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Why Arsenal lost 2-0 to Aston Villa – Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta pinpointed the areas where his team faltered in their 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa on Sunday. Despite their aspirations to reclaim the top spot in the Premier League, goals from Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins dashed their hopes.
Arteta, speaking to Sky Sports, said: “Two very different performances. The first half was superb, one of the best halves we have played against a top team. It should have been three or four – or more.
“We didn’t put that score line up and didn’t reflect that second half. We lacked momentum. We didn’t have the flow we had in the first half and then we conceded two very, very poor goals.
“Credit to them, in the second half we were a bit unprecise with the ball, we weren’t able to do what we did in the first half. In the end we lost it so we have to congratulate them on the points.”
Arteta’s side now find themselves playing catch-up behind leaders Manchester City in the title race.
Unai Emery dealt a significant blow to Arsenal’s Premier League title aspirations as his Aston Villa side stunned his former club with a 2-0 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
The defeat, reminiscent of their unexpected loss to Brighton last May, dented Arsenal’s hopes of clinching their first league title since 2004. Despite having the opportunity to reclaim the top spot in the league, the Gunners faltered late in the game, allowing Villa to capitalize with two late goals.
While the setback may not be as crushing as previous disappointments, such as last season’s defeat to Brighton, Arsenal once again find themselves trailing behind Manchester City in the title race. City’s resounding victory over Luton on Saturday propelled them two points clear at the top of the table, further complicating Arsenal’s pursuit of league glory.