That, then, is us. There’s still silly amounts going on, so stick with us for the rest of the weekend, but otherwise, peace out.
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Finally, I’ve just remembered that, in the maelstrom of the closing stages, I neglected to congratulate Diego Carlos – named player of the match by Gary Neville. And rightly so, he was exceptional today, helping keep Villa in the game when they were under pressure first half.
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“A perfect away performance,” surmises Ollie Watkins, noting how well Arsenal have been playing and controlling games. Emi Martinez, meanwhile – who celebrated the win every bit as well as you hope – says he still loves Arsenal, having grown up there, but he’s delighted.
Back to Watkins, he thinks a lot of people doubted Villa, thinking they play good football but couldn’t come to Arsenal and win, so he’s pleased to have shown them to the contrary.
On his terrific save from Trossard, Martinez says he works hard on his flexibility, then that Watkins should be player of the season; Watkins is touched.
And here’s Ed Aarons’ match report.
Oh man, we’ve just seen the first goal again, and what a run and jump Emery involved. There was a lot of pain, embarrassment, pride and relief in that.
A year ago, almost to the day…
One of the great sporting days of the year is under way, and the great Scott Murray is on-hand to bring it to you.
“In the Ireland of my youth,” says Justin Kavanagh, “the only mention of Arsenal in the local Catholic church would be in confession; you were either confessing to cursing the holy trinity of Brady, O’Leary, and Stapleton for losing (or missing internationals through dodgy injuries); or else the priest was giving you the penance of watching ‘boring, boring Arsenal.’”
Granit Xhaka is a champion!
Elsewhere:
Some Arsenal fans have stayed and we peruse their miserable coupons as the away end bounces. The course of dealing – Arsenal tossing stuff, City doing the necessary almost every year – has totally flattened them. Suddenly, the midweek trip to Bayern looks daunting, and a game away at Wolves next Saturday night extremely challenging.
The league table
Full time: Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
The gap is only two points, but it’s hard not to imagine today as the definitive one in this season’s title race. Arsenal lose, Liverpool lose, and City lead the way; Villa are beautifully placed to make the Champions League.
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90+8 min Arsenal have sent on Nketiah for Zinchenko, I must’ve missed that after the second goal.
90+8 min The Emirates is half-empty now, which feels harsh given the effort their team have given them, but anyone who knows anything about football will know how much the home fans are hurting right now. This thing of ours, mates – there’s nothing remotely like it is there?
90+6 min Emery paces up and down the touchline; this performance and these points will mean so much to him. What a job he’s done and is doing; how far can he take it?
90+5 min City look likely to end the day two points clear, and it’s hard to see anyone catching them from there, not because it’s impossible, unprecedented or anything close, but it’s so rare to see a challenger win the title from behind. City did it in 2012 but they’re a much better side than the United one that collapsed and they still needed a head-to-head to make it happen; Arsenal did it in 1998, but city aren’t getting the injuries United had then.
90+4 min Villa look more likely to find a third than Arsenal a first and Bailey opulls right then flicks a pass inside that Watkins can’t quite collect.
90+3 min “Pep was already celebrating after the thrashing of Luton last night and talking up City’s title chances,” writes Rick Harris. “Liverpool and Arsenal are now playing for second place. Watkins has scored as I predicted earlier. I think he is on the plane ahead of Toney for the Euros.”
I’m not sure – I think Toney’s all-round game is quite a lot better, his finishing too. Watkins gives you a threat in behind, but if it’s one or t’other I’m going t’other.
90 min We’ll have eight additional minutes. Villa fans won’t even be nervous, so dominant have they been since the break.
90 min So yeah, about that title race for the ages. Er, I’m beginning to think the team with the most money, bankrolled by a petro-state, might sneak a fourth consecutive title and a sixth in seven years. You simply cannot beat oor league.
