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Game #5654

Aston Villa

Saturday, 18 February 2023

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Lost

11th (-)

Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟥

Premier League

Arsenal

Villa Park

Attendance: 42,066

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

Aston Villa

2-4

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Arsenal

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Assist(s) | Matty Cash | 5’ | Álex Moreno | 31’ |

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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MATCH TIMELINE

Saturday, 18 February 2023

⚽ | 5’ Goal, 1-0, Ollie Watkins, Assist by Matty Cash
🥅 | 16’ Goal, 1-1, (Arsenal) Bukayo Saka
⚽ | 31’ Goal, 2-1, Philippe Coutinho, Assist by Álex Moreno
🟨 | 45’+3 Booking, Douglas Luiz
🕒 | HT Aston Villa 2-1 Arsenal
🥅 | 61’ Goal, 2-2, (Arsenal) Oleksandr Zinchenko
🔁 | 62’ Sub off, Philippe Coutinho, Sub on, Jacob Ramsey
🔁 | 67’ Sub off, Emiliano Buendía, Sub on, Leon Bailey
🔁 | 67’ Sub off, Douglas Luiz, Sub on, Leander Dendoncker
🔁 | 78’ Sub off, Ollie Watkins, Sub on, Jhon Durán
🔁 | 78’ Sub off, Álex Moreno, Sub on, Lucas Digne
🟨 | 84’ Booking, Emiliano Martínez
🥅 | 90+3’ Goal, 2-3, (Arsenal) Emiliano Martínez o.g.
🥅 | 90+8’ Goal, 2-4, (Arsenal) Gabriel Martinelli
🕒 | FT Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal

Match Statistics

Possession F | 33%
Possession A | 67%
Shots F | 7
Shots A | 20
Shots on Target F | 5
Shots on Target A | 5
Corners F | 2
Corners A | 9
Fouls F | 13
Fouls A | 4

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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ON THIS DAY

Saturday, 18 February 2023

  • "Arsenal score twice in stoppage time to beat Villa"

  • Fresh from signing a new 4-year deal with the club, Tyrone Mings makes his 150th appearance for Villa since joining the club January 2019. Mings' full record now reads W59 D28 L63, 7 Goal, 8 Assists, 34 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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DEBUT APPEARANCES

None

FINAL APPEARANCES

None

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Aston Villa

European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: ❌
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96

Arsenal

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European Cup / Champions League: ❌
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 2019-20

Aston Villa

Arsenal

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FIXTURE HISTORY

Villa v

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Arsenal

Previous 5 vs. Arsenal: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟥

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

FIXTURE DETAILS

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Season | 2022-23 |
Matchday | #26 |
League Game | #23 |
Manager Game | #12 |
Saturday, 18 February 2023
Attendance | 42,066 |

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🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

MATCH SUMMARY

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Manager: Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | Hondarribia, 2022-
Referee: Simon Hooper | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Wiltshire, 2008-
Kick off: 12.30pm
Half Time Score: 🟩 2-1
Full Time Result: 🟥 Lost
Full Time Score: 🟥 2-4
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟥

Scorers
Timeline
On This Day
Trophies
Matches
Fixture

MANAGERIAL RECORD

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Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME

🕒 12 | 🟩 | 5 🟨 | 1 🟥 6 | 1.33

Villa Career Form:

Mid Table

ALL THE MATCHES LED BY:

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Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

MATCH OFFICIALS

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Referee: Simon Hooper | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Wiltshire, 2008-
Matches Officiated: 15
🟩 : 8
🟨 : 4
🟥 : 3
🆘 : 1
Previous 5: 🟥 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟨
Last Match: 🟨 3 Sep 22, Villa 1-1 Abu Dhabi (h) 🆘
Incidents: 🟨 🟨 🟨
Assistants: James Mainwaring, Mark Scholes.
Fourth official: John Brooks.
VAR: Stuart Attwell.
Assistant VAR: Scott Ledger.

ALL THE MATCHES REFEREED BY:

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CARDS

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🟨 Douglas Luiz
🟨 Emiliano Martínez

🟨 Granit Xhaka
🟨 Bukayo Saka

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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TEAM NEWS

TEAM STATS

Tyrone Mings returns, Philippe Coutinho’s slow return to form is rewarded with a first League start under Unai Emery whilst John McGinn returns to the first XI with Jacob Ramsey and Leon Bailey dropping to the bench.

