Aston Villa close in on Premier League lead

Aston Villa moved closer to the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at home to Arsenal. Captain John McGinn’s early strike in the seventh minute secured the win, extending Villa’s remarkable run of domestic league wins to a club record 15 games. Arsenal, who were top of the table before the weekend, suffered a setback as they had two goals disallowed, with Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz disallowed for offside and handball respectively. Former Arsenal manager Unai Emery celebrated the win with his successor, Mikel Arteta, watching from the directors’ box due to his one-match touchline ban. Villa’s recent wins, including a win over Manchester City, have established them as legitimate title contenders this season, demonstrating their ability to implement Emery’s tactics to confuse some of the league’s best teams.