For weeks, manager Unai Emery has been adamant in denying Aston Villa’s title hopes. However, the form of his players on the pitch has shown that they have become a formidable competitor.
Aston Villa plays brilliantly despite continuously denying the possibility of competing for the championship
This season, the Villa Park team has defeated both Arsenal and Man City, the two leading names for the Premier League title. In the last 10 matches in the domestic league, they won 9 matches, scoring a total of 21 goals. Including the Europa League, Villa are also on a streak of 7 consecutive wins, in which "The Villans" scored 2 goals or more in 6 matches.
Notably, Aston Villa's scoring record does not depend on a single star. The goals are shared equally among many names such as Emiliano Buendia, Donyell Malen, Ollie Watkins or Morgan Rogers. This shows the maturity of a collective with tactical depth.
Meanwhile, Arsenal's first defeat after an 18-match unbeaten streak was the outbreak of long-standing problems.
The long list of injuries has significantly eroded the stability of the Gunners' defense and midfield, forcing coach Mikel Arteta to come up with patchwork plans.
Arsenal showed signs of running out of steam when they only won 2 of their last 5 matches in the Premier League.
With William Saliba, Cristhian Mosquera and Gabriel Magalhaes all currently unavailable, Arteta was forced to use right-back Jurrien Timber at centre-back against Aston Villa. Striker Viktor Gyokeres, who is still recovering, was brought on to replace Mikel Merino.
More importantly, Arsenal are starting to lose the "invincible" feeling that helped them maintain their top position in the rankings. Two wins in the last 5 rounds, along with draws against Chelsea and Sunderland, have quickly erased the gap that the "Gunners" once built.
On the other hand, while the London team is still struggling to find a replacement for the injured names, their direct competitor Man City is coming back strongly, especially after the recent 3-0 victory over Sunderland. In addition, the "troublemaker" Aston Villa is also closing in behind with a gap of only 1 win.
Man City's return puts pressure on Arsenal's top spot
Having finished second in the Premier League for three consecutive seasons, the pressure of expectation on coach Mikel Arteta and his team is extremely high. In particular, the haunting "starting high, ending weak" that is familiar to Arsenal fans seems to be quietly returning.
This will be the time for the number one candidate for the championship to prove his mettle, or continue to slide in the anxiety of the fans.
Coach Mikel Arteta and his team are expected to win the championship after three consecutive second-place finishes in the Premier League.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/tinh-the-dao-chieu-trong-cuoc-dua-ngoai-hang-anh-19625120711452613.htm
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