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Arsenal squandered the opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League, dropping three crucial points against Aston Villa at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon
A lot went under the radar as Aston Villa defeated Arsenal 2-1 at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon. The Gunners failed to extend their lead in the Premier League title race to eight points, rolling out the red carpet for Manchester City and Chelsea to make up ground.
Eberechi Eze had a goal chalked off inside the opening half-hour; Bukayo Saka strayed offside in the build-up before sliding the ball across the face of goal. A few moments later, Matty Cash broke the deadlock, arriving late at the back post to beat David Raya from close range.
Mikel Arteta made two changes at the break, bringing on Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyokeres. The Gunners leapt out of the gates in the second half, and it didn't take them long to find an equaliser.
Arsenal and Aston Villa went back and forth for the remainder of the tie until Emi Buendia smashed the ball past David Raya with the final kick of the game. It was a fiercely-contested match, and a lot went under the radar.
So, with that being said, football.london has taken a look at the key moments you may have missed from the clash at Villa Park.
Keown gets emergency call-up
TNT Sports drafted Martin Keown as an emergency co-commentator just minutes before kick-off. The Arsenal legend was providing pitchside pre-match analysis alongside Peter Crouch before Lynsey Hipgrave delivered the news.
Keown was in awe of the Gunners' warm-up, pointing out that they were practising patterns of play, having made three changes to the starting lineup. The 59-year-old's spell on the TNT Sports panel was cut short.
In the absence of Ally McCoist, who 'has been tearing it up in Vegas', Keown joined Darren Fletcher in the gantry at Villa Park. As soon as he picked up the microphone, he described his seat as the 'best view in the house'.
White and Rogers lock horns
Ben White raised the stakes in the opening half-hour after a naughty foul. Shortly after Eze had a goal chalked off, the Gunners defender threw out a rogue leg following a collision with Morgan Rogers.
The incident, which many supporters at Villa Park missed, received a mixed reaction on social media. While Arsenal supporters lapped up the dark arts and antagonising behaviour, Aston Villa fans were furious.
"I forgot how much I despise Ben White. Gives Trump a run for his money with that tan," wrote @elarionaa on X, formerly known as Twitter. Meanwhile, @TheFalseNein said: "Ben White rattling the opposition. How I’ve missed you."
Villa Park make Saka feelings clear
Throughout much of the first-half, the home faithful at Villa Park belted out a chorus of boos whenever Saka received the ball. The Arsenal winger was at the heart of the action in the opening moments, producing one of a few strikes from outside the box.
Saka also teed up what the Gunners believed, albeit briefly, was the opener. It's no surprise that the England international wasn't given a warm welcome; he had either scored or assisted in three of his previous four visits to the ground.
Real Madrid legend makes shock appearance
Raúl González Blanco was spotted in attendance at Villa Park. The Real Madrid legend was the head coach of the club's B team until May, after six years in the dugout.
Raúl coached a few youth teams during the 2018/19 season before taking the reins of Castilla. The Spaniard was in charge of the Real Madrid B team for over 200 games, and he's yet to return to management.
Raya throws a tantrum
Raya was devastated when Buendia smashed the ball into the top corner in the dying embers of stoppage time. As the Aston Villa players wheeled away in celebration, the Arsenal goalkeeper fell to his knees and slammed his fists into the ground.
Myles Lewis-Skelly, who had come on for Riccardo Calafiori a few minutes earlier, couldn't bare the sight of the jubilation at Villa Park, pulling his shirt over his face. Meanwhile, Martin Odegaard threw his arms in the air and shrugged his shoulders.
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