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88 min I can’t really make excuses for Arsenal – Villa took a while to settle but have dominated the second half, quicker to the ball, more intelligent in possession and with better movement into space. Unai Emery knows his soccer, people.
GOAL! Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa (Watkins 87)
A channel ball and Watkins is away! Smith Rowe is last man and he’s easily held off on the run from halfway, then Raya goes down early and a gorgeous finish soars over his head! sat on his couch, Pep Guardiola now makes Muttley look like Morrissey!
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GOAL! Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa (Bailey 84)
A ball down the side when a corner isn’t cleared properly and Digne, down the left, swivels into a fantastic low cross that races through the corridor, no one able to touch it but Torres’ near-post run taking out the keeper, and when the ball arrives at the feet of Bailey, beyond the fap, he composes, keeps his head down, and punches a sidefooter that sends east Manchester into raptures! Villa have earned the absolute arse out of that.
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83 min Arsenal have been so, so poor second half, unable to get going. For that, credit goes to Villa, but Arteta might now feel he picked the wrong team BUT EXCUSE ME WHILE I INTERRUPT MYSELF!
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82 min “Sorry to ruin your synagogue stat,” ruins Ben Littlewood, “but Spurs failed to win the league in 16-17 despite having the best attacking and defensive record. I am hoping Arsenal can repeat this feat.”
Ahahahaha, of course they did. Thanks, I shall pass on your information to the mate currently sat at the Emirates, platzing. I’m certain he’ll be delighted to learn the truth.
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80 min In comms, Gary Nev imagines Guardiola sat on his couch – I dunno, does he even have one? I’d assumed some kind of therapeutic chair – “Laughing like Muttley.” That’s a tremendous image; does that make Sheikh Mansour Dick Dastardly?
78 min Two more changes for Arsenal, Odegaard passing the armband to Jesus who passes it to the arriving Jorginho – before departing. He was Sven’s England, pretty much, first half good, second half not so good; Smith Rowe is also introduced, Jesus coming off. Villa, meanwhile, bring on Moreno for Zaniolo.
77 min “Okay, I’ll bite,” begins Luis Suarez Adam Klineschoder, “How on earth did football statistics come up during synagogue?” The Hebrew term for synagogue, Bet Knesset, means house of meeting not house oif prayer, and be very sure there’s plenty of shmoozing that goes on in its environs, much of it about football – though there’s also cricket chat and whisky chat.
76 min This time, Arsenal clear and counter, but Villa quickly recover possession and this is slipping away from the title challengers.
75 min This time, Tielemans goes near post, Watkins shoves Jesus out of it, and Tomiyasu bends double to head with the ball inches off the ground; Torres collects, swivels into a shot, and it’s blocked behind for another corner.
73 min Villa are – and since half-time have been have been – the better team. They’ve not created anything, but they’re controlling midfield and looking more likely to fashion a scoring opportunity. Here comes another left-win corner … which yields another.
71 min On the Arsenal subs, I wonder if White has a knock, because needing a goal, you generally don’t replace him with Tomiyasu. Otherwise, I thought we might see Martinelli at half-time, but perhaps the change is Jorginho for Havertz, counter-intuitive, but like when Roberto Mancini would send on Fernando to get Yaya Touré further forward, Jorginho might improve the passing out, give the home side control, and get Rice driving into the box.
69 min I learnt in synagogue yesterday that no side has failed to win the league when they’ve had the best attacking and defensive record; that could easily be arsenal at the end of the season, given their 75 goals to City’s7 6 and 24 conceded to City’s 32
67 min Changes for Arsenal: Tomiyasu for White and Martinelli for Trossard.
66 min Jesus heads the corner up at the near post, then Diego Costa tries an overhead kick, instead lacing Odegaard in the chest. he’s down, but he’ll be OK.
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64 min Saka finds space outside the box at inside-right, sliding square to Jesus, and he passes a low finish … that Martinez shoves away. Villa, though, expletive fancy this, and quickly come down the other end to win another left-wing corner.
