Awesome Aston Villa leave Mikel Arteta and Arsenal reeling
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta on the touchline. Picture: Andy Rain/PA
Mikel Arteta starts the international break trying to work out how to save Arsenal's season after a humiliating Sunday night defeat. Villa could easily have won by more than three and were as impressive as Arsenal were poor.
Too early in the season to seriously look at standings in the embryonic league table, but Arsenal's fourth defeat in only eight games effectively rules them out of any say in the title race and indicates they will struggle to achieve their initial aim of a top four finish.
For the record, Villa are three points off the top in sixth and Arsenal are in the bottom half just a further three points behind.
Arteta looked less than happy as he did the rounds for television interviews in view of the press box, on the pitch after the match.
He told Sky: “We performed below our standards and I have to say it's the first time I've seen us play and we weren't a team. I take full responsibility."
And he was just as angry in his post-match press conference, when he added: “I did not like it from the first whistle and VAR saved us from conceding an early goal. It is something I need to work on for when we play again after the international break.
“I will have to look at everything before I decide whether or not to make changes but that is the first time I have seen us play with a lack of spirit and unity since I have been here.
“Villa were top drawer and had the players to hurt us so credit to them.” Aston Villa manager Dean Smith agreed and said: “That was just as good as when we beat Liverpool 7-2 and we were very good.” The team with the best defensive record in the Premier League before last night could have been a goal down within 45 seconds of kick off only for John McGinn's effort to be just disallowed for offside after a lengthy VAR.
It then took a supremely alert Emi Martinez to deny Thomas Partey his first Arsenal goal as he dashed out to block the Ghanaian's shot following a poor McGinn back pass.
Martinez was rock solid against the club he left at the start of the season and served a reminder to many that he should still be Arsenal's No 1. It helped, of course, Arsenal had only two shots on target.
And this was the same side that won so impressively at Manchester United last time out.
Their greater share of possession counted for little and not for the first time this season. Villa always looked slightly more threatening, particularly through Jack Grealish on the left, even before they took a deserved 24th minute lead.
The recently capped England international was allowed far too much time to exchange passes with Ross Barkley on the edge of the Arsenal area before they released Matt Targett. His driven low cross was turned into the back of his own net by Bukayo Saka, under pressure from Trezeguet.
Arsenal, in Alex Lacazette, should have scored next. Kieran Tierney crossed superbly towards the far post and Lacazette could not control his free header as the ball flashed over the bar. It was a poor miss by the French forward. Anything other than a half-time lead for Villa, however, would have been harsh on the visitors despite not having a shot on target.
The Arsenal line-up was crying out for a half-time shake up and Arteta duly sent on the relatively creative Dani Ceballos, but only because Partey was injured from that goal saving challenge by Martinez.
Arsenal's only threat was a shocker of a shot from Willian, who hit an effort which was woefully wide. And Arteta decided to send on Nicolas Pepe and Eddie Nketiah for the misfiring Lacazette and Willian.
Arsenal had about 25 minutes to save the match and possibly their season too. The subs made a positive impact on Arsenal's tempo and Pepe was particularly lively without really threatening But they were completely out performed by Villa, who finished Arsenal off with two good goals in quick succession.
They doubled their lead on 72 minutes when a cross field Douglas Luiz pass was volleyed back across goal by Barkley and Ollie Watkins headed firmly in.
Faultless keeper Martinez started the move for Villa's third with a quick powerful throw to set Grealish on his way just three minutes later. Grealish released Watkins who again finished superbly with a shot through Leno's legs.
Leno 6, Holding 6, Gabriel 6, Tierney 6, Bellerin 6, Partey 6 (Ceballos 45), Elneny 5, Saka 6, Willian 5 (Pepe 65), Lacazette 5 (Nketiah 65), Aubameyang 5.
Martinez 7, Cash 6, Konsa 6, Mings 7, Targett 7, McGinn 7, Douglas Luiz 7, Trezeguet 7 (El Ghazi 88), Barkley 8, Grealish 8, Watkins 7.
Martin Atkinson 5
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