Suddenly it feels like this has been the pivotal weekend in the Premier League title race. Just hours after Liverpool wasted their chance to resume leadership, simply Arsenal choked and their timing could not have been worse. This was not what the champions-elect did.
Manchester City may only be two points in front, after their demolition of Luton Town on Saturday, and there are six games to go, but it is an advantage they will not have expected and it is ominous for their rivals given their pedigree from this position.
Aston Villa fully deserved their victory – as Unai Emery completed a fine league double over his former side – and they significantly bolstered their own hopes of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. They also struck the goal frame three times (twice in one effort from Youri Tielemans).
Sadly for Arsenal, it was another defensive calamity, after the errors in the Champions League against Bayern Munich in midweek, with Gabriel unfortunately at fault again.
He was caught out as Leon Bailey opened the scoring from a tight angle before Ollie Watkins ran from his own half – with Arsenal desperately appealing for offside – to superbly dink a second goal past David Raya. Arsenal were stunned and had no reply as their fans began streaming for the exits.
The outstanding players? Villa’s captain John McGinn and centre-half Diego Carlos while there was folly in the Arsenal fans goading their former goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
The World Cup winner thrives on such situations as he produced the save of the match to deny Leandro Trossard from close range with an outstretched right foot.
For Arsenal there also must be a reflection on how fraught it was – on and off the pitch. The anxiety spread from the stands with chances snatched at during a tense first half. It became even more taut after that with Villa, undeniably, the stronger side as Arsenal worryingly failed to create a clear-cut opportunity. They can have no complaints about the result.
Source: Telegraph
