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Arsenal started their sport with Aston Villa understanding that title rivals Liverpool had dropped three factors at house to Crystal Palace earlier within the afternoon, probably decreasing — on Grand Nationwide weekend — the Premier League’s three-horse title race down to 2.
For Villa, Tottenham’s complete defeat at Newcastle yesterday gave them an opportunity to consolidate fourth place.
Mikel Arteta’s aspect had the very best of the goalless first half in opposition to Unai Emery’s group — producing 14 photographs and 1.23 anticipated objectives — however Villa’s Ollie Watkins in all probability got here closest, with a shot that hit the left-hand put up and span the entire manner again alongside David Raya’s aim line.
Villa endured a good odder woodwork mixture from a Youri Tielemans shot within the second half however the guests dominated after the break, and two objectives in three minutes from Villa within the closing levels left Arsenal shocked and Manchester City in a really acquainted place on the high of the desk.
Right here, our writers break down a number of the key speaking factors from right this moment’s match.
The place does this depart Arsenal within the title race?
Arsenal’s defeat to Aston Villa will sting much more after Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at house to Crystal Palace. Jurgen Klopp’s aspect left the door open for them to take management within the title race and Arsenal didn’t take benefit.
Regardless of a promising begin and largely dominant first half, Arsenal’s decision-making held them again all through and proved expensive. Their method play was not the difficulty as they managed to create openings however passing when a shot was needed, or not having our bodies working into the best areas, damage them.
Additional down the pitch, in addition they saved giving Aston Villa encouragement. Whether or not it was Oleksandr Zinchenko taking a contact too many in a harmful space or Gabriel’s mistake which noticed Ollie Watkins hit the put up, they have been dwelling too dangerously at 0-0.
Defeat to Villa put a dent in Arsenal’s title hopes (Adrian Dennis/AFP through Getty Pictures)
That caught up with them as Villa gained momentum late into the match. Individually, Declan Rice and William Saliba being extra conscious might have prevented the opener whereas Emile Smith Rowe being extra aggressive might have stopped the second.
Now stage on factors with Liverpool, two behind leaders Manchester Metropolis, Arsenal are actually chasing after having the possibility to steer proper there of their palms.
Artwork de Roche
In reward of Aston Villa’s midfield
Within the reverse fixture in opposition to Arsenal, when Villa have been taking part in at their greatest, John McGinn and Youri Tielemans have been deployed as the 2 No 10s, with Douglas Luiz and Boubacar Kamara because the midfield pivots.
However right this moment, with Villa not having both of Luiz and Kamara for the primary time since April 2022, McGinn and Tielemans have been required to play deeper in defensive roles that have been each bodily taxing and tactically difficult.
Emery has beforehand harboured reservations over Tielemans’ skill to play in a double pivot resulting from his physicality and acceleration. However within the first half in opposition to an Arsenal aspect that overloaded central areas and perpetually aimed to make third-man runs within the inside channels, he and McGinn caught to their duties properly, regardless of being dragged round by their direct opponents, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard.
McGinn made probably the most interceptions (two) and blocks (4) of any participant on the pitch earlier than the break, whereas in possession Villa have been courageous in taking part in out from defence and underneath large strain.
At instances, Tielemans would evade strain inside his personal field, earlier than taking part in into the toes of Morgan Rogers, who was spectacular taking part in simply forward of them. Regardless of their hectic fixture record and the plain challenges Arsenal posed, it gave Villa some stage of management, with 45 per cent possession and a menace on the break.
They is probably not the midfield pairing Emery needs to make use of in these video games, however wants should. They usually acquired even higher within the second half, assuming extra management and dominance, with Tielemans’ help for Watkins’ aim a reward for the vitality and endeavour he put in.
Jacob Tanswell
McGinn impressed in Villa’s midfield (David Worth/Arsenal FC through Getty Pictures)
One in all Martin Odegaard’s best performances?
Martin Odegaard’s playmaking juices have been flowing for some time, however this was one among his greatest performances for Arsenal, even with the ultimate scoreline in thoughts.
From leaving his reverse quantity within the splits, to scooped passes contained in the field and fixed defensive contributions, Odegaard as soon as once more confirmed why Mikel Arteta made him Arsenal captain 18 months ago.
The 25-year-old set the tone and confirmed why a lot of his work is just not depending on whether or not it ends in a aim or an help. Early on, it was the connection between himself and Bukayo Saka on the best that brought about Aston Villa issues, as he discovered the England winger repeatedly within the first half.
His affect was not restricted to that pocket of the pitch, nevertheless. The midfielder additionally drifted throughout to the left aspect of the pitch to mix with Kai Havertz, as soon as with that beautiful go, in addition to with dinked balls in behind the Villa defence.