63 min Havertz is booked for a foul, on whom I did not see, and Arsenal clear the free-kick, but they’re struggling a little now.
62 min OH MY COMPLETE AND UTTER DAYS! The corner is cleared but only as far as Tielemans, its taker, now close to the corner of the box, when Zinchenko decides to take him on, he wins the tackle then unfurls a screeching, howling curler that hits bar then far post and bounces to safety! That is a ludicrously brilliant effort and I’ve not a clue how it stayed out.
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62 min And immediately, Villa win a corner.
61 min Emery acts first, bringing off Diaby to send on Bailey.
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60 miun Saka swings in, Rodgers half-clears, and Rice bludgeons somewhere towards Highbury.
59 min “Regarding Pelé,” begins Matt Guthrie, “I’m sorry, but somebody has to.”
By far the greatest honour ever bestowed upon him. Arsenal win a corner down the right…
57 min “You mention Pelé walking around Highbury in 1981, but what not a lot of people know is that Arsène was within a whisker of signing him as a youth,” chuckles Bill Hargreaves.
56 min Odegaard, by far Arsenal’s best player so far, spreads to Trossard who tries a cross to the back post without considering why, and Martinez comes to claim easily enough.
55 min “Villa are sniffing that fourth-place Champions League spot and if they do make it and Emery masterminds a Europa Conference League win then I would argue he should be manager of the season. I have a feeling after Liverpool’s embarrassment earlier that Villa are about to do the same to the Gunners and Watkins will probably do the business. City home and hosed if Arsenal drop points.”
I’d not be that definitive but agree, if Arsenal can’t win it’ll look grim. Emery has done a sensational job, though it’s fair to note he inherited a really good squad.
54 min Villa have started the second half pretty well and nervousness is spreading around the Emirates; they’ve seen this one before.
53 min So, team of the season. How about: Alisson; White, Saliba, Van de Ven, Aké; Rodri, Rice, Odegaard; Foden, Haaland, Salah.
51 min Odegaard tries an outswinger, but Konsa heads clear.
51 min Arsenal win a free-kick just outside the D, left side, and Odegaard stands behind it…
49 min “Interesting to see the Arsenal v Villa highlights from May 1981, writes David Watters. “I went to that match with a couple of mates, and the thing we always remembered about that game was that Pele was at Highbury that afternoon! I believe it was for some kind of sponsorship event and he made his way round the track, waving to all and just being the great man (as you might expect). Lovely memory!”
Great stuff. Any more for any more?
48 min McGinn battles forward, loses out to Rice, and leaves something on him – there are a bit of afters, then Havertz sticks a pass down the channel, right side of the box, Diego Carlos – who’s been superb so far – stepping across Jesus to see him away. The crowd want a penalty, but that was decent de-fense.
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46 min In co-comms, Gary Nev reckons Arsenal have played really well, which I think is strong. They’ve been alright, but they’ve lacked coldness at crucial moments and a bit of wit too; I’d expect them to create more big chances this half.
46 min We go again!
Our teams are back with us. A colossal 45 coming right up.
Leverkusen are almost there! They lead Werder Bremen 1-0 and a win today makes them champions for the first time in their history. What an absolutely rrrridiculous achievement that’d be.
Looking again at that Trossard miss, it was a fine save, Martinez extending a leg from nowhere, but more of a flick that a punch on his finish and he takes the keeper out of the equation.
Half-time entertainment:
Half-time: Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
It’s an entertaining game so far, Villa defending the box well and starting to threaten on the counter; Arsenal are moving the ball well and Trossard’s miss was a bad one, but they need a little more imagination and conviction in the final third.
45+3 min Villa win a free-kick 40 yards out, left of centre, and McGinn will deliver; he flights a searcher for Konsa arriving at the far post, but he can only poke wide.
