LONDON :Aston Villa striker Ollie Watkins proved a thorn in Arsenal’s side yet again as he completed his side’s comeback with the equaliser in a 2-2 draw that damaged the London club’s Premier League title hopes on Saturday.
Arsenal were on course to erase the memory of last season’s home defeat by Villa – the last time they lost in the league at The Emirates – when Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz scored from close range either side of halftime.
Victory would have put Arsenal back to four points behind leaders Liverpool but Villa burst into life when Youri Tielemans headed them a lifeline on the hour and Watkins met a Matty Cash cross with a volley to level eight minutes later.
It set up a frantic finale in which Arsenal thought they had won it when Mikel Merino’s effort deflected off Havertz into the net but it was ruled out for handball against the German.
Arsenal are on 44 points to Liverpool’s 50 having also played one more game. Villa moved up a place to seventh.
It was England striker Watkins who scored a sublime goal in April to seal a 2-0 Villa win that ultimately proved fatal for Arsenal’s hopes of catching Manchester City in the title race.
His goal on Saturday could have an equally damaging impact on Arsenal’s chase of Liverpool and fans of the north London club might be sick of the sight of him.
Watkins has scored six Premier League goals against Arsenal, four of them away. Since he joined Villa in 2020 no visiting player has scored more goals at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal will contest that they scored a late winner when Merino’s volley bounced down and in via a deflection off the arm of Havertz, but they only have themselves to blame for allowing two precious points to slip through their fingers.
“The scoreline is nowhere near a reflection (of the game),” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters. “I’m not happy, I think the difference between the teams was very obvious.”
On the disallowed goal that left hme on his knees on the touchline, Arteta added: “The decision is made. It’s difficult because we have so much emotion, the celebration and it’s taken away from you. Not easy.”
Liverpool’s stoppage-time victory at Brentford and the absence of key defender William Saliba put something of a dampener on the pre-match mood at The Emirates.
ARSENAL DETERMINED
Unai Emery’s Villa arrived knowing a repeat of last year’s win would put them fourth, but Arsenal looked determined to keep hanging on to Liverpool’s coat tails.
Leandro Trossard was the catalyst for Arsenal and he created both goals in almost identical fashion.
In the 35th minute, he burst down the left and crossed for Martinelli to prod a volley that Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez could not quite prevent from crossing the line.
Trossard lashed an effort just over the bar before finding space on the left in the 55th minute to cross low into the area where Havertz timed his run well to guide an effort past Martinez.
Villa has not got started in the second half but halved the deficit when substitute Lucas Digne crossed for Tielemans to place a diving header past David Raya.
Arsenal were suddenly rattled and Tielemans struck the post with a shot before Watkins stunned the home fans.
Cash floated a sublime cross into the area and it was met by the lurking Watkins who guided his volley high into the net before wheeling away to celebrate in front of the visitors’ ecstatic supporters.
After VAR disallowed Arsenal’s effort in stoppage time, the hosts almost won it at the death when Trossard’s shot shaved the far post.
