England tied it less than 10 minutes later as Hodgson's strategy of swapping defender Glen Johnson for attack-minded midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain paid off.
It sounds strange to say that an Arsenal squad that includes Theo Walcott, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gervinho lacks pace but it certainly does in key areas of the field.
Arsenal's Dutch captain Robin van Persie, who had already squandered a great chance to bring his side level, found the net on 71 minutes with an angled drive from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's pass.
Villa had won on their last visit to the Emirates towards the end of last season but they were struggling to venture out of their own half as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain flashed another chance wide.
Having surrendered a first-half goal to Manchester United's Antonio Valencia, Arsenal regrouped at halftime and eventually tied the game up in the second half, thanks largely to the promising play of teenage winger Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.