Villa leave Gunners on the floor

AFP - 15 November 2008 18:50

Arsenal´s Abou Diaby (R) clashes with Aston Villa´s Stiliyan Petrov (L) during their Premier League match against Aston Villa in London. Aston Villa won 2-0.

LONDON (AFP) - Aston Villa underlined their credentials to gatecrash the English Premier League's top four with a richly deserved 2-0 win over Arsenal that represents a hammer blow to the Gunners' title hopes.

Villa shrugged off a poor run of recent results to inflict just Arsenal's third defeat at the Emirates stadium thanks to Gael Clichy's own goal and a well crafted second from the impressive Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Both strikes were controversial - Arsenal were angry that Villa played on with Bacary Sagna lying injured for the first, while the hosts could have been awarded a free-kick in the build-up to the second - but the north Londoners could hardly claim that Villa were not worthy winners.

The West Midlands club can now harbour serious aspirations of Champions League football next season, but for Arsene Wenger a fourth league defeat of the season posed more awkward questions of Arsenal's own capabilities.

The Gunners' already faint hopes of contesting the title race have surely now been extinguished and the ambition now must extend to no more than clinging on to their place in the top four. On this evidence, there can be no guarantee of that.

It was not so much this result which will concern Wenger, as the comfortable way Villa achieved it.

Martin O'Neill, the Villa manager, swamped midfield, squeezing the space and attempting to exploit Arsenal's vulnerabilities down the flanks through James Milner and Ashley Young.

It worked to perfection. Arsenal never established any semblance of rhythm and the only consolation for Wenger was that the defeat was not heavier.

The hosts were afforded a huge let-off in the 19th minute when Arsenal's defensive shortcomings were laid painfully bare.

They had already made a hash of dealing with James Milner's inswinging cross, with Clichy booting off the line, when the loose ball fell to Ashley Young.

The England under-21 international nipped in ahead of Theo Walcott, whose despairing lunge caught Young on the heels.

Mike Riley duly pointed to the spot but Arsenal's luck was in. Gareth Barry, Villa's regular penalty taker, had been injured by Fabregas in the build-up so Young assumed responsibility.

His spot-kick was horribly weak, Almunia leaping to his right to parry before William Gallas prevented Young redeeming himself on the rebound.

That should have served to awaken Arsenal from their stupor, but still Villa dominated. Only their finishing let them down: in the 36th minute, a scampering run from Agbonlahor ended with the winger cutting back to Barry, who shot straight at Almunia with the goal gaping.

It is not unusual for Arsenal to need the interval to clear their heads. On Saturday, though, Villa simply refused to loosen their grip on the game. The speed and skill of Milner, Young and Agbonlahor continued to stretch the Gunners and in the 70th minute, they crafted the goal they deserved.

It came laced with controversy. After a tussle near the half-way line, Sagna fell to the floor clutching his Achilles. Rather than knocking the ball out of play, Villa played on, with Ashley Young exploiting the space down Arsenal's right flank to curl in an inviting cross.

Clichy, in his desperation to block off Agbonlahor's run, headed past a startled Almunia and Villa were ahead.

The goal sparked a furious reaction from Wenger, who began to walk on to the pitch to protest before being hauled away, but his afternoon was about to become even more depressing.

After Emmanuel Adebayor, belatedly introduced from the bench, had clipped the outside of the goal frame, Villa sealed victory in the 70th minute.

Again, Arsenal disputed it: susbtitute Carlos Vela appeared to be fouled on the edge of the Villa penalty area only for Riley to wave play on. The ball was belted upfield and seized on by Agbonlahor, who surged past Gallas and volleyed past Almunia.