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Arsenal steal the show late on in spectacular fashion

Arsenal have beaten Aston Villa 4-2, despite failing to leas inside the initial 90 minutes.

It wasn’t the ideal start for the Gunners, who failed to find their flow early on, and they were duly punished in the opening 15 minutes when Ollie Watkins was found in the box to fire home.

The response was amazing however, with our side immediately pushing for an equaliser, with Eddie Nketiah denied by a goal-line clearance by Tyrone Mings, before Bukayo Saka lashed one home with his left.

The home side didn’t fall apart however and remained strong in defence to steady the tide, and they were eventually paid off when Philippe Coutinho closed out a fine team move to put their side ahead again around 30 minutes in, and that was how it stayed going into the interval.

Despite me expecting to see the side come out all guns blazing after the break, it was a seemingly calm start to the new half, and things went from bad to worse when we laid witness to Saka’s leg having to be heavily strapped up, and our main man appeared to be struggling then-on…

We did manage to pile the pressure on as time rolled on however, putting Emi Martinez right to work, but he was unable to stop us from pulling level for a second time.

Astin Villa actually put Aaron Ramsdale to work in injury time, but we managed to hit them on the counter, with Jorginho’s effort coming off the bar before ricocheting off the goalkeeper and into the net.

With the home side hoping for one last finish? Emi went up the other end for a last minute corner, leaving us an open goal at the other end, and we duly delivered with the sixth of the match

It may not have been easy, but we return to the top of the table and can start to build up our confidence after a tough few weeks.

Patrick

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Tags Aston Villa Aston Villa v Arsenal

131 Comments

    1. And that’s what winners do. They find a way to win. This team will stumble, they’re the youngest team in the league but they will never give up.

      Stay with them. We’ve got this

  3. What a game! Great strike from Jorginho despite the miss, but thanks to Martinez 🙏Once a Gunner, always a Gunner 🤣

    1. What are you saying the boys put in a shift today and we got just that little bit of luck so so happy we bounced back

      1. We were supposed to lead earlier, but Odegaard blew it away. Zinchenko redeemed his mistake with a great goal

        A title contender shouldn’t miss a gazillion of chances like that, so let’s see whether our finishing will become better or not in Leicester

        I agree that the boys showed a great resilience by replying to Aston Villa’s goals, but I think Ramsdale needs a bench time

        1. The WC is a weak competition. Only a few countries can win it, the rest are hampered by lack of depth, always having to play some players who’re sub-standard in some positions.

          And yeah, Martinez is classless. A lot of these guys come from very poor backgrounds and their upbringing is so different from the UK – few people here are equipped to really understand their culture and mentality. They think very differently to (most) Brits.

      1. Mentally weak, no leaders, no winners and no plan B Anders – can’t wait to see the negative articles after this performance and what about our fans – brilliant all through the game.

      2. Methinks this is exactly what the team needed. Coming from behind twice and then winning it in a devastating manner in front of the noisy villains! The confidence is surely coming back.

  7. I told u stay behind the team and we will win. Dissection n criticism can always be done later. The manner of win will give us so much confidence. We are top of league 💪

  10. Wow what a performance!

    Well done to the boys. A question of mental strength should be put to rest.

    Will sleep a very happy gooner tonight.

    Shocker at the City Ground?

    1. Shocker at the City Ground! Waiting for one pundit to grow balls and be a man to question the mental strength of the most expensive squad in the league.

      I know I will be waiting for a very long time.

      1. Exactly. Arsenal always under the microscope, but no-one asks about City. Or where the hell Chelsea, Liverpool etc are these days.

        Pundits just trot out the same old stuff, nothing more useful than “game of two ‘alves innit”.

  11. That was a character filled performance by the Arsenal. I salute the players.
    Special performance after that battering we received in the 2nd half against Man City.

  13. Jorginho and Zenshiiiii they gave 200% today!!!!

    We need this spirit to win and fight for the title!

    GO ARSENAL!

  14. We are top of the table with a 3 point lead. Let’s make this match a start of a streak of good performances

    1. Hi Stephanie

      Arsenal
      23 17 3 3 28 54
      Man City
      24 16 4 4 36 52

      We have a two point lead with a game in hand

      Good Game
      Well Done

    1. Analysis can wait until later but I recognised an Arsenal player with real leadership qualities today in Jorginho.A vital win and well earned.

  16. I think I might have held my breath all match till the 4th goal!

    Great response from the team!

    A lot has been said on here about our chances, the quality of the squad, form of players, the manager etc….IMO attitude is what has got us this welcomed win.

