Arsenal let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa in their English Premier League (EPL) clash at the Emirate stadium on Saturday.
Despite dominating large swaths of the encounter, Villa, led by Unai Emery, former Arsenal manager, again sunk the Gunners’ title challenge.
Youri Tielemans led the visitors’ revival before Olie Watkins restored parity to nullify earlier goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz.
Martinelli burst forward and reached Leandro Trossard’s cross ahead of the Villa defenders to put Arsenal in the lead on 35 minutes. The home side stayed ahead going into the interval.
Mikel Arteta’s side doubled their advantage ten minutes after the restart, and Trossard was involved again. Havertz met the Belgian’s cross with a first-time volley that Emiliano Martinez could only push into his net for 2-0.
Another cross wreaked havoc, this time from the visitors, as Tielemans powered a diving header into the net from Lucas Digne’s delivery for a lifeline.
It was a similar story for the equaliser with Watkins, the beneficiary from Matty Cash, and the England international striker volleyed high into the net to bring the scores to 2-2 in 68 minutes.
Havertz thought he’d won it for the Gunners when Mikel Merino’s shot hit him on its way into the net, but VAR ruled that the ball hit the German’s arm on the way in and cancelled the goal, and both sides had to settle for a share of the points.
Arsenal maintained their 12-match unbeaten run in the league, but the title hopefuls have drawn two of their last three matches, have 44 points from 22 matches and are six points behind first-placed Liverpool.
In other matches, Darwin Nunez scored two late goals in added time to hand Liverpool a 2-0 victory that tightened their grip on top spot. The Reds have 50 points and have played a game less than second-placed Arsenal. Justin Kluivert’s hattrick- his second of the season- led Bournemouth to a well-deserved 4-1 thrashing of Newcastle United that ended the Magpies’ nine-match unbeaten run.
For the second consecutive season, Unai Emery threw a spanner into the works of the North Londoners title charges.
Sacked by Arsenal but returned to Aston Villa, the Spanish manager led Villa to an all-important 2-0 victory at the Emirates last season that ended Arsenal’s title hopes, and the latest outcome has put more dent in Arsenal’s title credentials this season.
With more games to be played without injured talisman Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard not yet at the races, and hapless strikers who require many chances to score a goal, it is safe to say that Arsenal’s EPL hopes are up in flames, and no thanks to Emery again.
RESULTS
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
Brentford 0-2 Liverpool
Leicester City 0-2 Fulham
West Ham United 0-2 Crystal Palace
Newcastle United 1-4 Bournemouth
