Diaby’s deflected goal puts Arsenal in third spot

ARSENAL put their treble cup heartbreak behind them to climb into the top three of the Barclays Premiership – with a fortuitous goal from Abou Diaby sinking Martin O’Neill’s side.

Diaby, whose only other goal for the Gunners was against Villa at Highbury last season, inadvertently deflected a mishit shot from Julio Baptista past Thomas Sorensen after 10 minutes.

It enabled the visitors move ahead of Liverpool in the battle to claim a Champions League spot.

Arsenal had been beaten in the Carling Cup final and then crashed out of the FA Cup and Champions League in the space of 11 dismal days.

But if they could have hand-picked a fixture in which to bounce back the treble blow then it would have been Villa and they are now unbeaten in 17 matches with the midlands club.

Arsenal, lacking four players through suspension plus the injured Thierry Henry, were not at their free-flowing best.

But they still would have won more comfortably and Jeremie Aliadiere could have finished with a hat-trick had he shown more clinical finishing.

Cesc Fabregas impressed in the centre of midfield for the Gunners, who are now two points in front of Liverpool and with a game in hand.

Villa’s main threat came from John Carew – whose goals had twice eliminated the Gunners from the Champions League when with Valencia – although captain Gareth Barry also impressed.

But two wins in the last 17 league games means Villa are still looking over their shoulder at the wrong end of the table rather than contemplating a late surge for a European spot.

Diaby knew little about the goal which settled the issue.

Baptista’s low drive from just outside the box looked to be going wide but it inadvertently struck Diaby, who had made a good run forward, and deflected past goalkeeper Sorensen into the corner of the net.

Villa started the second period in a positive vein and a 50-yard pass from Mellberg picked out the run of Carew – but he overran the ball and it flew through to Lehmann.

Then Gabriel Agbonlahor was only inches away from connecting with a driven centre by Barry.

Ljungberg came to Arsenal’s rescue in the 56th minute when he cleared off the line after Diaby had deflected Barry’s corner goalwards when under pressure from Agbonlahor.

Gunners boss Arsene Wenger made his first substitution after 62 minutes, replacing Diaby with Tomas Rosicky.

Soon afterwards Baptista made way for Mathieu Flamini, with Ljungberg moving into a more central attacking role.

Villa defender Cahill produced a crucial tackle to halt Ljungberg as the visitors started to reassert themselves – but there was little goalmouth activity in the closing stages.

ASTON VILLA: Sorensen, Bardsley, Mellberg, Cahill, Bouma, Petrov, McCann (Berger 74), Barry, Agbonlahor, Carew, Young.

ARSENAL: Lehmann, Hoyte, Silva, Djourou, Gallas, Ljungberg, Fabregas, Denilson, Diaby (Rosicky 63), Julio Baptista (Flamini 65), Aliadiere (Senderos 90).

Referee: M Atkinson.