa

FA Cup finals and 3-2 thrillers: Five great matches between Arsenal and Aston Villa in the Premier League

By Adam Le Roux

Arsenal travel to Villa Park this Saturday looking to respond from the horror show against Wolves on Tuesday night, slumping to a 2-1 defeat and finishing the game with just nine men on the pitch.

You don’t have to go too far back for the last time the Gunners went head to head with Villa, as Dean Smith’s side rampaged their way to a 3-0 win at the Emirates thanks to Bukayo Saka’s own goal and Ollie Watkins’ double.

In what has been a largely forgettable season for Arsenal to date, that humbling at home from the Villans was one of the lowest ebbs, as Jack Grealish and Ross Barkley had the Arsenal defence on tenterhooks throughout.

But it hasn’t been all doom and gloom for the Gunners against Villa in the past, with many a fine victory coming against the boys in claret and blue in recent history, so let’s take a trip down memory lane to reminisce on five of the all-time classics.

Arsenal 4-0 Aston Villa, Wembley Stadium, 30/5/2015

There can’t be many better places to start than a fine summer’s day at Wembley Stadium, where Arsenal lifted the FA Cup for a 12th time after a resounding 4-0 victory over the Villans.

Santi Cazorla was in fine fettle at the national stadium, with the Spanish star running the show in the centre of the park, as the Gunners came flying out the blocks.

A staunch Villa defensive showing kept Arsene Wenger’s side out for the majority of the first half, until Theo Walcott pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area to lash Arsenal into the lead five minutes before the break.

And five minutes after it was two, as Alexis Sanchez rifled in a strike from way downtown that left Shay Given bamboozled, with the Irish goalkeeper left flapping at thin air.

And the game was all but over by the time Per Mertesacker headed in just after the hour mark, as the big German rose highest to nod in a corner, before Olivier Giroud added gloss to the scoreline in injury time.

As days out go, they don’t get much better, as Wenger lifted the trophy for a joint-record sixth time.

Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa, Emirates Stadium, 22/9/2019

With ten minutes to go in this one, it looked as if the Gunners were going to slump to defeat against the newly promoted side, as they trailed to Dean Smith’s outfit and had just ten men on the field.

Coming off the back of two 2-2 draws to Tottenham and Watford and a defeat to Liverpool, Arsenal were in desperate need of a victory in this one, but when John McGinn ghosted into the area 20 minutes the mood in the Emirates started to turn.

And their task got even harder just before the break, as Ainsley Maitland-Niles lunged into a challenge with Neil Taylor, leaving Jon Moss no choice but to give the defender a second yellow card and give him his marching orders.

Ten men and trailing, the writing looked to be on the wall for the Gunners, but a Nicolas Pepe penalty just before the hour mark restored parity, only for Wesley to put the visitors ahead again just seconds later.

And as the minutes ticked away, Arsenal fans were almost resigned to defeat, but the players on the pitch had different ideas, as Calum Chambers flicked an effort into the top corner with the outside of his boot to level the scores with ten minutes left to play.

And with the Emirates at fever pitch, it looked inevitable that Arsenal would take all three points despite having a man less, and that’s exactly what happened, as Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang curled in a free kick to send the home crowd into delirium.

Arsenal 5-0 Aston Villa, Highbury, 31/3/2006

This was one of those days where you leave the ground knowing you’ve seen a special team produce some of the best football you’ve ever seen, as Villa got swept aside with ease at Highbury.

In a time when Thierry Henry was in full flow, the visitors never stood a chance in this one, with the Frenchman pulling David O’Leary’s team from side to side throughout the game.

And it was after the Arsenal great’s shot was blocked off the line that the hosts took the lead, as Emmanuel Adebayor nodded in the rebound to give the Gunners the advantage.

Henry produced another bit of magic minutes later to double the lead, as the striker plucked a high ball out the air, before effortlessly lobbing the ball over Thomas Sorensen with the sort of quality that became synonymous with the great striker in his time as a Gooner.

Not content with one goal of the season contender, Henry then curled in a superb strike from 25 yards to make it three after the break, before Robin van Persie lashed another one in with 20 minutes to play.

There was still time left for Abou Diaby to net his first goal in Arsenal colours late on, but this was Henry’s day, with the Frenchman in unplayable form from first whistle to last.

Aston Villa 0-2 Arsenal, Villa Park, 18/1/2004

And it was Henry who got the goals again back in 2004, as the Gunners went to Villa Park and came back with all three points.

The Frenchman’s quick-thinking caught out Sorensen once again in this encounter, as his hastily taken free kick looped into the net while the Dane was still organising his wall, leaving the hosts apoplectic, but referee Mark Halsey was all too happy to give the goal.

Villa gave as good as they got in this one, with Marcus Allback and Juan Pablo Angel both having opportunities to equalise, but once Henry doubled the lead from the spot in the second stanza, the game was all but over.

As drama goes this one may not have been an all-time classic, but it was what the victory represented that meant as much as anything, with this bringing the Gunners’ unbeaten run up to 22 league matches, and kept them gathering momentum in their historic Invincibles campaign.

Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa, Emirates Stadium, 29/1/2012

We started with the FA Cup, and we’re going to end with the FA Cup, with another come from behind win back in 2012, as the visitors stormed into a two-goal advantage in this fourth round affair.

Richard Dunne and Darren Bent had seen the visitors storm into a surprise lead at the Emirates, with the former Spurs man revelling doubling the advantage in front of the Arsenal crowd.

But in the classic game of two halves, the Gunners turned round a 2-0 half time deficit to conquer their opponents, thanks to a brace of penalties from Robin van Persie.

Arsene Wenger must have riled his side up at the interval, as within three minutes they had the chance to reduce the arrears, as Aaron Ramsay was felled in the box, and the Dutchman kept his cool to get his side on the scoreboard.

Theo Walcott then darted in the penalty area to stab home to level matters, before the turnaround was completed on the hour mark, with van Persie once again full of composure from 12 yards.

It was Arsenal fans who were to have the last laugh, with Bent the man to give away the second spot-kick after a foul on Laurent Koscielny, making the comeback victory all the more sweet.

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