    My observation though, right now Trossard is looking more effective than Martinelli, he is a goal threat, he is a good passer and those Hollywood passes across the field to switch play to Saka are a new dimension to our game we can use to our advantage!

    Keep it boys, we are all behind you!

  17. Best gameof the season by a million miles So proud of all our team and our club. And our courage. What a game. It wil livein the memory foryears. Villa were great too but we deservedly beat them

    Only sour though also pleasant thought, was that the time wasting cheat MARTINEZ scored our third goal for us. Marrtinez also held theball when stepping outside the area to launch it upfield at least six times and Ramsade did it once, after our third goal.
    When are PGMOL ever going to take action on this regular cheating??.

    Sending off would happen if a keeper came out when defending an attack and touched the ball deiberately outside the boxand he would be red carded.

    This OUGHT to apply equally if he is launching an attack!! Why is it not ? Anyone know why?

    1. Interesting question Jon.
      Would VAR have called it back had the goalkeeper’s release outside the box had led to a goal?

    2. Never gets called by the refs does it. All the keepers get away with it, but it just needs one to be carded and things could change.

  19. Not scoring enough, this has been our problem over the past weeks. We created too many chances today and deserved to win.

    Great win.

    Big thanks and shout out to the everly bittered Martinez

  20. Thanks Gunners,

    The season will have many twists and turns, trust me. People are already giving the title to Man city but believe it’s not going to that straight forward. In Gunners I believe

    2. He really is something DK and I love it that he’s credited with our goal and then sprints up the park after time wasting, only to leave an open goal for Martinelli to score!!!
      Brilliant game, performance, result and we have a squad of winners and leaders today!!

    3. Love the sarcasm DK!! In fact though it could not have happened to a more unpleasant, cheating, timewasting keeper on the planet! Such poetic justice when HE scored an own goal for our third.

      Most thrilling game since I DONT EVEN REMEMBER WHEN.
      Are we not so lucky just to be football fans and AFC FANS TOO!!

      My missus is out shopping right now and cares nothing for sport, let alone football Poor soul! She will come home, ask how we got on and say “thats nice dear!
      Nice? NICE? IF ONLY SHE KNEW!!!

      1. A big shame that Jorginho did not get the goal as the strike deserved that ,but I will take that going back in off his head .
        If Ramsdale hadn’t saved that shot onto the Bar I think we would have lost that ,very fine margins but a world class save .
        Definitely showed character after that awful first half .

        2. Definitely no ” lack of mental strength”, Dan. Finishing still needs sharpening; too many missed opportunities to score.

  23. Martinez got his Karma today….because he is a CHEAT. Heart Attack game, but what great goals. Blessed be Zinchenko and Jorginho. Need a massive G&T now.

  24. Hats off to Ramsdale he made some really outrageous saves. I was wrong about Zinchenko but I still think Eddie needs a rest. Highlight of the match was Emi winding up Arsenal fans only to concede a worldie and a breakaway goal that’ll surely shine the spotlight on him for at least a week!

  25. Saka and Jorginho were really good today, but am worried about Xhaka, Saliba and previously Martineli it seems they need some rest. They are really running out of fuel

    1. I think Saliba played well in last game and he did OK this game as well. He could not do anything in both the goals. He pushed the villa forward away from goal it should have been a save for Ramsdale so it really is on Ramsdale. We need jesus, party n ESR back so we can rotate as players. We actually dominated this and last game as well just fail to take our chances and be more clinical plus the goals we are conceding are down to indivisual errors but that is what you get with young players. It’s up n down as they are learning.

    1. He is a good GK but his attitude as a sport person sucks. He is getting too big for his shows. This seves right for him.

  28. How’s that for showing champion mentality. After the last 3 games scenario, could have dropped off after going down twice especially when it seems one of those days when it just doesn’t go in.

    Huge huge win, still 3 pts ahead, now an early nott forest goal please.

  29. Good game for the lads. But too wasteful. I think Nketiah should be benched; start a front there of Martinelli, Trossard and Saka. I think we missed Martinelli’s pace while he was out. Jourginho did well, but we really do still need Partey back. Great to be back to winning ways

  30. Arteta needs to wisen up and make changes. Trosssard is best closer to the centre of the pitch in half spaces. He cannot be used like Maritnelli is used. Waiting to see Eddie dropped, and Trossard and Martinelli both starting… The front 3 as it is doesn’t work.

    2. In that scenario, trossard can play as a 9 and Martinelli plays from the left. By test, we can rest Nketiah.
      Also. Xhaka needs a rest. Interesting to see a Partey and Jorgihno partnership in midfield

  32. Any regret of MA signing Georginho? He didn’t put any foot wrong today. He studied the midfield today. Please trust the process and the manager.

