Bukayo Saka secured Arsenal's fifth consecutive away win to give Arsenal's Champions League hopes a huge boost at a windy Villa Park.
Saka shot through a crowd of players to take his season's goal tally into double figures and leave Mikel Arteta's side four points clear of closest challengers Manchester United in the race for fourth.
In contrast, Villa were disappointing in testing conditions and failed to trouble Gunners stand-in goalkeeper Bernd Leno until injury time despite the German making his first Premier League appearance since August.
Arsenal took to the field without regular No 1 Aaron Ramsdale (hip injury) and Gabriel Martinelli (illness) but it didn't stop them showing the initiative as Villa started cautiously with Danny Ings on the bench, leaving Ollie Watkins as a lone striker.