Arsenal 0 Aston Villa 2 - Matt Maher analysis
Arsenal 2 Aston Villa 0 - Matt Maher analysis
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00:00 Good evening from North London where it finished.
00:04 Arsenal 0, Villa 2. A seismic result really in the Premier League title race.
00:11 But an entirely fair result at the end of 90 minutes.
00:15 Unai Emery, Villa boss, has collected quite the catalogue of results since taking charge 18 months ago.
00:24 But I think this result is now top of the charts, both for the context and the execution.
00:30 Villa arrived here at Arsenal, a team that people wonder whether they're running out of steam.
00:36 Just one win in five league games, their worst run of the season, comfortably.
00:41 Was the fact of fighting on two fronts, fighting for the top four, playing in Europe, was it taking its toll?
00:48 They played against Lille less than 72 hours before, the previous week, had blown a 2-0 lead to draw with Brentford.
00:56 There were cracks that were starting to show.
00:59 This was the kind of result that restores momentum and confidence.
01:04 Villa weathered an early storm from Arsenal, which you kind of expected would come.
01:09 Emi Martinez produced a fantastic save to deny Leandro Trossard.
01:15 For the first half an hour, all the Gunners were really missing was the goal.
01:20 But then Ollie Watkins hit the post and saw the ball fly wide of the other.
01:24 And from that moment on, Villa were very much in the game.
01:27 Jürrid Sillemans also managed to hit the bar and the post as well.
01:31 And after 80 minutes, you're wondering whether this just wasn't going to be Villa's day, whether luck wasn't on their side.
01:37 But then they got two goals right at the end, Leon Bailey and Watkins with his 26th of the season.
01:43 They're now three points clear of Tottenham in fourth.
01:46 Now a week ago, they were being written off by some people.
01:50 This race is meant to be over. Tottenham go and get beat 4-0 at Newcastle.
01:55 Villa win at Arsenal, you know, blowing the title race kind of, say, wide open.
02:00 I mean, Manchester City now in control.
02:03 But from Villa's point of view, this was a reminder, if any were needed,
02:07 I don't think it probably was for any of those who watched us all season, that they're not going anywhere.
02:12 and yeah this race is going right to the wire.