A late Arsenal goal was disallowed by VAR as Aston Villa recovered from two goals down to claim a dramatic 2-2 draw, leaving the Gunners six points behind leaders Liverpool.
Arsenal thought they had won when Mikel Merino's shot bounced into Kai Havertz's net in the 88th minute, but VAR intervened, ruled the ball had hit Havertz's hand and canceled out the goal.
Arsenal were under pressure to win after Liverpool's late win over Brentford but Villa, whose victory at the Emirates Stadium in April last season destroyed the Gunners' title chances, dealt another heavy blow to their hopes.
The Gunners appeared to be on their way to victory when Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz scored either side of half-time, requiring goal-line technology to award the opener, but Villa fought back.
Youri Tielemans made the recovery when he bravely headed in a cross from substitute Lucas Digne. Ollie Watkins then punished poor defending from the hosts, who were without William Saliba due to injury, to equalize just eight minutes later.
The Gunners pushed for a winner in a frenzied final and thought they had it when Merino's shot deflected off Havertz and past Martinez, but VAR intervention left the home fans dejected.
Arsenal created a further series of chances, with Merino hitting the post and Leandro Trossard sending the follow-up pass to Emiliano Martinez, before Trossard spurned a golden opportunity deep into stoppage time when he dragged wide when played into goal.
The draw leaves Arsenal six points behind Arne Slot's side, knowing the gap could extend to nine points if Liverpool win their match. Villa, meanwhile, climbed above Manchester City to seventh place.
WATCH: The biggest moments
Analysis: Are Arsenal's title hopes over?
It remains to be seen how costly this could be for Arsenal, but the deflated atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium told a story. So did the dejection of the home players as they left the field.
Arsenal obviously still have sixteen games to play. But Liverpool has seventeen and is already six points ahead. It's a huge gap as it stands, and the worry is that it will only widen.
The Gunners lost just nine points after winning last season, the second-lowest total in the Premier League. But their collapse against Villa means their tally for the current campaign is already at 12.
It's a worrying statistic for a side that has developed a reputation for defensive resilience under Mikel Arteta, and there are also problems in attack, with opportunities continuing to be spurned.
There could still be twists and turns in this race, but Arsenal, depleted by injuries and with Saliba now added to the absentee list, exude the aura of a side struggling to keep up.
Arteta on disallowed goal: 'The decision has been made'
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta would not dwell on the decision to rule out Arsenal's goal in the 88th minute but admitted it was difficult to accept.
'One corner it seems
Not from the other,” he said to Sky Sports. “The decision has been made. It's hard. You have so much emotion and it's taken away from you. It's not easy.”Speaking about Arsenal's performance, he said he felt “proud”, adding: “The way we played and competed, for the third time in six days and after 120 minutes of play [against Manchester United on January 12]to deliver that dominance and performance were outstanding.
“We deserve a lot more, that's clear. But the way we defended for the second goal cannot be part of our game if we want to win games all the time.”
“Overall we were exceptional. There were players who were absolutely dead. They're performing like this, wow. They're just going with it and trying to be the best they can be.”
Merson: Arsenal made schoolboy mistakes
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson spoke on Saturday Night Football about Arsenal's defensive mistakes that led to Aston Villa's goals.
“They're schoolboy mistakes,” he said. It's not like teams are opening them up.
“Those goals could have been stopped today. I don't care what division you are in, those two goals can be stopped if you do your job.”
“All you ask as a manager is for the players to get on the pitch and do their job.
“Today some players let Arteta down. I don't think it's because the team is shallow, because today we saw two big mistakes. Merino lets Tielemans run away and honestly I can't believe what I just did with Partey.” [leaving Watkins free to score the equaliser].”
Emery: I didn't deserve a card!
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has claimed he did not deserve his yellow card against Arsenal.
The Villa boss received his third warning of the season for kicking a ball onto the touchline during the 2-2 draw with his former side and will now be in the stands for the upcoming match against West Ham on January 26, live on Sky Sports.
“I don't know. I kicked the ball! I only kicked the ball towards the players. You're laughing!
“I'll be out next game, okay. I'll see. I didn't deserve a yellow card.”
For his part, he added: “They competed well and to get something here was difficult.
“They controlled and pushed us more. The second half after the goals we responded very well. The mentality we showed is the mentality I want.”
Comments