The returning Bertrand Traoré makes his first squad appearance of the season whilst the bench is once again free from the worst mistakes of the former manager’s corrosive regime.

Starting XI Average Age: | 27.42 |
Bench Average Age: | 26.50 |
Squad Average Age: | 26.96 |
Subs Average Age: | 24.79 |
Oldest Starter: M Philippe Coutinho | 🇧🇷 | 30.71 |
Youngest Starter: M Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 | 23.25 |
Oldest Squad Player: RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 37.64 |
Youngest Squad Player: CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | 19.20 |
Oldest Substitute: LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | 29.60 |
Youngest Substitute: CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | 19.18 |

Referee
Manager

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

MANAGER

Unai Emery | 🇪🇸 | 2022-

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Aston Villa

GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 |
LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
RB Matty Cash | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇵🇱 | 🔥 |
M Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 |
M John McGinn | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 🔁 |
M Philippe Coutinho | 🇧🇷 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
W Emiliano Buendía | 🇦🇷 | 🔁 |
CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | ⚽ | 🔁 |

MANAGER

Mikel Arteta | 🇪🇸 |

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Arsenal

GK Aaron Ramsdale | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
LB Oleksandr Zinchenko | 🇺🇦 | ⚽ | 🔁 |
CB Ben White | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🔁 |
CB William Saliba | 🇫🇷 |
CB Gabriel | 🇧🇷 |
M Martin Ødegaard | 🇳🇴 | 🔁 |
M Jorginho | 🇮🇹 |
M Granit Xhaka |🇨🇭| 🟨 | 🔁 |
W Bukayo Saka | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 🟨 | ⚽
W Leandro Trossard | 🇧🇪 | 🔁 |
CF Eddie Nketiah | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

Line Ups

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

SUBSTITUTES

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🔁 | M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | for M Philippe Coutinho | 🇧🇷 | 62’ |
🔁 | M Leander Dendoncker | 🇧🇪 | for M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | 67’ |
🔁 | W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | for W Emiliano Buendía | 🇦🇷 | 67’ |
🔁 | CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | for CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 78’ |
🔁 | LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | for LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | 78’ |

SUBSTITUTES

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🔁 | W Gabriel Martinelli | 🇧🇷 | ⚽ | for W Leandro Trossard | 🇧🇪 | 68’ |
🔁 | RB Takehiro Tomiyasu | 🇯🇵 | for CB Ben White | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | 79’ |
🔁 | M Fábio Vieira | 🇵🇹 | for M Granit Xhaka |🇨🇭| 79’ |
🔁 | LB Kieran Tierney | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | for LB Oleksandr Zinchenko | 🇺🇦 | 89’ |
🔁 | CB Rob Holding | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | for M Martin Ødegaard | 🇳🇴 | 89’ |

Substitutes

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

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GK Viljami Sinisalo | 🇫🇮 |
CB Calum Chambers | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
W Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
W Bertrand Traoré | 🇧🇫 |

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES

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GK Matt Turner | 🇺🇸 |
CB Jakub Kiwior | 🇵🇱 |
M Emile Smith Rowe | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |
W Reiss Nelson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

Player Positions:

GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half


M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward

Match Symbols:

⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution

🟨 | Booking

🟥 | Sending off

🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game

Squad Bios

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

SQUAD STATS

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1st XI Cost: £174.95m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 5/11
Homegrown: 0/11
Subs Cost: £83.95m
Team Cost: £258.90m
Squad Cost: £275.46m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 8/20
Homegrown: 2/20

SQUAD STATS

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1st XI Cost: £262.49m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 4/11
Homegrown: 2/11
Subs Cost: £81.63m
Team Cost: £344.12m
Squad Cost: £371.97m
Home Nation 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 🇬🇧 : 8/20
Homegrown: 4/20

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

MATCHDAY SQUAD

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GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | £19.58m |
GK Viljami Sinisalo | 🇫🇮 | Free |

LB Lucas Digne | 🇫🇷 | £27.00m |
RB Matty Cash | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇵🇱 | £14.18m |
LB Álex Moreno | 🇪🇸 | £12.00m |
RB Ashley Young | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Free |

CB Tyrone Mings | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £20.60m |
CB Ezri Konsa | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £11.97m |
CB Calum Chambers | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Free |

M Philippe Coutinho | 🇧🇷 | £18.00m |
M Douglas Luiz | 🇧🇷 | £15.12m |
M Leander Dendoncker | 🇧🇪 | £13.50m |
M John McGinn | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | £2.79m |
M Jacob Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |
M Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 | Free |

