Arsenal was upset by two late goals from Aston Villa as they lost 2-0 at home on Sunday, handing the Premier League title battle to defending champions Manchester City. Villa substitute Leon Bailey scored from close range in the 84th minute, and Ollie Watkins’ stunning finish three minutes later sent Arsenal fans running for the exits. Arsenal suffered their first defeat in 12 league games and the same keeps them at the second place in the title race, two points behind City and level with third-placed Liverpool with six games remaining.
Following Liverpool’s 1-0 loss at home to Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday, City boosted their chances of an extraordinary fourth consecutive league title with a 5-1 destruction of visiting Luton Town on Saturday.
Villa withstood pressure in the first half, with Kai Havertz firing straight at goalkeeper Emi Martinez before Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka struck the side-netting as the Gunners’ opening goal seemed inevitable. But Villa came closest when Watkins’ shot bounced off one post and narrowly missed the other, while Youri Tielemans’ rasping effort hit the crossbar, then the post and miraculously stayed out as the visitors improved significantly after the break.
Bailey gave the visitors the lead by converting Lucas Digne’s dangerous cross, before Watkins shattered Arsenal’s hearts with a brilliant chip over keeper David Raya to seal the victory. The win boosts fourth-placed Villa’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League and moves them three points above Tottenham Hotspur, albeit having played a game more.
We knew that this moment could come and now it’s about reacting and keep believing and doing what we can. Now is the moment to stand up, as a leader, as a character, to make you count. When you win and win and win for four months, it’s very, very simple to do it. The moment is now, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters. We had one of the best performances in the first half that we had this season by far, it should have been three or four or more, Arteta added.
It’s massive to come away to Arsenal when they are playing such good football and to play like that just shows where we are going really, it was a perfect away performance, Villa’s England striker Watkins said after securing a crucial win.
Meanwhile, Fulham defeated West Ham United 2-0 with Andreas Pereira brace. Fulham registered its third win on the road in this Premier League season.
