Image source: football.london
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expects his side to bounce back after their title ambitions stuttered with a dramatic defeat at Aston Villa that ended their 11-game unbeaten Premier League run, with Emiliano Buendia scoring the winner with the last kick of the match after Leandro Trossard had cancelled out Matty Cash’s opener.
Arteta Confident Arsenal Will Respond After Villa End 11-Game Unbeaten Streak
Emiliano Buendia scored with the last kick of the match to secure a dramatic victory for Aston Villa and end Arsenal’s impressive 11-game unbeaten run in the Premier League. Leandro Trossard had earlier cancelled out Matty Cash’s opener for the hosts, but Villa snatched all three points in the dying moments to boost their own title credentials while dealing a blow to the Gunners’ championship hopes.
The defeat provided a perfect tonic for Manchester City, who were taking on Sunderland in a 3pm kick-off and had the chance to move within two points of Arsenal. Villa also entered the title race conversation on the back of their victory, having transformed their season after a difficult start that saw them fail to win any of their opening five games and sit in the relegation zone.
Arteta remained defiant despite the setback, pointing to Arsenal’s recent record at difficult venues including Old Trafford, St James’ Park and Stamford Bridge. “The result could have been different, the reality is not. We went 18 games unbeaten in all competitions and still we are there, close to each other,” the Spanish manager said. “That is the level of the league, we know that. Now it is time to bounce back, they have given me all the right reasons to think we are going to perform at the same level.”
The Arsenal boss emphasized the long nature of the title race, stating that his team must prove they can cope for another six months of competition. “It’s five months into the competition and so far we have coped. We are going to have to prove we can cope again, again, again for another six months,” Arteta explained. “People who think at this moment we are going to be 10 points clear live in a different world.”
Arsenal received further bad news with Arteta revealing that Cristhian Mosquera’s ankle injury is worse than initially feared. “He is going to be out for weeks, unfortunately. It is much more than we were expecting, so he is going to be out for weeks,” the manager confirmed. Meanwhile, Villa boss Unai Emery downplayed his side’s title chances despite their remarkable turnaround, insisting they are not contenders and describing Arsenal as favourites to win the championship.
