Aston Villa Defeat Arsenal To Throw Premier League Title Race Open
Aston Villa earned a stunning 2-1 win over Arsenal on Saturday at Villa Park to throw the Premier League title race wide open.
Emi Buendia scored with the last kick of the game to condemn Arsenal to their first defeat since August.
Matty Cash opened the scoring for the hosts in the 36th minute to hand them a first-half win.
Substitute Leandro Trossard restored parity for Arsenal in the 52nd minute to make it 1-1.
Emi Martinez produced a stunning save to deny Martin Odegaard’s goal before Buendia grabbed the maximum points for Aston Villa.
It was Aston Villa’s seventh straight win in all competitions. They have won nine of their past 10 in the league.
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Unai Emery’s side moved up to second on the Premier League log with three points below Arsenal.
The Spanish manager was delighted with the win, while urging his players to keep their focus ahead of a busy schedule.
Emery said: “So happy. We finished this week really playing like we need to – competing, demanding ourselves, adapting to the opponent and playing with personality. Dominating sometimes and getting in the box, being intense and aggressive when we needed . Villa Park is special, the supporters transmit the energy to us. How they responded is fantastic.
“We are going to focus game by game. We know our only way is if we are trying to focus on each competition. In the Europa League we want to play well but the Premier League is our first priority. We have to respond like we did today.”
Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta, described the victory as painful.
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He said: “Very painful, especially after all the effort in the match. It was an open game, congratulations to Villa they are a really good side. We conceded a big chance in the first half with Ollie Watkins’ goal.
“We had some dominance in the second half and I had the feeling we were going to win the game so to lose it in the manner we did is painful. Eighteen games unbeaten, you lose a game and that’s what it is, this is football.
“It is what it is. We had a big chance when Declan [Rice] put the ball across for Noni [Madueke], they won a throw-in at the other end and get the goal – that’s football and the quality of this league.”
Arsenal will return to action against Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday while Aston Villa will take on Basel in the Europa League.
