Arsenal delivered a dominant performance against Aston Villa, but for the second consecutive season, Unai Emery dealt his former club’s title hopes a significant blow as his side fought back from two goals down to earn a draw.
The Gunners should have seen the game out after Kai Havertz doubled the advantage given to them by Gabriel Martinelli but defensive lapses allowed the visitors back into things as Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins pounced in the box.
Adding insult to injury, VAR, citing handball, ruled out a late winner after Havertz deflected a Mikel Merino past Emi Martinez. With Liverpool snatching a last-gasp victory over Brentford, the title now appears firmly in the Reds’ hands.
Here’s what the managers, players, pundits and stattos made of the action…
Arteta on his side not getting what they deserved…
We were unbelievable again, I’m so proud of the way we played, how dominant we were, how fluid we were, how much we put into it. We played three games in six days, one with 120 minutes, almost the same players, I’m so proud of them and at the same time so disappointed with the result and especially with how softly we conceded the second goal. In general, our overall play, our high press, the way we defended, individually some massive performances, we deserve more, we didn’t get it and we’re sad because of that.
Source: BBC Sport
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Unai Emery on the way his side fought back…
We competed well. To get something here is very difficult. To compete like we did is the only way. They were controlling and pushing more [earlier on]. We had to defend strongly. The second half we reacted well. The mentality we showed is the mentality we want. We needed the goalkeeper, the defenders. We were always trying some transitions. Fantastic job. Now we are in good balance. We are fighting with really strong teams. How we started the second part of the season has been good.
Source: Sky Sports
2 – Arsenal have failed to win a Premier League home game in which they led by 2+ goals for the first time since October 2019 (2-2 vs Crystal Palace), having won each of their last 46 before tonight. Agonising.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) January 18, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Gabriel Martinelli on a disappointing evening…
It’s a disappointing day. We wanted to win the game, but we have to keep going. We trust in ourselves, and we have to keep going and improving – it is a long journey to go. We have to focus on ourselves. That’s football, that’s the Premier League, the most difficult league in the world. We have to see the game and see what we have done wrong and improve for the next games. We know our qualities and we know the potential we have and we trust in ourselves.”
Source: Sky Sports
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Villa goalscorer Ollie Watkins on Arsenal’s defending…
We knew they went man to man. There was chances there to be taken as they’re always a little bit open. When I got my goal I felt we had enough time to push on and get a goal, but it was about being brave and making more passes.
Source: Sky Sports
11 – Arsenal have scored more goals from crosses than any other team in the Premier League this season (11), while Leandro Trossard is one of only two players to assist 2+ goals via crosses in a game this season (also Damsgaard v Wolves in October). Formula.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) January 18, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Martinelli on his goal…
It was an amazing cross from Leo, to be fair I thought the ball wasn’t in, but luckily the ref gave us the goal.
Source: Arsenal.com
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Ollie Watkins on VAR ruling out a late Arsenal winner…
Seeing it back there, I’m not sure. I think it’s going in favour of us to be honest. From that angle, I’m not sure. But that’s what VAR is there for.
Source: Sky Sports
Arsenal have dropped 12 points from winning positions in the Premier League this season, their most in a single campaign since 2019-20 (21).
Our stats report from their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa:
theanalyst.com/2025/01/arse…
— Opta Analyst (@optaanalyst.optajoe.com) January 18, 2025 at 7:37 PM
Paul Merson on the handball awarded against Kai Havertz…
It’s handball. It’s blatant. The rules are, if it hits your hand…I can’t believe Havertz has run away [to celebrate], what’s he thinking. I can understand if you do that in the Championship, you’re going to get away with it, there’s no VAR. You know.
Source: Sky Sports
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Ian Wright on Arsenal needing to sign players this month…
The underlying factor is the manager needs help. You look at the benches; you look at who they’re able to bring on. It just looks like he needs help now. They need help. We have to buy some players. We have to. Even when Saka was fit, we needed another forward. We need to get bodies into that team to help them. They look knackered after a while there as well. They need help.
