Villa have endured a nightmare few weeks, losing several key players and suffering a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Brighton & Hove Albion in their PL opener.
However, they made an energetic start and almost took the lead spectacularly after 12 minutes, when Emiliano Buendía crashed a long-range effort off the crossbar.
The hosts largely kept Arsenal at arm’s length before the break, with the visitors looking most dangerous from set-pieces, and Declan Rice’s header from a corner was tipped over by Zion Suzuki on the night the Villa debutant became the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the PL.
The Gunners took control of possession as the half wore on, although they were unable to convert their superiority into chances, with neither side registering a shot on target before half-time.
Villa striker Nicolas Jackson – the other debutant in Unai Emery’s starting XI, following his club-record £65m move from Chelsea – cut a particularly isolated figure in attack.
Arteta brought on Eberechi Eze for Christos Tzolis at half-time, but it was the Villans who had the first chance of the second period when Ian Maatsen blazed over from a tight angle.
The Villa full-back then thought he had conceded a penalty when Jarred Gillett pointed to the spot after the Dutchman barged Saka to the floor.
However, a VAR check confirmed he made contact outside of the box, with Martin degaard sending the resulting free-kick inches wide.
Arsenal finally showed a cutting edge when they took the lead one minute before the hour mark, as Riccardo Calafiori darted beyond the Villa defence and slid a cross into Saka to bundle the ball over the line to score his second goal in as many Premier League games.
That opened the game up, and Bruno Guimaraes came off the bench to make his PL debut for the Gunners, before Suzuki denied Kai Havertz with a brilliant one-on-one save.
There was another notable debut when Ezri Konsa replaced Cristhian Mosquera to make his first Arsenal appearance against the club he left earlier this month, and the defender helped see out victory as Arteta’s men made it two wins out of two to start the PL season.
The Gunners have now won their first away league game of the campaign in five successive years.
That’s a new club record for Arsenal to cherish, though Villa extended an unwanted run of their own, with Emery’s men still yet to register a shot on target in the PL this season, after what was also a seventh Monday-held PL game without victory (D4, L3).
Flashscore Man of the Match: Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal)