Arsenal put away Aston Villa with a brilliant second-half performance against the Emirates and extended their lead at the top of the Premier League by the end of 2025.
Even if I didn’t believe it before, I believe it now. It was a clear victory for Arsenal, who overcame the challenge and moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League.
Arsenal put in a sensational second-half performance to overwhelm Aston Villa and prove they have the mentality and temperament to win the title. They returned to the way they first reached the top: set-pieces, free-flowing football full of pace and energy.
With Giants defender Gabriel back in the starting XI, it was no coincidence that Arsenal scored their first goal from a corner kick in two months. Substitute Gabriel Jesus scored a stunning goal with his first touch, while Martin Zvimendi and Leandro Trossard also scored in between.
Arsenal had a huge Declan Rice-shaped hole in their midfield and it was a very edgy first half. So what happened?
Martin Odegaard stepped up in the second half with command that showed exactly why he is club captain. Odegaard led his team forward by example and came out on top during a sensational second half full of great performances.
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With the clock ticking down 4-0, the away end was deserted and Villa’s 11-game winning streak came to an abrupt halt. Blamey, it’s been a long road to get to this point in midweek, but with the club six points behind leaders Arsenal, Villa’s faithful seemed to have given up on their title bid.
The home fans, who have been extremely nervous and jittery in recent matches, loved it, mocking former Arsenal manager Unai Emery and former Gunners keeper Emi Martinez, who was overwhelmed by the second-half goal rush.
It’s hard to remember two such contrasting first halves, with Arsenal looking nervous at first and Villa outwitting the home defense in the opening 20 minutes, with Ollie Watkins wasting a great chance. Gradually, Arsenal look like they are becoming more solid at the back and Gabriel’s return from a groin injury could not have come at a better time. He makes them look more solid.
There are still problems with Victor Gokeres, who could barely contribute as a centre-forward. Mikel Merino struggled to fill the void left by Rice’s knee injury. There was hope for Villa.
However, things changed when Arsenal scored just three minutes after the restart. Bukayo Saka’s corner kick caused chaos in Villa’s box, with Gabriel scuffling with Martinez before Arsenal’s hulking defender curled the ball into the goal.
This was Arsenal’s 13th set-piece goal of the season. 11th from the corner. It took the roof off Emirates Airlines. My nervous tension suddenly turned into a positive belief. Arsenal went for it again.
Five minutes later, Arsenal scored their second goal. It was Odegaard who competed in midfield and won the ball before moving forward. He did exactly what Rice did with his team.
Odegaard then played a beautiful through ball to Martin Zvimendi, who raced into the penalty area and fired a shot past Martinez and into the far corner. Arsenal fans could not believe what they were seeing. Pierrot Hincapie swung in a cross, Saka kept it and Trossard curled it into the top corner. The goal survived a painfully long VAR check.
Jesus replaced Gokeres and things got even better. Trossard set up the Brazilian striker and curled in a great shot from Martinez.
It was a big victory. It was arguably Arsenal’s best performance since beating Bayern Munich last month. David Raya pulled off a stunning double save in stoppage time and Ollie Watkins provided a final consolation, but it was too little too late.
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