EPL Roundup: Arsenal down Aston Villa to reboot title bid
Emiliano Martinez’s own goal and Gabriel Martinelli’s last minute goal reignited Arsenal’s title hopes in the EPL Matchday 24 of 38.
This is Arsenal’s 14th Premier League away victory against Aston Villa, as they are now back on the winning ways. Following the three consecutive victories between July 2020 and February 2021, Aston Villa have lost each of their last four Premier League games against the league-leader Arsenal. You may visit us for more Premier League news and updates here!
Preview
Arsenal have lost their last two away games across all competitions, as many as they had in their first 14 on the road. Last December 2021 is the last time they lost three in a row. While Aston Villa have also dropped their last two Premier League games, as many as they had in their previous nine games. Despite those two losses, they registered seven goals, which is a lot more than in their previous seven Premier League games.
1st Half Highlights:
Just five minutes after the kickoff, Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins scored the opening goal with an assist from Cash. Arsenal got caught on the ball and they were punished for it. Cash gets away to past Zinchenko and he manages to scoop the ball out and send it to Watkins on the left side. Watkins toyed away Saliba and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.
But Bukayo Saka responded and pulled an equalizer. A tight defense provided by four Villa players towards Jorginho left White unmarked and he crossed it but denied and fell to Saka, who hit a quick half-volley straight over Martinez to send the game to a 1-1 score. Philippe Coutinho gave the host another lead at the 31st minute and a commanding lead to end the first half. Buendia let it run through his legs for Coutinho, who finished an unmarked shot with a slight deflection on its way into the near bottom corner.
2nd Half Highlights:
Zinchenko tied the game at the 61st minute with an impressive play orchestrated by Odegaard. Saka touches it into Odegaard’s feet and toys with the defender and waits for Zinchenko on the right spot before sending it on the edge of the box again. Zinchenko sets himself before drilling a low shot to pass beyond Martinez into the bottom corner. In the extended time, Emiliano Martinez committed the worst mistake in this match, an own goal. The Gunners pressure really pays off. Martinelli pulls it back to Jorginho on the edge, he puts his laces through it and beats Martinez, but the ball hits the bar then bounces off the back of the goalkeeper’s head before touching over the line.
As Aston Villa was shocked with the own goal that saw themselves at a major disadvantage at the crucial final minutes of the match, Martinelli decided to take matters into his own hand and seal it. He goes up for the corner to try and makes amends for his own goal error, however Vieira breaks on the counter and squares it to Martinelli and makes a simple finish into the net to end the game 4-2.
“It’s massive for this young group of players at Arsenal. To overcome defeat in the manner they did, to bounce back after a midweek game away [against Manchester City] at Villa is difficult,” she told reporters. “Winning the game in the second half is difficult. To get that win in the second half will be pleasing for Arteta and Arsenal.”
“Today I think we can take two big lessons,” the Arsenal Manager said during an interview. “In the first half, we did the simple things wrong and in the second half we raised our individual level and did the simple things right. We totally merited the win. “Jorginho produced an incredible moment. For us it will be Jorginho’s goal. Psychologically it was really tough to get that result against Manchester City and then less than three days later we came to Aston Villa and won, which is a difficult thing to do.
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