Key events
Granit Xhaka is a champion!
Elsewhere:
Some Arsenal fans have stayed and we peruse their miserable coupons as the away end bounces. The course of dealing – Arsenal tossing stuff, City doing the necessary almost every year – has totally flattened them. Suddenly, the midweek trip to Bayern looks daunting, and a game away at Wolves next Saturday night extremely challenging.
The league table
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
The gap is only two points, but it’s hard not to imagine today as the definitive one in this season’s title race. Arsenal lose, Liverpool lose, and City lead the way; Villa are beautifully placed to make the Champions League.
90+8 min Arsenal have sent on Nketiah for Zinchenko, I must’ve missed that after the second goal.
90+8 min The Emirates is half-empty now, which feels harsh given the effort their team have given them, but anyone who knows anything about football will know how much the home fans are hurting right now. This thing of ours, mates – there’s nothing remotely like it is there?
90+6 min Emery paces up and down the touchline; this performance and these points will mean so much to him. What a job he’s done and is doing; how far can he take it?
90+5 min City look likely to end the day two points clear, and it’s hard to see anyone catching them from there, not because it’s impossible, unprecedented or anything close, but it’s so rare to see a challenger win the title from behind. City did it in 2012 but they’re a much better side than the United one that collapsed and they still needed a head-to-head to make it happen; Arsenal did it in 1998, but city aren’t getting the injuries United had then.
90+4 min Villa look more likely to find a third than Arsenal a first and Bailey opulls right then flicks a pass inside that Watkins can’t quite collect.
90+3 min “Pep was already celebrating after the thrashing of Luton last night and talking up City’s title chances,” writes Rick Harris. “Liverpool and Arsenal are now playing for second place. Watkins has scored as I predicted earlier. I think he is on the plane ahead of Toney for the Euros.”
I’m not sure – I think Toney’s all-round game is quite a lot better, his finishing too. Watkins gives you a threat in behind, but if it’s one or t’other I’m going t’other.
90 min We’ll have eight additional minutes. Villa fans won’t even be nervous, so dominant have they been since the break.
90 min So yeah, about that title race for the ages. Er, I’m beginning to think the team with the most money, bankrolled by a petro-state, might sneak a fourth consecutive title and a sixth in seven years. You simply cannot beat oor league.
88 min I can’t really make excuses for Arsenal – Villa took a while to settle but have dominated the second half, quicker to the ball, more intelligent in possession and with better movement into space. Unai Emery knows his soccer, people.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 87)
A channel ball and Watkins is away! Smith Rowe is last man and he’s easily held off on the run from halfway, then Raya goes down early and a gorgeous finish soars over his head! sat on his couch, Pep Guardiola now makes Muttley look like Morrissey!
GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa (Bailey 84)
A ball down the side when a corner isn’t cleared properly and McGinn, down the left, swivels into a fantastic low cross that races through the corridor, no one able to touch it but Torres’ near-post run taking out the keeper, and when the ball arrives at the feet of Bailey, beyond the fap, he composes, keeps his head down, and punches a sidefooter that sends east Manchester into raptures! Villa have earned the absolute arse out of that.
83 min Arsenal have been so, so poor second half, unable to get going. For that, credit goes to Villa, but Arteta might now feel he picked the wrong team BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
82 min “Sorry to ruin your synagogue stat,” ruins Ben Littlewood, “but Spurs failed to win the league in 16-17 despite having the best attacking and defensive record. I am hoping Arsenal can repeat this feat.”
Ahahahaha, of course they did. Thanks, I shall pass on your information to the mate currently sat at the Emirates, platzing. I’m certain he’ll be delighted to learn the truth.
80 min In comms, Gary Nev imagines Guardiola sat on his couch – I dunno, does he even have one? I’d assumed some kind of therapeutic chair – “Laughing like Muttley.” That’s a tremendous image; does that make Sheikh Mansour Dick Dastardly?
78 min Two more changes for Arsenal, Odegaard passing the armband to Jesus who passes it to the arriving Jorginho – before departing. He was Sven’s England, pretty much, first half good, second half not so good; Smith Rowe is also introduced, Jesus coming off. Villa, meanwhile, bring on Moreno for Zaniolo.
77 min “Okay, I’ll bite,” begins Luis Suarez Adam Klineschoder, “How on earth did football statistics come up during synagogue?” The Hebrew term for synagogue, Bet Knesset, means house of meeting not house oif prayer, and be very sure there’s plenty of shmoozing that goes on in its environs, much of it about football – though there’s also cricket chat and whisky chat.
76 min This time, Arsenal clear and counter, but Villa quickly recover possession and this is slipping away from the title challengers.
75 min This time, Tielemans goes near post, Watkins shoves Jesus out of it, and Tomiyasu bends double to head with the ball inches off the ground; Torres collects, swivels into a shot, and it’s blocked behind for another corner.
73 min Villa are – and since half-time have been have been – the better team. They’ve not created anything, but they’re controlling midfield and looking more likely to fashion a scoring opportunity. Here comes another left-win corner … which yields another.
