Saka strike extends Arsenal’s Premier League scoring run to 18 matches

Arsenal have scored in 18 consecutive Premier League matches after Bukayo Saka’s second-half goal secured a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa in the second round of the season.

Saka settled the contest in the 59th minute, providing the only goal of the match and giving Mikel Arteta’s side a narrow win. The result also extended Arsenal’s scoring sequence to its longest in seven years.

The Gunners had not found the net in a league match since 17 January, when they were held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest. Since then, Arsenal have scored in each of their next 18 Premier League fixtures.

According to BBC, the current run is the club’s best scoring sequence since a longer spell between August 2018 and January 2019. During that period, Arsenal scored in 20 successive Premier League games.

Saka’s finish against Aston Villa means the London club are now two matches short of matching that mark. The goal was enough to decide a closely contested second-round fixture, with Arsenal claiming all three points without conceding.

The result maintains Arsenal’s record of scoring in every league game since the goalless meeting with Nottingham Forest on 17 January. That sequence has now continued across 18 consecutive Premier League appearances, making it the club’s most notable run in front of goal for seven years.

Arsenal, the reigning champions of England, will return to Premier League action on Sunday, 6 September, when they host Chelsea in the third round. That fixture will provide the next opportunity for Arteta’s team to extend their scoring record further and move closer to the 20-match sequence established from August 2018 to January 2019.

For now, the decisive contribution has come from Saka. His goal at the 59-minute mark separated Arsenal and Aston Villa and ensured that the champions left the second-round match with a 1-0 victory, while also keeping their extended run of league scoring intact.