Gunners’ luck in short supply at Villa Park

Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 0   
Premier League
Saturday 9th December 2023 5.30pm  

I’ll do this blog longform for a change. A bit of perspective is required here, and sometimes, in football, it just isn’t your day. Arsenal didn’t play badly against Aston Villa, and were ultimately done by some marginal decisions, which can be debated, and poor finishing when opportunities arose. 

 

It was a meeting of two Arsenal managers, as Mikel Arteta faced his predecessor once again. Emery established his greater experience of managing matches in the Europa League semi-final between Arsenal and Villarreal in 2021, and to an extent, he also did that yesterday. The organisation of Villa – specifically an offside line as good an anything George Graham ever produced – made a significant contribution to their win. One was left with the feeling that, but for egos, he might have had a longer run at Arsenal and achieved more. He did have a flying start before the team seemed to stop playing for him after half a season. Arteta watched this one from the stands after receiving a third yellow card of the campaign. Players miss a match after five, so I’m not certain how that works. As for the reason for the third booking at Luton, the mind boggles. Can’t officials allow people to be human? 

 

Emery wasn’t the only familiar face to Gooners, as Emi Martinez played in goal for Villa. With recent keeping errors that Arteta has had to defend, and Martinez’ progress since his move away, you have to wonder about the wisdom of the manager choosing Bernd Leno over the Argentinian. Leno himself seems to be doing ok at Fulham. But of course, Arleta’s priority is what the keeper can do with the ball at his feet, the reason Raya wasn’t dropped after a poor game in midweek. So much for competition for places. If Aaron Ramsdale thought he had any chance of usurping Raya and regaining his place, he knows now. The only question remaining is whether he is sold in January or next summer. He’s too good to be a backup. 

 

Arteta’s being absent from the technical area meant less micromanagement, but I’m uncertain how much effect this actually has, aside from when there is a break in play and he speaks to players. Key messages could have just as easily been relayed by Albert Stuivenberg, and one imagines there was communication via an earpiece from the manager. Kai Havertz retained his place from the Luton game, although the paucity of quality on the bench was reflected by the selection of Cedric, who I imagine the club are not furiously trying to secure on an extension. Zinchenko for Kiwior was the only change from the starting eleven at Luton.

 

Whether or not the presence of Kiwior would have made any difference to Villa’s opening goal after six minutes is one for debate, but although we can identify moments when the move that led to it might have been halted, sometimes you just have to take your hat off and say it was an excellent goal, not least McGinn’s turn and finish. Putting the ball into the net accurately and with pace was an area where Arsenal fell short at Villa Park, with Odegaard’s miss in the second half the best opportunity. There were others - Saka particularly was lively in the first half, and Martinelli saw a lob over Martinez cleared before it could enter the goal.

 

Villa did attempt to intimidate Raya at corners, although the ball was headed away before it got near him. I suspect most referees would give a foul if his being impeded led to a goal, but Aaron Ramsdale will be able to testify that isn’t always the case. Raya saved a few shots during the game, and was far better than at Kenilworth Road.

 

With Jared Gilet as referee, Arsenal were highly unlikely to get any marginal decisions, and so it proved. Jesus should have been awarded a penalty for being kicked when he was trying to control the ball and Gilet blew up for handball when Havertz scored what looked like a late leveller. VAR did not overturn either, but with the ‘clear and obvious error’ guidelines, if Gilet had given the decisions in favour of the visitors, they might not have been overturned. Saka was just offside when he scored during the second half, so a fair decision there, and the Gunners never managed to spring Villa’s offside trap, which perhaps showed a lack of preparation for Emery’s tactics.

 

Although Arsenal had a day’s extra recovery for this match, Emery used his subs astutely and his team weathered the storm, and still conjured up the occasional break. Credit to them, they have done very well to beat both Manchester City and Arsenal in the space of four days. It certainly makes the Premier League table more interesting with Guardiola’s team not running away with it, although Liverpool’s ability to secure results means they usurped the Gunners in top place. 

 

Arsenal really need to beat Brighton next weekend with the visit to Anfield a week later, and I think I can safely say most Gooners would be delighted to come away from Liverpool with a point before tucking into their Christmas turkey. Villa are now in the mix, and given what Leicester achieved in 2016, you can’t rule out a title challenge from anyone that develops the habit of winning matches, as Emery’s side certainly have at home. 

 

The expected goals stat is only good for reflecting the quality of the chances each side enjoyed, and on this front, depending on your source, Villa were 0.5 to Arsenal 1.3 or 1.5. So, as I said at the start, it wasn’t their day. Arteta's team have seven points less than they did at the same stage last season, although there has been an adaptation period with new players, and injuries have unquestionably impacted the manager’s options. The main thing is that last season should not be a one season wonder, and that Arsenal remain in the mix, which is very much the case. They’ve had some huge results this season, and not always played that well, so we can’t be over critical about them losing a game that on most other days would have gone their way. 

 

One other moment that typified their fortune was the corner that Martinez parried onto his defender which then hit the post and was almost converted by Saliba before a Villa player hooked it out. Sometimes you can win the league by a street and not rely too much on good luck. Sometimes you need the dice to fall your way. But putting away presentable chances will always help your cause, so that is something from yesterday that can’t be repeated too often if Arsenal are going to win the title 20 years on from the Invincibles. 

 

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