Clockwatch: Aston Villa 0-0 Arsenal

All the action from Villa Park - Gilles Grimandi missed the chance of the match and was then sent off in the last five minutes of a goalless draw between the hosts and the Gunners.

Click refresh for constant updates as the events unfold.

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Team news: Tony Adams and Martin Keown are rested, but England coach Sven Goran Eriksson will not be happy at news that David Seaman is injured and replaced by Alex Manninger.

Dion Dublin drops to the bench as Juan Pablo Angel returns to the starting line-up following two games' absence.

Alan Wright is also back in place of Steve Staunton as Mark Delaney returns from injury to a place in the bench.

1 min: Lee Hendrie's shot is palmed away by Manninger. The resulting corner sees Gareth Southgate and Angel cause problems in the air before Gilles Grimandi's back-header is gathered by the keeper.

7 mins: A powerful Patrick Vieira run and then Sylvain Wiltord wins a corner as Steve Stone tackles. It is cleared by Villa's Ian Taylor.

10 mins: Vieira requires treatment after a collision with Angel. The referee stops play during a Villa attack but there is little evidence of any head injury when Vieira is examined.

16 mins: Wiltord's run is followed by a weak shot which David James gathers easily. Seconds later Angel shoots into the Holte End.

19 mins: Freddie Ljungberg beats Villa's offside trap but over-runs the ball as James comes flying out and tackles. Goal kick, rules ref Barry Knight.

20 mins David Ginola is getting exasperated in a battle with an old foe, Lee Dixon. The latest incident sees a foul given against the Frenchman for a push. Ginola's view is make all too clear to the referee.

28 mins: Dennis Bergkamp is allowed to turn and shoot from 25 yards but his dipping effort does not come down quickly enough and clears the bar.

32 mins: Dixon, with Ginola not bothering to track him, charges down the right and cuts the ball back. But Bergkamp's control is horrible and the ball trickles out for a goal kick.

34 mins: Southgate blocks Wiltord's shot after Ljungberg's cut-back found the French striker.

40 mins: A first booking of the match for Vieira, who fouled Julian Joachim after the striker's turn in the centre circle.

41 mins: Southgate escapes a booking after tugging back Ray Parlour as he surged into the Villa half.

45 mins: Villa defender Alpay plays the ball straight to Vieira in a dangerous position, but his pass his poor and James gathers.

Half time: A terribly dull half finishes. Arsenal look the better side, but not by much.

45 mins: The second half begins with everyone at Villa Park hoping for greater entertainment and most urging the home side to attack a little more than before the break.

46 mins: Taylor's tackle plays Ljungberg into a good position but James saves the Swede's weak shot.

51 mins: Stone is booked for a push on Silvinho, which the referee missed but his assistant saw.

52 mins: The Arsenal pressure increases but Wiltord's run and cross is cleared at full stretch by Alan Wright and Viera's shot is well over the bar.

54 mins: Southgate's sliding tackle takes the ball from Wiltord. The referee initially does nothing but then consults his assistant and books the Villa captain.

55 mins: Angel's high challenge hurts Wiltord but SIlvinho's free kick is too high to trouble James.

67 mins: A comfortable save for Manninger from Joachim after Merson's chest-down.

56 mins: The tackles are flying in but the referee objects yet again, despite Hendrie appearing to win the ball from Parlour. Another Arsenal free kick.

58 mins: Wiltord fires into the side netting from 10 yards after another good ball from the byline, delivered by Ljungberg.

64 mins: Joachim is coming more into the game - and Gilles Grimandi is booked for a foul on the pacey forward. Joachim gets a new strike partner before the free kick is taken - and cleared - with Darius Vassell replacing Angel.

62 mins: A rare Villa attack and Joachim wins a corner after a fine Paul Merson ball and a determined run. But the ball is cleared.

65 mins: Parlour plays Wiltord into clear space, but the referee - wrongly - flags the French striker offside.

68 mins: James produces a good save from Bergkamp's excellent effort under pressure at the near post.

71 mins: Ginola wins a free kick and quickly takes it, with Arsenal stretched and conceding a corner. But it is cleared with ease.

72 mins: The Gunners win a corner after Merson's poor back pass. Vieira plants a free header three yards wide.

75 mins: Arsenal substitutions show the strength of the Gunners' bench - Robert Pires and Thierry Henry replace Lujungberg and Wiltord.

76 mins: Villa respond with a second change of their own - Dion Dublin is on for Joachim.

78 mins: Villa's best attack of the game sees Dublin head on Vassell, who lays it back for Ginola to scross into the six-yard box. But there's nobody there.

81 mins: Merson and Vassell almost unlock the Arsenal defence again but the move eventually breaks down and Parlour counter-attacks, leading to Pires firing wide.

83 mins: The run is Parlour's last action - he is replaced by Nelson Vivas.

85 mins: Great run from Henry leads to an Arsenal corner. The ball is cleared but chipped back into an unmarked Grimandi, who chips it into James' arms with only the keeper to beat. Without question, the chance of the match has been missed.

90 mins: As the crowd drifts away, two minutes of stoppage time are announced.

91 mins: Grimandi brings down Vassell down the righ-hand touchline - and receives a second booking and a sending off. The resulting free kick is basically cleared by Taylor's header towards the corner flag.

92 mins: Final whistle. In a season of desperate boredom for the Villa fans, this must rank as one of the dullest games of the lot.

Teams:

Aston Villa: James, Joachim, Alpay, Wright, Southgate, Taylor, Stone, Ginola, Hendrie, Merson, Angel. Subs: Enckelman, Delaney, Barry, Dublin, Vassell.
Arsenal: Manninger, Luzhny, Grimandi, Silvinho, Dixon, Vieira, Parlour, Lauren, Ljungberg, Bergkamp, Wiltord. Subs: Pires, Henry, Vivas, Lukic, Cole.
Referee: B Knight (Orpington)