Arsenal's Premier League title hopes suffered a significant blow on Saturday afternoon as they fell to a dramatic late 2-1 defeat against a resurgent Aston Villa at Villa Park.
Late Heartbreak for the Gunners
The match, a thrilling encounter, saw Aston Villa climb to second in the table, now just three points behind leaders Arsenal. Matty Cash gave the home side a first-half lead, which was cancelled out after the break by Leandro Trossard. Just as the game seemed destined for a draw, Emiliano Buendia struck a winner with the last kick of the game, sealing a massive victory for Unai Emery's side.
This result marked Arsenal's second league defeat of the season and the third time in five matches that Mikel Arteta's team have dropped points, following an otherwise flawless start to the campaign.
Keown's Praise for Returning Captain
Amid the disappointment for Arsenal, club legend Martin Keown highlighted a major positive in the performance of captain Martin Odegaard. Speaking on TNT Sports shortly before Villa's winner, Keown named the Norwegian midfielder as his Player of the Match.
Odegaard had recently returned to the starting line-up after being sidelined with injury for almost two months. His place was under scrutiny following the impressive form of summer signing Eberechi Eze, but Keown felt his display at Villa Park silenced the doubters.
"I'm going for Martin Odegaard," Keown said. "He was out for ages but came in and controlled things in midfield today. He also had two or three really good efforts where he could've scored. A lot of people were saying he shouldn't get back in the Arsenal team with Eze's form but he's proved them wrong."
Arteta Urges Squad to Regroup
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was left to rue a painful defeat but called on his players to bounce back immediately. He acknowledged that his team's individual levels were not at their required standard in certain moments.
"In the manner the way we lost it was difficult to take," Arteta admitted. "We started well in the second half, scored, we were dominant. Then we had periods where we gave the ball away which could've cost the game before the actual goal. It is painful."
Emphasising the need for resilience, Arteta added, "We need to lift up and go again. Every week will be like this. We are 18 games unbeaten and the margins are so small. We have to focus on ourselves... We have to go again."
The defeat sets up a tense period in the title race, with Manchester City holding a game in hand. Arsenal must now regroup quickly as the Premier League season approaches its busy festive period.