71 min On the Arsenal subs, I wonder if White has a knock, because needing a goal, you generally don’t replace him with Tomiyasu. Otherwise, I thought we might see Martinelli at half-time, but perhaps the change is Jorginho for Havertz, counter-intuitive, but like when Roberto Mancini would send on Fernando to get Yaya Touré further forward, Jorginho might improve the passing out, give the home side control, and get Rice driving into the box.
69 min I learnt in synagogue yesterday that no side has failed to win the league when they’ve had the best attacking and defensive record; that could easily be arsenal at the end of the season, given their 75 goals to City’s7 6 and 24 conceded to City’s 32
67 min Changes for Arsenal: Tomiyasu for White and Martinelli for Trossard.
66 min Jesus heads the corner up at the near post, then Diego Costa tries an overhead kick, instead lacing Odegaard in the chest. he’s down, but he’ll be OK.
64 min Saka finds space outside the box at inside-right, sliding square to Jesus, and he passes a low finish … that Martinez shoves away. Villa, though, expletive fancy this, and quickly come down the other end to win another left-wing corner.
63 min Havertz is booked for a foul, on whom I did not see, and Arsenal clear the free-kick, but they’re struggling a little now.
62 min OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER DAYS! The corner is cleared but only as far as Tielemans, its taker, now close to the corner of the box, when Zinchenko decides to take him on, he wins the tackle then unfurls a screeching, howling curler that hits bar then far post and bounces to safety! That is a ludicrously brilliant effort and I’ve not a clue how it stayed out.
62 min And immediately, Villa win a corner.
61 min Emery acts first, bringing off Diaby to send on Bailey.
60 miun Saka swings in, Rodgers half-clears, and Rice bludgeons somewhere towards Highbury.
59 min “Regarding Pelé,” begins Matt Guthrie, “I’m sorry, but somebody has to.”
By far the greatest honour ever bestowed upon him. Arsenal win a corner down the right…
57 min “You mention Pelé walking around Highbury in 1981, but what not a lot of people know is that Arsène was within a whisker of signing him as a youth,” chuckles Bill Hargreaves.
56 min Odegaard, by far Arsenal’s best player so far, spreads to Trossard who tries a cross to the back post without considering why, and Martinez comes to claim easily enough.
55 min “Villa are sniffing that fourth-place Champions League spot and if they do make it and Emery masterminds a Europa Conference League win then I would argue he should be manager of the season. I have a feeling after Liverpool’s embarrassment earlier that Villa are about to do the same to the Gunners and Watkins will probably do the business. City home and hosed if Arsenal drop points.”
I’d not be that definitive but agree, if Arsenal can’t win it’ll look grim. Emery has done a sensational job, though it’s fair to note he inherited a really good squad.
54 min Villa have started the second half pretty well and nervousness is spreading around the Emirates; they’ve seen this one before.
53 min So, team of the season. How about: Alisson; White, Saliba, Van de Ven, Aké; Rodri, Rice, Odegaard; Foden, Haaland, Salah.
51 min Odegaard tries an outswinger, but Konsa heads clear.
51 min Arsenal win a free-kick just outside the D, left side, and Odegaard stands behind it…
49 min “Interesting to see the Arsenal v Villa highlights from May 1981, writes David Watters. “I went to that match with a couple of mates, and the thing we always remembered about that game was that Pele was at Highbury that afternoon! I believe it was for some kind of sponsorship event and he made his way round the track, waving to all and just being the great man (as you might expect). Lovely memory!”
Great stuff. Any more for any more?
48 min McGinn battles forward, loses out to Rice, and leaves something on him – there are a bit of afters, then Havertz sticks a pass down the channel, right side of the box, Diego Carlos – who’s been superb so far – stepping across Jesus to see him away. The crowd want a penalty, but that was decent de-fense.
46 min In co-comms, Gary Nev reckons Arsenal have played really well, which I think is strong. They’ve been alright, but they’ve lacked coldness at crucial moments and a bit of wit too; I’d expect them to create more big chances this half.
46 min We go again!
Our teams are back with us. A colossal 45 coming right up.
Leverkusen are almost there! They lead Werder Bremen 1-0 and a win today makes them champions for the first time in their history. What an absolutely rrrridiculous achievement that’d be.
Looking again at that Trossard miss, it was a fine save, Martinez extending a leg from nowhere, but more of a flick that a punch on his finish and he takes the keeper out of the equation.
Half-time entertainment:
Half-time: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
It’s an entertaining game so far, Villa defending the box well and starting to threaten on the counter; Arsenal are moving the ball well and Trossard’s miss was a bad one, but they need a little more imagination and conviction in the final third.
45+3 min Villa win a free-kick 40 yards out, left of centre, and McGinn will deliver; he flights a searcher for Konsa arriving at the far post, but he can only poke wide.
45+1 min Digne clips into the wall as if on purpose and Gabriel, it turns out, wore it in the phizog. Work for Arteta to do at half-time because his team are playing fairly well but they’re struggling to create clear-cut chances.