After winning five League games in a row, Arsenal were handed a reality check when Liverpool came to town and beat us 2-0. Similarly, Steven Gerrard led Aston Villa to three wins in a row, (with an aggregate goals tally of 9-0), before last week getting their comeuppance away at the London Stadium, losing to Arsenal’s Top Four rivals West Ham by 2-0.
Gerrard has certainly made the Villains harder to beat since his arrival, but their form can hardly match the likes of Arsenal, and he is well aware that his team face a tough challenge today in the lunchtime KickOff.
When asked about the progress that Mikel Arteta has brought to the Gunners, the ex-Liverpool and England star told avfc.co.uk: “He’s come through a couple of periods where the pressure was certainly on him and his team. You’ve got to give people at Arsenal credit for supporting him, backing him and giving him the time to stamp his identity and philosophy on how he wants the team to play.
“With that time and with that support, they’ve grown, improved and got better. Now, they’re showing everyone what a consistent and strong team they can be.
“They’ve got some real top talents within the team. Defensively, they’ve improved. Set-piece wise, they’ve improved. Credit to the coach and his coaching staff.”
I do have a feeling that Gerrard will make Villa even better in the future and have them challenging for Europe next year, but his team is a lot further behind Arsenal in the forward development.
I think Gerrard knows the Villa are in for a beating today!
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Arteta speaks after Liverpool defeat “Arsenal were the better team”
Leno? God safes us today
Leno was absolutely brilliant.