45+1 min Digne clips into the wall as if on purpose and Gabriel, it turns out, wore it in the phizog. Work for Arteta to do at half-time because his team are playing fairly well but they’re struggling to create clear-cut chances.
45 min Rodgers bundles through a pair of challenges so Gabriel swings a leg to shin him in the solar plexus. That’s a booking, Villa have a free-kick on the right edge of the D, and we’ll have two additional minutes. Digne, McGinn and Tielemans are behind the ball, various of their mates trying to block Raya’s view…
44 min Fantastic pass by Zinchenko, pushed down the side of the Villa defence for Havertz … who’s offside.
41 min Saka in the box, he dips inside his man, opens his body, unfurls his favourite curler … and watches it whizz wide of the far post. There’s some tempo about this game now, but which way will the drop go?
40 min Goodness me what is going on?! First, Gabriel’s clearance hits Zinchenko, Watkins seizes on to the loose ball, holds off Gabriel, shoots low from the edge … and watches the ball cannon the inside base of the far post, rebounding to safety! Then Arsenal counter, Odegaard’s shot is blocked … and, down the left side of the box, the ball bounces into Jesus’ path! He might shoot because he’s a bit of time and angle, but instead he cunningly squares, Trossard arriving on to the pass secure in the knowledge that a decent contact and it’s a 1-0 … only for Martinez to meet his decent contact with an extended foot, saving with a heel!
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38 min Increasingly, Rice is gambling, finding himself inside the Villa box, right-hand side, and sliding over a searching square-pass … that misses everyone. So Odegaard pulls left, then slides foot around the ball while spinning to conjure a pass in behind for Trossard, who picks out Saka with his cross, the resultant header billowing the side-netting.
36 min Zaniolo gulls White into getting too close, turns away from him and wears the foul that earns the defender a booking.
36 min On which point, I guess we’re getting to team of the year time. How do we get Odegaard, Rice, Rodri and Foden into one midfield?
35 min Martin Odegaard, by the way, what a player. I must confess I never saw him maturing into a physical brute, but don’t underestimate the importance of his physicality in possession, as well as the luscious pausa in his passing and clarity of his vision.
34 min To no avail.
32 min Villa are doing a terrific job of closing down the spaces, especially given the game they had on Thursday night. I wonder if that might cost them in the final quarter, when Arteta sends on fresh legs, but in the meantime Tielemans gets on the ball where we said he’d want to, and there’s space in behind Zinchenko for Bailey to attack … problem being the pass is poor, so here come Arsenal again.
31 min Saka’s delivery is excellent too, drifted into the six-yard box, but Konsa does really well to block off Gabriel and the ball bounces then skips behind. Excellent defending.
29 min Again, Havertz is sent through the middle, the sublime Odegaard caressing a pass into his stride. But the German doesn’t have the kind of pace that allows him to outstrip a defence – one reason he’s not a great fit at centre-forward, false nine or whatever we call it – and Carlos makes the challenge at cost of a corner.
28 min Villa allow Zinchenko to travel 30 yards with the ball, but they crowd him out easily enough and are starting to grow in confidence, moving the ball about and finding Diaby. He slips into Rogers, who finds Konsa overlapping, and though the cross drifts behind, his side might just be growing into this.
26 min Odegaard drops a shoulder inside the box and creates space, and though Villa again close down the space, Arsenal are getting their one-touch passing going, moving defenders about. They look confident too, but if it’s still goalless at half-time, that might change, and a wasted corner is all this attack has to show for itself.
24 min Jesus pulls right to help White, takes the ball, nips inside his man … and wallops a shot straight at Martinez. Villa are defending the box pretty well, closing down passing and shooting angles.
22min Villa wander about in midfield just “possessing the football”, soon lose it, and Arsenal get after them again. Still, though, they’ve not created any “ye’ve gottae score” opportunities.
