Arsenal vs Aston Villa Timeline & H2H Stats

Arsenal and Aston Villa are two of the most historic clubs in English football, both dating back to the 19th century (Arsenal were founded in 1886 and Villa even earlier, in 1874). The Villans were founder members of the Football League, which began in 1888, in no small part due to the efforts of Villa director William McGregor. The Gunners were the first team from the south of the country to join, but didn’t do so until 1893, only reaching the top flight in 1904.

That was the year the two first met, with Villa winning 1-0 on Arsenal’s patch, or Woolwich Arsenal as they were back then. The Gunners returned the favour, however, winning 3-1 in the Midlands. Since then the pair have played over 200 times, with all league meetings between them taking place in the top flight. Overall the record is quite even between these clubs, with the Gunners currently around 15 wins in front from the approximately 200 games played and fewer than 25% of those finishing in draws. Not all meetings have the same importance of course, and the biggest clash, certainly in recent times, took place at Wembley on the 30th of May 2015.

The Gunners put the Villans to the sword that day, winning the FA Cup final 4-0, retaining the trophy they had won 12 months earlier. Another meeting of note took place many years ago, in 1935, and again it was a resounding win for the north Londoners. The Gunners won 7-1, remarkable enough in itself but all the more amazing as the game was at Villa Park. However, what has made this clash such a key part of Arsenal folklore is the fact that all seven goals were scored by one man – striker Ted Drake.

In recent times, there have been signs that meetings between these clubs could have greater significance. In 2023/24 Arsenal were second and Villa fourth in the Premier League but despite that, Villa actually did the league double over the Gunners. That was especially enjoyable for former Arsenal and now current Villa boss, Unai Emery. If he remains at the Midlands club and continues his fine work, Arsenal and Villa could grow into an interesting rivalry.

Arsenal’s Full Match History Against Aston Villa