Source: premierleague.com
0.8 – Since the start of 2022-23, Arsenal have conceded 0.8 goals per Premier League game when William Saliba has played (85 matches), compared to 1.7 per game when he hasn’t featured (13 matches). Integral.
— OptaJoe (@optajoe.com) January 18, 2025 at 8:04 PM
Arteta on whether he’s worried about William Saliba’s hamstring issue…
Yes, for sure, especially with the numbers we have in the squad and looking at our bench. Very worried.
Source: Post-game press conference
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Youri Tielemans on a positive draw for Villa…
From our point of view [a good result] is always deserved. We take the point and move forward. They had many chances but we defended with our bodies on the line. 2-2 is a good result for us.
Source: BBC Sport
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One win, four draws and one defeat. To be fair it’s mostly dictated by injury.
Record without him at right back Won 11 Drawn 4 and Lost 1.
— Orbinho (@orbinho.bsky.social) January 18, 2025 at 9:07 PM
Agree with Wrighty, but don’t see us splashing the cash this month.
And stato Orbinho – No more Partey at RB
I am fed up to hear ours is the most difficult league in the world. It’s often over by January!
Just to say something positive amidst all the negativity, man I love this team and the memories that they have given me this past 4 years. Starting with the ill fated season where we finished 5th to now. I love Martinelli and I’ll always associate him with this time of hope, goals against Liverpool and City and that breakaway goal against Chelsea. Beating Spurs repeatedly. Saka’s emergence as a world class player. Big Gabi and his rocket headers. Saliba coming in from nowhere to be a rolls Royce. Ben White’s shithousery. Super Mik Arteta making us a team to be… Read more »
Well said! Still a long way to go. COYG!
Funny that an actual Villa player is saying that the handball is dodgy…
His hand was on his body. How on earth is that a foul??
This is not like a peno given to them for a ball that hit a player’s arm involuntarily but a goal cancelled because the ball was considered to have been redirected.
Credit to him. I accept that it was looked at and given, and we live with that. But it’s very very far from obvious, even on multiple slowed down replays. Paul Merson can do one.
What is a handball then? Perhaps footballers should have their arms tied behind their backs…
Ever since I found out that Paul Merson is a Chelsea fan, it pisses me off that he’s the one that Sky put on as the “Arsenal representative”.
What a stupid comment – of course Kai bloody celebrated…if it was a handball, which it wasn’t, then he’d have made it obvious by not celebrating.
The ball clearly smacked him on the arm and was deflected as a result. Unlucky but it is what it is…
Been sometime since we let a 2 goal lead slip, not wanting to heap blame on the individual errors at the back for villa’s goals but we were still going for the hard press which left us open rather than having banks of 5 sitting in our area to counter/waste time/see out the game, very disappointing result but our players gave it their all on top of a hard schedule of games in which I’m proud of them, the negative is the result but the positives are we have played well recently, we went out of cup on pens, we… Read more »
We are at the stage of the season where it is instructive to look at maximum points still available: Liverpool: 101 Arsenal: 92 Manchester City: 86 I include City only to basically show that they might not even win the title even if they won their final 17 games. They will probably finish in the 70s anyway. I do think this shows how little wriggle room is left for Arsenal. If Liverpool were to lose 2 and draw 3 of their final 17, for example, that would only put them down to 89 points, just 3 below where Arsenal currently… Read more »
All you can do is this about Wolves next Saturday, and so on. Maybe we’ll win maybe we won’t. Isn’t it great that we’re back competing. A lot of us said that in the shit times, ” all I want is a team that genuinely competes for the title and champions league”. Well guess what, that’s where we are now. We’re back competing. We have a team of 100% honest players and a manger who cares. We’re a far cry from where we were.
Exactly, a little perspective is needed.
Can I also just say a sincere and genuine FUCK Ollie Watkins. There’s only so many times one man can kill our title dreams.
He’s an Arsenal fan and I have a soft spot.
I do not think he is an elite forward. He is older than the type of forwards we have been after, but it would have been great to have signed him a few seasons back.