Aston Villa came from two goals down to earn a magnificent 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Saturday. After Leandro Trossard had set up Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz to give the hosts a deserved cushion, Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins popped up at the other end to earn Unai Emery’s side a point and stun the Emirates Stadium into silence.
Amid their bright start, the Gunners came agonisingly close to getting an opener just nine minutes into the game. In typical fashion for the home team, the danger came from a corner and it was worked to Thomas Partey deep in the Villa box, but his shot sailed over the bar.
It took until the 34th minute for Mikel Arteta’s men to break the deadlock. Martinelli reacted perfectly to Trossard’s cross, getting in ahead of Ian Maatsen to get the ball over the line despite Emi Martinez’s block. If that wasn’t bad enough for Villa, they suffered another blow at the same time as Amadou Onana had to go off injured.
Trossard was the catalyst again as the Gunners made it 2-0 – this time he collected the ball and took his time up against Matty Cash before creating the space to send a deadly ball in for Havertz to volley in.
Less than five minutes later, though, Youri Tielemans got his head to a fantastic cross from substitute Lucas Digne to send it beyond Raya. The Belgian midfielder came close to tying it up a minute later but his shot hit the post. On both occasions, he left Mikel Merino scrambling – and failing – to stop him.
Villa weren’t done there. In the 68th minute, Cash’s cross flew just over Havertz’s head and dropped to Watkins in loads of space at the back post to lash in the equaliser.
Arsenal pushed to regain their lead and thought they had won the game when Merino, who had been useless for much of the contest, sent the ball bouncing into the net, but VAR intervened to disallow the goal for a handball from Havertz. Merino came close yet again in stoppage time but ended up hitting the post and then Trossard fluffed his lines as he went through on goal.
Villa were able to hold on from there and collect a point, leaving Arsenal six behind a Liverpool team who boast a game in hand.
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