Additionally key to Odegaard’s impression was his relentless off-ball work. The standout second got here when his block on a Villa clearance resulted in an Arsenal nook, however his job urgent Pau Torres grew to become extra essential contemplating Saka’s job was to comply with Lucas Digne up the touchline when the guests had possession.
This continued into the second half, with essential interventions contained in the Arsenal field earlier than he was changed by Emile Smith Rowe. As soon as off, the Norwegian’s absence was felt as his efficiency had been exemplary. It was as pure an illustration of playmaking as you can get.
However as was the case throughout Arsenal’s outcomes over Christmas, his efforts weren’t rewarded.
Artwork de Roche
Do Arsenal have magic goalframes?
Fortunes didn’t favour Villa in both half, hitting the woodwork twice — and in peculiarly comparable methods.
The primary got here after a mistake from Arsenal’s again line which offered Watkins with the kind of likelihood Emery would have hoped and envisioned earlier than the sport. Driving into the field, Watkins shifted the ball out of his toes and shot throughout the face of the aim, hitting the within of the far put up but by some means bouncing away from the aim line.
Watkins hit the put up within the first half (Shaun Botterill/Getty Pictures)
The second was maybe much more galling. Tielemans picked up the ball from the second section of a nook, slicing inside and whipping an effort, once more, in direction of the far put up. The Belgium worldwide’s shot hit the underside of the crossbar, earlier than then ricocheting off the put up and away from hazard.
It was not what Villa deserved given the trouble and self-discipline they’d put into executing the sport plan, having develop into an growing menace all through and gaining better authority.
So, in some methods, Villa’s two late objectives have been well-deserved and a results of the trouble they’d put into assuming management earlier than.
Jacob Tanswell
Was Havertz wasted in midfield?
For all Mikel Arteta’s current discuss not eager to disrupt Kai Havertz by transferring him out of the frontline, his use of the German as a left-sided No 8 in opposition to Villa was not a whole shock.
In Havertz’s final outings in that place, he didn’t actually play as a midfielder. He and Leandro Trossard nearly performed as a extra conventional two-man strike partnership, with one coming quick and the opposite getting in behind. With Jesus beginning at centre-forward in opposition to Villa, after a formidable cameo in opposition to Bayern Munich, Havertz stretching the play was important.
He repeatedly acquired in behind within the left half-space, however like earlier within the season, execution was the difficulty. When he acquired into these areas on his personal, Havertz took too lengthy to style a taking pictures alternative. When in there with an opportunity to supply a cutback, he did properly however no person was supporting him to faucet in.
These points have been notably expensive the longer the sport went on. Contemplating the problems Jesus gave Bayern in midweek, this might properly have been a possible warm-up for the second leg.
Utilizing Havertz to crash the field whereas Jesus causes havoc with the ball at his toes might give Arsenal two totally different however precious methods of breaking Bayern down. However they’ll should be way more environment friendly — as will Leandro Trossard, who had a close-range shot, created by Jesus, saved from contained in the six-yard field.
Artwork de Roche
An excellent day for Villa
It was an impressive effort from a Villa aspect who have been taking part in three days after their exertions in Europe and with out their first-choice midfield pairing of Kamara and Douglas Luiz.
Victory was nothing in need of what they deserved contemplating the possibilities they created (hitting the woodwork twice) and have been unlucky to not rating a minimum of as soon as.
With Champions League-chasing rivals Tottenham Hotspur soundly overwhelmed 4-0 at Newcastle yesterday, it was an enormous end result for Villa, transferring them three factors forward of Spurs, who’ve a sport in hand, in fourth place.
Jacob Tanswell
What did the managers say?
Villa boss Unai Emery stated: “Sure… on 63 factors… we could be Champions League contenders. The one method to win right here is to maintain ball possession. If we simply tried to run in behind for 90 minutes, it might have been tough. We defended fantastically. Like we did in opposition to Man Metropolis, however we misplaced. In the present day was the identical concept. We used some evaluation of that match in our preparation.
“It was the identical plan after half time. The second half was to proceed increase, avoiding their press and with (Nicolo) Zaniolo, we began holding up the ball extra — he was improbable.”
Arteta quotes to return.
What subsequent for Arsenal?
Wednesday, April 17: Bayern Munich (A), Champions League, 8pm UK, 3pm ET
What subsequent for Aston Villa?
Thursday, April 18: Lille (A), Europa League, 5.45pm UK, 12.45pm ET
Really helpful studying
(Prime photograph: Getty Pictures)
