Arsenal’s Premier League title dreams were dashed as Aston Villa scored twice in the dying moments to boost their top-four bid with a dramatic 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday.
Mikel Arteta’s team would have returned to the top of the table with a win, but they gave up the lead to Manchester City after surrendering two goals in the final six minutes.
Leon Bailey put the visitors ahead, and Ollie Watkins doubled their lead, as Villa manager Unai Emery celebrated a second sweet victory this season over the club who fired him in 2019.
Arsenal’s first defeat in 12 league games drops them to second place, two points behind City, while third-placed Liverpool behind Arsenal on goal differential.
With with six games remaining, Manchester City are on track for a record fourth consecutive Premier League title.
City’s thrashing of Luton on Saturday knocked Arsenal out of first position.
However, the Gunners should have been on a high after Liverpool’s shock 1-0 defeat to Crystal Palace only half an hour before kick-off in north London.
Instead, Arsenal produced a sputtering performance that could be deadly to their quest for a first English crown in 20 years.
It’s been a disappointing week for Arsenal, who were beaten to a 2-2 draw by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarterfinals on Tuesday, setting up a difficult trip to Germany for the second leg on Wednesday.
Arsenal are in risk of blowing an eight-point lead in the title chase again this season after blowing it last year.
Villa had risen to fourth position without kicking a ball after Tottenham’s thumping at Newcastle on Saturday left them trailing Emery’s side on goal differential.
Villa’s second win in six league games put them three points ahead of Tottenham, who have a game in hand in the race to qualify for the Champions League with a top-four finish.
Arsenal started strongly, with Kai Havertz’s low shot saved by Emiliano Martinez before Gabriel Jesus headed into the side netting from Bukayo Saka’s cross.
Saka accelerated onto Martin Odegaard’s pinpoint pass and took aim from within the area, but he was unable to test Martinez from an acute angle.
Jubilant Villa
Watkins should have given Villa the lead when he was allowed to break into the Arsenal area unhindered for a low strike that cannoned off the post and ricocheted along the goalline to safety.
Just seconds later, Arsenal was denied by Martinez’s brilliant reflex save after Leandro Trossard met Jesus’s cross with a close-range drive that appeared to be heading into the net until the Argentine keeper stretched out a foot to prevent it.
As Arsenal’s pressure built, Saka curled a 12-yard shot past the far post.
But Villa remained firm, drawing level at half-time before Youri Tielemans was inches away from handing them the lead on the hour mark.
Tielemans robbed the reckless Zinchenko 20 yards from goal and fired a powerful shot that hit the crossbar, rebounded off the post, and cannoned to safety.
Martinez blocked Jesus’ attempt from the edge of the area, but Arsenal struggled to break into a Villa defence excellently marshalled by Diego Carlos.
The Emirates crowd became increasingly agitated as Villa pushed Arsenal back in the final stages.
Their suspicions were verified in the 84th minute, when Emery’s men took the lead.
Lucas Digne’s low cross eluded Arsenal defenders William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, leaving Bailey with the simple chore of shooting into an empty net from close range.
Watkins delivered the fatal blow two minutes and 26 seconds later, snatching the ball from Emile Smith-Rowe and finishing delicately past David Raya for his tenth goal in his last eleven league outings.
Emery celebrated with a joyous jig on the touchline, but Arteta stood expressionless as Arsenal faced a devastating defeat.