  33. 5th card for Saka, so I would imagine he’ll miss the next game against Leicester. He needs a break anyway, so enjoy the rest.

    1. we’re past the halfway point of the season. He’s fine. You now need to accumulate a total of 10 to miss match.

    3. Jax, it appears that the opposition can hit Saka with everything but the goal posts with limited reaction from officials; yet woe betide Saka complains to the referee or reacts against the perpetrator!
      Saka’s career will be tragically shortened if players of his ilk are not protected.
      Treatment of Saka appears different to Grealish, who frequently falls over with little contact to win free kicks.

  34. The past couple of weeks have been awful as an Arsenal fan. We need to continue this winning streak till April at least.

    If we look at the table differently those loses were not that terrible (yeah it did have real impact).
    Our first half of the season is actually:
    P: 19, W: 14, D: 2, L: 3 = 44 Pts
    Our second half of the season is:
    P: 4, W:3, D:1, L: 0 = 10 Pts

    We turned a loss to win against MU = +3
    Against Brentford we had a win turn over to a draw = -2
    So the net effect is still +1 for the “second half” of the season.

  35. Happy to read such glowing reviews. I’ll be picking up bits and pieces of news from you all while I’m on holiday.
    Happy that we got back to winning ways and that must help the all important mentality that bottlers don’t have.
    COYG

    1. Pity you have missed probably our best performance of the season coming from behind twice, missing chances, hearts in our mouths only when all seemed lost to have a spectacular climax.

      Martinez scoring for us in added time and in tyring to be a hero leaves the net open for us and end up a villain.

      This is kind of games one remembers fondly for years to come.

  36. If ever a game highlight the frailties of the way we play, it was there for all to see. In some ways the scoreline really flattered us but in others we did deserve it. The football being asked to be played relies far too much on perfection and every single part of the process to be working. When it isn’t and when it breaks down we look really wide open. Villa could easily have won this game, lets not kid ourselves but lets also recognise the fighting spirit of the lads to overcome our frailties. Got to say Jorghino and Saka were immense going forwards and while Zinchenko scored a screamer, he was having a mare. Well done to the lads for getting the win.

    2. Spot on. A patchy performance, but a good result in the end. It could have gone either way, but luckily Ramsdale was back to his best and after wasting a hatful of chances Martinez came through for us. 😉 Hopefully they can carry over the renewed confidence to a much tougher game against Leicester.

    3. Spot on Reggie especially the “perfection or bust” part as we’ve been saying since last season. I would add that a key element of that is speed – when we slow down, either to “control” a game or through tiredness the lack of pace throws everything else off and we look poor.
      “Once a gooner always a gooner” proved true even though that w****er Martinez didn’t want it to!
      Great to see that will to win return in the second half as that’s what got us over the line. Some unbelievable half time transformations – not least Zinny. Jorg has adapted to us really quickly and we will soon forget where we bought him from! No words for Saka until they really crocked him. Xhaka looks tired – Zinny or Vieira at left 8? Martinelli-Trossard(9)-Saka?

    4. “Perfection or bust” Now which Arsenal manager does that put you in mind of? Even when he clearly no longer had the players to carry it off? It also led to opponents simply using a sweeper against us and shutting down the final ball after the, over intricate, thread it through the eye of a needle, passing around the box.

  37. Great win by the boys, Jorginho didn’t do too well in the first half but he was fire in the second. I loved the players composer even after they twice went behind. At 2 – 1 and half time I believed we weren’t going to lose. Good boys All of them.
    Nketiah needs more training on how to finish,
    I love Zinchenko fire brand style ( its really needed on the team )but he needs to dwell less on the ball .
    Saliba could have done better in that first goal.

    On to the next one let’s trust the process and keep the faith. #coyg

    1. Yes I’m glad I wasn;t the only one to notice that. Saliba seemed to be trying to cover the ball across the area – and got burned by a simple move to the left and shot… because he left that option open.

  38. 3 pts ahead of City with 2 of our most important players missing 5 and 9 games is no joke. Let’s see City do without haaland and Kdb for the same time.

  39. The subs bench made for interesting reading. Both Smith-Rowe and Nelson seem to be fit enough for at least cameo roles and Kiwior there too.

    I wonder how long it will be before ESR has his next relapse though, he never seems to quite make it onto the field.