21 min An error and suddenly Villa have space, a pass infield finding Watkins running at Gabriel. But he doesn’t shift it quickly enough and with Trossard helping his defence he’s soon crowded out.
20 min Odegaard is allowed so much time he puts his foot on the ball, ponders the ultimate futility of human existence, then waits for Saka and punches a terrific pass that meets his run. And there are men in the middle! But again, Saka goes for power, looking to beat Martinez at his near post rather than feed the scavengers in the middle, and again, the keeper escapes without making a save.
19 min “Newcastle never signing Shinji Okazaki is one of football’s great minor tragedies,” reckons Tom Atkins.
In similar vain, I’ve always liked how much of his career Terrknee Merrbray spent in the north east.
18 min Rice get on it high and finds Odegaard, who sends it wide to White. The cross is a decent one too, Havertz making a run that gives Diego Carlos a problem because he’s also got Jesus to contend with. And it’s Jesus on the end of it, heading down … and into the side-netting.
16 min Another chance for Havertz! Sent through by Zinchenko’s pass over the top, the ball takes a while to come down for him, but he holds off McGinn … only to put too little behind his attempted dink, Martinez saving again … at which point the flag goes up. Arsenal are coming.
15 min There’s a brief pause as Saka looks to have hurt his hip ina challenge with Diego Carlos, but he’s soon back running about.
14 min Arsenal haven’t created much but we’ve seen nothing from Villa going forward yet. I’m not sure they’ll mind – they won’t have aimed to win this in the first 20 – but they will have hoped to keep their hosts honest. At the moment, they cannot.
13 min Zinchenko into Trossard, who’s started nicely and guides a return-pass that allows his mate to hit the line … whereupon he stands up a cross to naebody.
11 min Good from Arsenal, Trossard keeping the width to slide a ball in behind Konsa for onrushing Havertz … and he’s in! But from an acutish angle, he whacks a percentage finish directly into Martinez’s midriff.
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11 min On which point Ross Barkley saying “Lukaku” is glorious.
I'd 100% have Ross Barkley at United, just to hear him say "Lukaku" on the reg. pic.twitter.com/XYjoQI8aJQ
— Daniel Harris (@DanielHarris) July 26, 2017
10 min All due respect to Trevoh Chalobah and Godsway Donyoh, but is there a better name to say in a Manc accent than Nicolò Zaniolo?
9 min Digne prepares to luz in another long throw … but the ref spots an infringement from Diego Carlos.
8 min Arsenal have found Saka down the right a couple of times and he’s leathered low crosses; now, he isolates Torres, shimmies past on the outside … and again, lashes a cross that’s far too hard for everyone, when a more simple square pass might’ve created a tap-in.
7 min “PL or CL?” wonders David Montgomery. “All Gooners who remember the long, slow-drip decline of the Wenger era followed by the chaos that followed would take … either one.”
Now that’s magnanimity.
6 min Arsenal are starting to get moving, Trossard down the line to Havertz … with McGinn sliding in to win an important challenge.
5 min Wow! Man United have knocked holders Chelsea out of the Women’s FA Cup and play Spurs in the final!
4 min Of course, the reason it’s now like this is the ability of your West Hams and your Villas to outbid clubs from around Europe for players because the Prem is financially dominant.But also, there are more brilliant players in the world than ever before, way more, so everyone can have some.
2 min “This is the most amazing title race,” kvells Mary Waltz. “For so many years we all knew what the ending would be long before the season ended. For once we have a multi-team race and City, Arsenal and yes, even Liverpool can still take the crown. Brilliant drama.”
What I’m enjoying about it is that points are getting dropped. City and Liverpool winning 13 straight or whatever and finishing close or beyond the 100-point mark was amazing but not entertaining; you want to see Palace winning at Anfield and so on.
1 min Immediately, Villa win a throw deep inside the Arsenal half and Digne hurls it in, the ball cleared to McGinn on the edge, whose shot clobbers Trossard in the coupon. He stumbles with wooze, but is soon ready to go again.
