The first real chance saw Lucas Digne play Ollie Watkins in behind the home defence, but the England international screwed wide after breaking into the box, while at the other end, Boubacar Kamara made a vital intervention to rob Matt Doherty of possession as the wing-back prepared to pull the trigger.
Harry Kane was struggling to get into the game and Villa were proving resolute defensively, with the long left leg of Tyrone Mings ensuring that Clément Lenglet wasn’t able to get on the end of Son Heung-min’s teasing free-kick. Soon after, Ivan Perisić was forced wide by visiting goalkeeper Robin Olsen and dug out a cross for Kane, whose header was nodded off the line by Ashley Young in the game’s first effort on target on 40 minutes.
Both sides emerged unchanged after the break, but it was Emery’s men who soon took an unexpected lead. Douglas Luiz’s long-range strike was spilled by Hugo Lloris, allowing Watkins to latch onto the loose ball and square for Emi Buendía, who slotted in coolly for his first goal since August. In response, a stretching Perisić was only able to divert over from Yves Bissouma’s clipped pass as Antonio Conte made the first substitution of the contest by taking off Bryan Gil - making his first Premier League start - for Ryan Sessegnon.
Another Watkins effort was blocked by Doherty following good build-up play from Buendía, before Kane miscued midway through the second period, but it was Villa who netted the game’s next goal as Kamara dispossessed Kane and a neat passing move culminated in John McGinn’s inch-perfect through-ball being controlled and converted by Luiz from close range on 73 minutes.
The Birmingham-based outfit managed the rest of the match without much trouble, and despite facing seven minutes of stoppage time, they held out for their third league win in four encounters under Emery and a first clean sheet during the Spaniard’s tenure, kicking off 2023 in the perfect way.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Boubacar Kamara (Aston Villa)