  44. This is the best league in the world, I mean the twists and turns and there’s still a long way to go. The funny thing is that Man city is supposed to be perfect in some people’s eyes

  46. I wonder if the City equivalent of JA has its own Desperate Dan frantically hammering his keyboard to churn out another negative article on City’s frailties.

    At this rate Man Utd will be more of a worry than City.

                    1. Good to see I’m not the only one who laughs at the baby-talking clowns Dank and Reginaldo.

                      Also interesting how much they defend the other Dan. If he is actually another Dan.

                    2. Yes IDKWIC, it would seem that a certain Dan might be a tad confused. Unless, as you said, there’s only one Dan.

  47. There are still more twists and turns in this season epl. Who would have thought that Forest would hold City and Chelsea will lose at home to Southampton

  49. Arsenal are back on track. It held hard. A warning that Arteta will have to rotate some more, because several of the players seemed tired and could not play at the high pace as usual. Only in the late part of the match did the fluid combinations sit better. But we need players up front who are better at heading towards goal. Jorginho proved his worth today. Especially Martin Ødegaard must be happy with the victory, because it was completely incomprehensible that he could not score completely free in front of goal. However he should use the inside of the foot in such cases, but otherwise I think Ødegaard can be credited for much of the creative play in the second half.
    The win feels extra good when Man City only got a draw in Nottingham. Come on, Arsenal.

  50. We just now keep head down and keep collecting the points so that the game against city at Etihad becomes less significant. When we go to Etihad we need to park the bus and play dirty so not to loose. Don’t play an open game and get a thumping. We can win the title finger crossed.

    1. It’s still a long way before then
      We could go there with 10point gap or 10point behind… now is time to take it a game at a time
      Jorginho and zinchenco to experienced players that have been here before both delivered today

  52. This is what I’ve been waiting for – my worry was that the recent form would continue for too long as we’ve looked drained, but we needed to put in a performance like this to overcome it. Arteta’s unflustered response after the city game made me think we might be about to turn it around, and his confidence was well placed. I can’t believe city drew as well. Incredible.

  53. See! We gifted City three points and it’s been clear today! We were never supposed to lose to this shameless bunch of cheaters. I think we’ll get a result at the Etihad with GJ and Partey fit.

    1. We played them twice without our most important player and best striker and still went blow to blow. Jesus return will be a huge adrenaline boost for the run it, still 2/3 games till he’s back.

  55. Good comeback after some sloppy play in the first half. So much for not having the mental strength to go to places like Villa Park and get a result !

  56. Hello Todd Boehly, was it easy taking Chelsea from 10th position to the dizzying heights of 10th position? Especially after spending almost a billion pounds on transfers and hijacking the Mudryk deal in the process?

  57. Everyone seems really happy following today’s win over Villa, and they should be, but I am still very concerned. Despite his goal I thought Zinchenko was very poor. After his mistake, that ultimately lead to the opening goal, I think he needs to foul Cash and take the yellow card. He also made numerous errors and gave away possession many times. I like him, but not at left back instead of Tierney who is a superior defender and full back. I thought Jorginho was excellent and I would really like to see him alongside Partey once he’s fit again. Xhaka was poor. Trossard was poor and looked like the slowest player on the pitch. I prefer Tomiyasu at right back as well and think he was somewhat harshly criticized following his mistake against Man City. Eddie could and probably should’ve had at least one goal today. However, I think to win the game via an Emi Martinez own goal is just beautifully poetic. Nice for Gabi to get on the score sheet again.

  58. Stay late last night to watch city vs forest(asian times)..so many chances for city to kill the games..but forest with only 9 percent possession stay in the games with a few world class save from navas.. got a deserve equaliser from their courage and steel defending.. games like this show city will not win all their games like us and other team.. next week is double gameweek for us..if we can win both of the game then we back 5 pts in front

  59. What a bounce back in the second half. Complete domination, save for a few moments to give Ramsdale a chance to shine. Zinchenko compensated for his loss of possession by scoring. Emi “Master of the Dark Arts” Martinez scored for his old team by way of a Jorginho ricochet. What a mensch! Your complementary basket of fruits and fancy soaps is on the way.
    My wife knows it’s on when I’m alone but still screaming at the TV. What a game!

  60. Happy with the win,not necessarily with the performance but at least it’s 3 points. First win in just under a month.

    Lots of things to work on at training

  61. Great win, much needed at the moment.

    MA should consider benching Xhaka and playing ESR or Nelson alongside Ode .. in the last 3 games it was clear that all the teams were closing the gaps on our key players leaving our CF with no chance to score. If we push a joker player like ESR/Nelson/Trossard it would be great to have easy chances.

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