1 min And away we go!
The players take the knee. All black lives matter.
“And then there was one?” wonders Charles Antaki. “If the season plays out like an Agatha Christie detective story, then Liverpool’s loss moves them out of the reckoning as prime suspect, and it’s left only to Arsenal to prevent it turning out to be the one we all expected it to be all along. A double bluff by the Queen of Crime?”
What a book And Then There Was None is. Sophie Hannah, who wrote a new Poirot, considers it the best, and the Sarah Phelps BBC adaptation was magnificent. I, though, have a soft spot for the Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Christie though, what a total genius.
Our teams are tunnelled, and here they come!
If Arsenal win today, they go top, a point ahead of City; if Villa win, they go three points ahead of Spurs, who they currently lead on goal difference.
Arsenal fans: if you had to choose, league or Champions League? There’s nothing like being the best team in your own country and it’s a while since Arsenal have been able to say that. But they’ve never won the one with the big ears, and doing that, in London, would be very special.
Merse is certain Villa fans would prefer to win the Conference and qualify for the Europa, rather than make the Champions League. Is he right? As an old man, I hope he is, because football is about moments – no one will tell their grandkids about that day they secures fourth or fifth place – though I understand that, for the progress of the club, the money might be more important than the continental equivalent of the Full Members’ Cup.
Do we think Artetz is more chill than at this time last season? Way earlier than this, he looked a ball of nervous energy and you felt that’d transmit to the players; we don’t know if it did, but do know didn’t look good. Now, though, he seems – to me at least – a lot more equanimous, and I imagine that’s rooted partly in experience but also in confidence. Last term, he knew he was kind of winging it, hoping his first XI could eke it out as they tired, whereas this he’s been able to rotate so has a fresher squad.
Arteta says he has players fit and in form, so picks his side according to how they can hurt their opponent but also according to who he thinks is important at the start versus those whio can affect the game later on.
Emery, meanwhile, wants his side to stick to the gameplan, controlling it when they can.
Bayer Leverkusen are still unbeaten in all competitions this season; what an achievement it’ll be if they can see out the season.
Back to the women’s FA Cup, it’s still Man United 2-1 Chelsea with 75 gone.
Arsenal, meanwhile, know that if they play well, they win. So I’d expect their focus to be on doing what they do well: stepping on to Villa, sending lots of men forward, and looking to pin them back inside their own half. They know Ezri Konsa won’t fancy being isolated, so might look to attack his flank, and also that Pau Torres isn’t the most physical – I’d not be surprised to see him targeted at set-pieces, nor to have men running down the sides of him.
So where is our game? I thought Arteta might go for Takehiro Tomiyasu at left-back instead of Oleksandr Zinchenko, in order to negate Villa’s threat down the flank – if they’re playing two up, in particular, they’ll be looking for overloads and crosses. But Arteta isn’t messing about, picking attacking options, so I’d expect Emery to target the left side of Arsenal’s defence in particular.
Full time at Anfield and Palace have beaten Liverpool 1-0!
Oliver Glasner records his first win since his first game as Palace manager and what a win it is. Liverpool sit third, level on points with Arsenal – but miles behind on goal difference – and two off City. Though they missed a load of chances, again, Palace missed some belters too.
As for Villa, Emery doesn’t really have options, so the intrigue concerns his team’s formation. I think it’ll be 4-5-1 in order to contest midfield, but it could just as easily be 4-4-2 with Bailey partnering Watkins, or 4-3-3 with Zaniolo on the opposite flank.
So what do these teams mean? I’m not surprised Arsenal have left out Jorginho, whose lack of athleticism can be a problem against young, physical sides – so not Bayern – and given Rice’s ability to play as the number six and the need for three points, it makes sense to play him there to include another attacker.
