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Fan Comment: ‘Arsenal OUT of title race’
James, Bristol: That’s Arsenal out of the title race, unfortunately Man City won’t slip up now. Aston Villa are a good side on their day, I hope they get a Champions League spot.
Record-equalling Watkins
Paul Merson: ‘ Man City will reel off wins’
They’re [Arsenal] chasing the best team in the world. The best team who have done it year in and year out. It’s not like we’re sitting here thinking “I wonder how Man City will be this season with the rest of the games”. They will reel them off.
They’ll [Man City] keep playing and playing and wiping teams away. If it was someone else they were chasing down, every chance. I’ve seen this team too many times, they’re bang out of luck Arsenal. They’re chasing one of the best teams ever to play football.
Who will win the league?
Mikel Arteta: ‘We conceded two very poor goals’
Two very different performances. The first half was superb, one of the best halves we have played against a top team. It should have been three or four – or more.
We didn’t put that score line up and didn’t reflect that second half. We lacked momentum. We didn’t have the flow we had in the first half and then we conceded two very, very poor goals.
Credit to them, in the second half we were a bit imprecise with the ball, we weren’t able to do what we did in the first half. In the end, we lost it so we have to congratulate them on the points.
First PL defeat of 2024 for Gunners
Unai Emery: ‘Today we were fantastic’
Before the match, we were very motivated and very excited about the possibility. This [was] a very tough match and we needed to be focusing very well defensively. We wanted to be strong and have high commitment to defence as were in the first half. We tried to do 90 minutes being consistent and wait for our moment to control the game.
The first half was more difficult but we tried to dominate with the ball. We did that less than in the second half. Second half we competed very well. But we are not being consistent in every match like I want. But today we were fantastic.
WATCH: Villa score quick double
Ollie Watkins: ‘A lot of people doubted us’
It’s massive to come away to Arsenal when they’re playing such good football and controlling games, to play like that just shows where we’ve come and where we’re going. It was probably a perfect away performance.
Any win is a big result but considering the other results, we’re focusing on ourselves but we’re fighting for Champions League and we knew it was going to be tough today but we’ve shown what a good side we are.
A lot of people doubted us, they thought we played good football but couldn’t get a result here. We’ve proved a lot of people wrong.
Villa do double over title-chasing Gunners
Villa break club record for most PL wins in a single season
Villa boost UCL qualification hosts
SOFASCORE STATS: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Gunners dejected
Advantage to the Champions
FULL-TIME: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
EIGHT added minutes
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
Arsenal have looked absolutely terrified in the second half and much will be said about that.
Let’s not overlook the sheer brilliance of that Ollie Watkins finish, though. That’s one of the best pieces of centre-forward play I have seen all season. World class.
Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
GOAL!!! Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 87′)
GOAL!!! Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa (Bailey 84′)
SUBSTITUTIONS: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal have been awful in this second half, absolutely dreadful. They have been worse here (after the break) than Liverpool were in losing at home to Crystal Palace
Manchester City will not believe their luck if things stay like this…
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
SUBSTITUTIONS: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
OUCH! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
GOOD SAVE! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
OFF THE WOODWORK! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Things have changed here at the Emirates now. It felt bright and optimistic and relatively inevitable in the first half, but it doesn’t know.
Arsenal have spent the first fifteen minutes of this second half playing edgy lateral football back and forth in front of the massed Villa ranks. No forward movement, no tempo.
Yes, they are nervous now alright….
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
SECOND HALF: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Second half approaching
Big 45 minutes coming up…
Villa show they’re there
‘Odegaard been best player by a mile’
Martin Odegaard has been the best player on the field by a mile so far.
HALF-TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
TWO added minutes
YELLOW CARD: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa (Gabriel)
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta trying to lift the crowd as half-time nears but in truth, there is no need for that yet. Arsenal have actually played pretty well, they just haven’t scored.
The crowd seem a little nervous but, crucially, the players don’t.
WHAT A SAVE! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
HIT THE POST! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
YELLOW CARD: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa (White)
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Unai Emery looks rather like he used during those 18 months spent in the dug-out 20 yards to his left. Stressed…
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Kai Havertz causing the Villa defence problems with his movement already. Nobody seems to know whether to go with him when he drops in to that pocket between the back four and the midfield.
On Arsenal’s right, however, Bukayo Saka already looks to have the beating of Villa left-back Lucas Digne. He just needs his quality of cross to be better.
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
CHANCE! Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
YELLOW CARD: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa (Rogers)
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
KICK-OFF: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
‘Early goal may be needed to settle some nerves’
There were a few shouts and fist pumps among Arsenal staff in the media room at the Emirates when the whistle blew on Liverpool’s home defeat to Crystal Palace.
Arsenal’s job now is to ensure that a two-horse race doesn’t become a procession for Manchester City.
I have to say the Emirates isn’t sounding quite as excitable as I expected. Like every team at this stage of the season, an early goal may be needed to settle some nerves…
Here come the teams
Arsenal’s mean defence
A huge result in the title race
Last time out
Exclusive:Douglas Luiz interview
Twists in the title race
Arsenal TEAM NEWS
Aston Villa TEAM NEWS
Arsenal looking for revenge
First up, a warning for Arsenal…
Good afternoon and welcome!
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Who will win the league?
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SOFASCORE STATS: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
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FULL-TIME: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
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GOAL!!! Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 87′)
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GOAL!!! Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa (Bailey 84′)
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SECOND HALF: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
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HALF-TIME: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
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KICK-OFF: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
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Arsenal TEAM NEWS
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Aston Villa TEAM NEWS
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Good afternoon and welcome!