Aston Villa 2-2 Arsenal

By: travis | December 27th, 2008

What a match. I don’t know whether to be relieved that we secured a point, mad that we didn’t win, or be content that Villa didn’t run us off the pitch and back down to London. I can’t remember a match with such a flurry of different emotions.

Right from the kickoff I thought it was a done deal. Villa had only recently beaten us 2-0 at home, and with Cesc out, Adebayor suspended, and our midfield resembling more of a reserve side than a Premier League caliber first XI, I though in no way a win was possible, much less a result. Luck happened to be on our side in the first half, and a number of Villa chances went begging in the first 30 minutes. First Sidwell, the Luke Young, and after that James Milner all had opportunities that were denied either by Almunia or the woodwork. There was no hope for an Arsenal side that couldn’t hold onto the ball. Alex Song and Abou Diaby were turning everything over, the backline was in pieces – for sure this was an embarrassment in the making.

Then luck came our way. I’m used to seeing this happen to Arsenal – be in control of a match, failing to convert on a number of chances, and getting hit against the run of play. Instead, it was Arsenal who struck against the run of play. Denilson latched onto a botched clearance in the box and slid it in through Friedel’s legs. Quite a fortuitous sequence, and there was now a glimmer of hope. Coupled with that, Wenger had apparently seen enough of Alex Song, and Aaron Ramsey was sent in as a replacement on his 18th birthday. A Villa equalizer was seemingly inevitable, and when Almunia misplayed a cross into his box, Agbanlahor’s looping header was headed in. That was until Bacary Sagna stepped up and somehow kept it out with a superb overhead kick. You have to see this clearance. Impeccable. So after all that, it was 1-0 at halftime to the away team. Don’t ask me how, but the rag tag midfielders that Wenger had sent out were doing their job.

The second half couldn’t have started any better. Just three minutes in, work from two of Arsenal’s more maligned players doubled the lead. Diaby, who recovered from a shocking first 20 minutes to put in a solid performance, found some space on the right side with some nifty footwork, found Eboue streaking down the wing and followed him. Eboue was left unchallenged for some 60 yards, until he found Diaby cutting inside with a nice through ball, and Diaby obliged by smacking the ball into the back of the net. It was sublime stuff and I was left shocked that this team might find a way to win. The fight back from Villa all of sudden was no longer inevitable – although I was still worried. This team still lacks a killer instinct – and when Van Persie found the post with his non-chocolate leg, I had a feeling it would come back to haunt this side.

10 minutes later, Villa were gifted back into the game with another Gallas error. Yes, perhaps the penalty was a bit harsh, but it was once again the pace of Agbanlahor giving the backline fits. Barry slotted home the penalty, and it was now 25 minutes + stoppage time of chomping on my nails, hoping for the miracle of a win.

Alas, it was not to be. A nagging air of inevitability hit me at the start of stoppage time – as if it was practically guaranteed that an equalizer was imminent. Lo and behold, it turned out to be a stoppage time goal from Zat Knight, courtesy of some more poor marking from our defense. No one happened to be within three yards of the man at the top of the box, and he ensured at least a draw for the Villains.

What do you make of this result? Arsenal played as poor a first half as I have ever seen them play, and the fact that they headed into the half 1-0 was a huge stroke of luck. But after going up 2-0, shouldn’t aspirations for victory be the trend? Not that I wasn’t hoping for a win, but considering the changes that Villa missed, a draw is not a bad result. I know that blowing a 2-0 win away from home isn’t good – but it’s not as though the lead was blown at the Emirates. A stronger side had already failed to beat Villa at home. So looking at this, and staying just three points behind Aston Villa is pretty good right?

This season is no longer a fight for a title. While a said including Cesc was a stretch to talk about title chances, his loss marks the end of any semblance of a hope (unless Wenger goes on a mega-shopping spree. Either way you look at it, the title can’t be discussed. This team needs to fight for its life in the Champions League, as failure to finish in the top 4 could have painful repercussions in the scheme of next things. No Champions League could be a huge problem. Then again, AC Milan is in the UEFA Cup this year and seem to be doing ok. It’s going to be a long rest of the season and a test of Wenger’s mettle as well as the rest of the team.

Long highlights are after the jump via 101greatgoals. Don’t forget to sound off below as well.

Jf93k9ji – video powered by Metacafe