An early goal from Ollie Watkins helped Aston Villa beat a sloppy Arsenal 1-0 in the Premier League on Saturday, consigning the visitors to a second defeat in as many games.

While Villa leapfrogged struggling Tottenham Hotspur, the result left Arsenal 10th on 31 points after a midweek loss at Wolverhampton Wanderers, two points behind their north London rivals having played two games more.

“It’s a big result. We’ve played some good stuff but not got the results. So delighted today,” Watkins told BT Sport. It was his 10th goal of the season.

Villa took the lead after 74 seconds when Bertrand Traore pounced on a loose back pass and cut the ball back to Watkins, whose effort was deflected past Arsenal’s debutant goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

Arsenal’s best chance to equalise came from a Granit Xhaka free-kick which looked destined for the top corner until the Gunner’s former keeper Emiliano Martinez at full stretch pushed it around the post with a fingertip save.