In attack, meanwhile, I imagine Martinelli is being nursed back to fitness and required in midweek, hence Trossard today, while Jesus’ ability to scavenge is understandably deemed more useful for this match than Havertz’s hold-up play and aerial threat.
As for Villa, they make one change from Thursday night’s big win over Lille: Douglas Luiz is suspended, so Nicolò Zaniolo comes in.
Specifically, Artetz makes three changes from the team that drew with Bayern in midweek: at left-back, Kiwior is replaced by Zinchenko; in midfield, Havertz moves back from false nine with Jorginho dropping out; and in attack, Gabriel Jesus plays through the middle while, down the left, it’s Leandro Trossard instead of Gabriel Martinelli.
Righto, our teams...
Arsenal (4-3-3): Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Odegaard, Havertz; Saka, Jesus, Trossard. Subs: Ramsdale, Partey, Smith Rowe, Martinelli, Nketiah, Kiwior, Tomiyasu, Jorginho, Vieira.
Aston Villa (4-5-1): Martinez; Konsa, Carlos, Torres, Digne; Zaniolo, Tielemans, McGinn, Rogers, Diaby; Watkins. Subs: Olsen, Cash, Moreno, Chambers, Lenglet, Duran, Kesler-Hayden, Bailey, Iroegbunam.
And there’s been a massive game in Scotland which might, in the final analysis, hand the title to Celtic.
Elsewhere: it’s West Ham 0-2 Fulham, Andreas Pereira with both goals.
Also going on right now: Man United 2-1 Chelsea
In a repeat of last year’s final, Lauren James pulled a goal back for the holders on the stroke of half-time; the second peruod will be a belter.
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Going on right now: Liverpool 0-1 Palace, 67:28 gone.
Of course there’s a decent chance Liverpool find what they need and win from here but they’ve been second-best today, again. Or, put another way, they are – in the opinion of this observer – significantly less good than City and Arsenal, and have been scabbing it all season thanks to their coterie of nasty attackers and the genius of Jürgen Klopp. Given that, I’ll be surprised if they find a way to win the title, but the energy of their manager has already done some incredible things.
Preamble
We’re at that point aren’t we? Two squads, each rammed with players who’ve flogged themselves their whole lives, sacrificing their youth and neglecting their relationships desperate to experience the intensity of a moments like this one … and now it’s here.
Arsenal took a while to get going this season, but the addition of Declan Rice gave them ballast – they can now win without playing well – while that of Kai Havertz gave them options – they can also now win if things don’t start well. It took Mikel Arteta a little time to work out how best to deploy his assets, but he now has a sense of which combinations suit which opponents and, if he miscalculates, a variety of alterations available to pose opponents a different challenge. So now, as things get edgy, these two aspects – central solidity and forward variety, two aspects absent last season – might take Arsenal one step further.
Might. Because above them, Manchester City are building momentum; below them, Liverpool are fuelled by messianism and the easiest of the three run-ins; and today, Aston Villa visit the Emirates.
Unai Emery doesn’t come across as a man fulled by injustice and indignance, and Villa’s needs – a first European Cup appearance since they qualified as holders in 1982-83 – will be more than enough to get him and his players going. But though he was probably the wrong man to succeed Arséne Wenger, so was everyone else, and the way he was treated – handed a mess then sacked while still assimilating the extent of its sweep – will have hurt. His players will want to do this for themselves, but given what he’s done for them, they’ll also want to show the best of him.
And they could. Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins are a handful for any defence, particularly on the counter, while Youri Tielemans will fancy himself to create for them – and him – especially if the area in front of the Arsenal defence is patrolled by Jorginho, who lacks the physicality to do so with any authority.
Otherwise, though, with Douglas Luiz suspended and Jacob Ramsey, Emi Buendía, Boubacar Kamara and Tyrone Mings all out for the season, they might just lack the cohesion to stop a team increasingly convinced the time for which they’ve been waiting forever has finally arrived.
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST
