Arsenal’s 18-game unbeaten run is over. In that time, they have defeated their arch-rivals 4-1, defeated one of the most in-form sides in Europe in the shape of Bayern Munich 3-1. They have also been to St James’ Park and to Stamford Bridge without losing.
It’s typical, therefore, that the man who Mikel Arteta succeeded, Unai Emery, brought it to an unsavoury end.
This game will always be Emery’s cup final and that showed on Saturday. The Gunners were far from their best. They looked tired, shaky at the back. A 2-1 loss occurred and after Manchester City won later in the day, the gap at the top of the table was narrowed to just two points.
How Emery got the better of Mikel Arteta
A week ago, Arsenal looked like the runaway leaders in the Premier League. They’ll definitely win the title, some cried. Well, how quickly things can change.
While Arteta’s side are still in the driver’s seat to win it next May, they will need to improve on their last two away games with Chelsea and Villa.
This match was classic Emery. He loves facing his former employers and despite amassing plenty of possession in the Midlands, Arsenal seemed powerless to stop the Villans.
While Arsenal were missing Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba due to injury, Villa’s swift transitions, counter-attacking football and their willingness to get runners in behind really made life difficult for Arteta’s side.
Ollie Watkins – who was once the subject of a bid from the Gunners – didn’t score but several times he was able to get in behind. Jurrien Timber, who was playing at centre-back, was made to look rather silly.
Watkins could well have scored the opening goal of the game when he got in behind Timber and Piero Hincapie, turning them inside out before forcing a strong save from David Raya.
The combination play between him and Morgan Rogers, as well as Youri Tielemans, posed a colossal threat. Between them, they made three key passes.
Usually an offensive line would be met with a brick wall in the shape of Saliba and Gabriel but Arsenal’s centre-backs were a shadow of what we’ve come to expect with Arteta’s usual centre-back pairing on the sidelines with injury again.
That said, it was a moment of pinball that led to the winning goal. Arsenal failed to clear their lines and despite throwing several bodies in the way, Emilio Buendia was the calmest man in the Midlands, firing the ball past Raya. Bedlam erupted inside the stadium.
Arsenal's summer signing costs them big time
The defensive line of Arsenal has undoubtedly been the best in the country this season. Before their clash with the Villans, the Gunners had shipped just seven goals in the top-flight. Make that nine now.
Any team in world football would miss players of the calibre of Saliba and Gabriel but the league leaders have found out in recent matches just how tricky life is when both of them are unavailable.
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Cristian Mosquera was forced off with injury in the 2-0 win against Brentford in midweek which meant Arteta was forced to select Timber at centre-half at Villa Park. Smaller, not as physical, and keen to go to ground, he was no match for Watkins and Co.
Equally, Hincapie – who could sign permanently in a £45m deal – endured a topsy-turvy afternoon in what was just his fourth start in the Premier League. The Ecuador international is a physical beast but arguably lacks the same level of composure we’ve so often seen from Gabriel and Saliba in recent years.
He is, of course, new to the English game but his performance levels in the last two away fixtures have left something to be desired.
Against Chelsea last week, he and Mosquera looked rather unsettled and nervous. Fair enough, really, particularly when you consider they had only played together as a pairing once before.
Hincapie improved against Brentford and for the most part against Villa, he looked strong. Against a robust offensive unit, he won all three of his aerial duels, made a whopping seven clearances, six recoveries and won 50% of his ground duels.
This was not a bad performance until one mistake cost Arsenal the game. It was a moment you’d typically associate with the later days of Arsene Wenger’s reign, or even the Unai Emery era.
During those years, you’d associate Arsenal’s defenders with lapses in concentration and mistakes. Hincapie wasn’t riddled with errors on Saturday but his blunder deep into injury time cost Arsenal.
In the words of The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid, he has been “pretty poor since Spurs” and while that may well feel harsh, the inability to clear his lines late on was certainly poor.
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Timber & Hincapie vs Villa
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Stat
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Timber
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Hincapie
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Mins played
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90
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90
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Touches
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66
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68
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Pass accuracy
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94%
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82%
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Tackles won
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3/3
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1/3
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Interceptions
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2
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1
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Clearances
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3
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7
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Recoveries
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4
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6
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Duels won
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4/8
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6/9
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Stats via Sofascore.
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GOAL’s Charles Watts handed the defender a 6/10 rating at full-time and called out his lack of awareness at the end. He had a chance to clear his lines, but instead ran the ball out of play. It was from the Villa throw-in that they ultimately scored the winner.
It felt insignificant when it happened but there was a lack of game awareness. It was like something out of the Emery era. Saliba and Gabriel wouldn’t do that. The dogged defence Arteta has created wouldn’t do that. It could subsequently cost him his place in the team against Brugge in midweek.
Perhaps it’s time to see what Riccardo Calafiori can do at centre-half with Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back?
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