EMIRATES STADIUM — There will surely be more twists and turns but this felt like a significant day in the Premier League title race as one challenger won in the best way possible and another faltered in the worst.
Initially, the Gunners had coped well with two setbacks. A sense of dread washed over the fans making their way to the Emirates 75 minutes before kick-off when William Saliba’s name was missing on the teamsheet.
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Read MoreSaliba hasn’t missed much football since establishing himself as an Arsenal regular, starting in 58 of their last 59 Premier League games prior to Saturday, which is just as well as they tend to struggle without him.
With Riccardo Calafiori, Ben White and Takehiro Tomiyasu also out injured and Jakub Kiwior only named among the subs, Arsenal’s back four was unusually small, containing two players in Jurrien Timber and Myles Lewis-Skelly both comfortably under the standard six-foot mark. That proved to be important.
Arsenal made a defiant start, controlling the controllables and blocking everything else out.
Gradually, Villa settled. It was finely poised: Arsenal’s control vs Villa’s counter-punching. Nervous energy filled the Emirates. Mikel Arteta was booked for yelling at the fourth official for egregiously making the right decision to award Villa a throw-in. Thomas Partey inexplicably threw the ball straight to Watkins who lashed a dipping volley over the bar.
Martinez, ever the pantomime villain, blocked Martinelli’s awkward finish with his chest but couldn’t paw it away quick enough as it looped into the air and over the line.
Havertz scored Arsenal’s second goal (Photo: Getty)
Arsenal remained ascendant and deservedly doubled their advantage within 10 minutes of the restart with Trossard again the architect. The second was similar to the first, instigated by the Belgian’s jinking feet and pinpoint delivery and helped in by Martinez. Kai Havertz was a popular scorer after being horrifically abused last week.
Then boyhood Gooner Ollie Watkins grabbed his obligatory goal against Arsenal, inflicting a nightmare on the club of his dreams for the second time at this stadium in nine months.
The organisational safety blanket that the Saliba x Gabriel axis provides Arsenal is painfully absent when one or the other isn’t there. This collapse evoked painful memories of the 2022-23 run-in, when Arsenal’s form vanished without Saliba.
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Read MoreMerino hit a post and Trossard lashed a shot at Martinez’s shins and narrowly wide when possibly offside as they hunted desperately for a winner that never came.
Only Brighton (with 10) and Crystal Palace (nine) have drawn more matches than Arteta’s side (eight). Seven of those stalemates have been against teams in the top half; they have won only two of 11 matches against such opponents.
Failing to beat those around them is a major flaw that will need to be fixed if Arsenal are going to overhaul Liverpool.
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