Arsenal returned to winning ways as Emile Smith Rowe netted following first-half goals from Aubameyang and Thomas Partey before Jacob Ramsey’s late consolation
Thomas Partey had been waiting to score his first Arsenal goal, his willingness to try his luck from distance becoming harder to understand with every passing week and wayward long-range effort.
Meanwhile, Arsenal had also not enjoyed anywhere near enough occasions in the Premier League this season where they had taken a lead and built on it.
However, both issues were rectified against Aston Villa and there will be no concern about exactly how.
Partey broke his duck with a goal that went in off his shoulder before a controversial second from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and deflected third from summer Villa target Emile Smith Rowe wrapped up Arsenal’s win.
While there was an element of fortune about Arsenal’s three goals, there was none about the final outcome which extended their unbeaten run to six games.
Arsenal produced the sort of high-level performance Arteta must wish he could get out of his players every week.
Villa threatened to make it interesting late on when Jacob Ramsey pulled one back but a two-goal margin of victory was the least Arsenal deserved.
With Alexandre Lacazette picking up where he left off against Crystal Palace on Monday, his relentless pressing and basic hard work was infectious and his teammates and the crowd fed off it.
It was little surprise that it was cramp that forced him off in the second half. Out of contract next summer, Lacazette has also done his hopes of a new deal no harm this week.
Smith Rowe matched Lacazette in the energy department and provided the end product too, finishing with one goal and an assist.
Villa needed no telling about Smith Rowe’s quality having bid twice for him during the summer.
And they could not cope with him or Arsenal, especially in the first half, as they slumped to a third successive league defeat.
Arsenal had 14 attempts to the visitors’ none before the break, a fair reflection of the dominance and threat Arteta’s side carried.
The opening quarter was lively with Arsenal’s intensity unsettling Villa and leading to chances from Aubameyang, Bukayo Saka, Nuno Tavares and Smith Rowe.
Partey also hit the post with a volley and Tavares had another effort deflected wide, which led to the corner from which Arsenal made the breakthrough.
Smith Rowe swung it in, Partey went with his head but connected with his shoulder, his contact just powerful enough to divert the ball beyond Emi Martinez’s fingertips and into the far corner.
After Martinez denied Saka a second with an outstretched leg and then Partey headed over, it appeared Villa would make it to half-time just a goal down.
But just before half-time Pawson finally had a chance to check a Targett challenge on Lacazette in the box a couple of minutes earlier and eventually awarded a penalty after a lengthy review of the incident on the pitch-side monitor.
The now-standard Martinez penalty mind-games followed and he initially won, saving Aubameyang’s spot-kick, but the Arsenal captain reacted quickest to convert the rebound.
The incident was so close to half-time Villa’s players thought the whistle had been blown for half-time but Pawson had in fact blown to stop the game on the VAR’s recommendation so he could check the incident.
Villa had little option other than to go for it in the second half and Dean Smith introduced winger Leon Bailey. Their more attacking approach, though, offered Arsenal opportunities on the counter.
From one, Smith Rowe sprinted onto Aubameyang’s pass and found the net via Ming’s leg and the inside of the post.
And though young Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey scored a first senior goal to remember, this was a night the visitors would probably rather forget.