W Emiliano Buendía | 🇦🇷 | £34.56m |
W Leon Bailey | 🇯🇲 | £28.80m |
W Bertrand Traoré | 🇧🇫 | £16.56m |

CF Ollie Watkins | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £27.72m |
CF Jhon Durán | 🇨🇴 | £14.65m |

MATCHDAY SQUAD

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GK Aaron Ramsdale | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £25.20m |
GK Matt Turner | 🇺🇸 | £5.73m |

LB Oleksandr Zinchenko | 🇺🇦 | £31.00m |
LB Kieran Tierney | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 | £24.30m |
RB Takehiro Tomiyasu | 🇯🇵 | £16.74m |

CB Ben White | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £52.65m |
CB William Saliba | 🇫🇷 | £27.00m |
CB Gabriel | 🇧🇷 | £23.40m |
CB Jakub Kiwior | 🇵🇱 | £22.12m |
CB Rob Holding | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | £2.70m |

M Granit Xhaka |🇨🇭| £40.50m |
M Fábio Vieira | 🇵🇹 | £31.50m |
M Martin Ødegaard | 🇳🇴 | £31.50m |
M Jorginho | 🇮🇹 | £10.00m |
M Emile Smith Rowe | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |

W Leandro Trossard | 🇧🇪 | £21.24m |
W Gabriel Martinelli | 🇧🇷 | £6.39m |
W Bukayo Saka | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |
W Reiss Nelson | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |

CF Eddie Nketiah | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Youth |

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

UNAVAILABLE

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Injury | 2 |
GK Jed Steer | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Achilles, 6 Aug 2022 [26]
CB Diego Carlos | 🇧🇷 | Achilles, 20 Aug 2022 [24]

Unregistered | 1 |
CB Kortney Hause | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 |

Out On Loan | 12 |
M Finn Azaz | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Plymouth
CF Wesley | 🇧🇷 | Levante
W Jaden Philogene-Bidace | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Cardiff
CF Keinan Davis | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Watford
FB Ben Chrisene | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Kilmarnock
M Tim Iroegbunam | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | QPR
CF Cameron Archer | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Middlesbrough
M Morgan Sanson | 🇫🇷 | Strasbourg
CF Louie Barry | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Salford City
M Aaron Ramsey | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | Middlesbrough
M Marvelous Nakamba | 🇿🇼 | Luton Town
CB Lamare Bogarde | 🇳🇱 | Bristol Rovers

Not Selected | 1 |
GK Robin Olsen | 🇸🇪 |

UNAVAILABLE

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Not Recorded

Unavailable

LEAGUE TABLE

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MATCHDAY PROGRAMME

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Tables & Programmes

🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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MATCH QUOTES

“Very disappointed, very frustrated and embarrassing as well to lose 2-4 at home with our supporters. Our performance was, collectively or overall, poor. To concede eight goals in two matches at home is not normal. The performance can’t continue like that, away and at home. “Today, we started winning 1-0 and we were winning 2-1 and, with this advantage with this result, we didn’t keep going in our game plan to try to control the game with ball possession, with good positioning… trying to attack not only in transition but we were losing the ball and giving them chances and they’re taking their moments. They have very good players and have good build-up on the pitch and they were getting our balls easy. They are taking courage. “At the end, it was 2-2, in my mind I have now about the match… We were with ball possession, minute 92, we didn’t keep ball possession, taking passes between us and trying to attack better. We did one long ball, easy, gave them the ball and they’d attack progressively in the build up and they created. Then they scored the third goal and that’s the example, for 90 minutes, for me. It’s an example of not the way I want to create and build here. “We were doing and trying to create this style. The last match against Leicester, we lost the ball easily and made bad decisions. But that is the way, making good decisions at each moment. Today, for example, we didn’t lose one ball in the build-up. We didn’t but we were doing long balls more times and gave them more balls than we have to keep. “We have to be consistent in our mind, controlling our emotions and, of course, controlling our game plan and to be prepared. “Talking about emotions, and bad luck by the way because you deserved more than you got. “Coutinho’s goal was good. It was perfect how we progressed with passes and how we attacked with this moment but we didn’t do it a lot of times like I want to do. “Of course, Arsenal is a very good team. They have very good players and are fighting to achieve the title in the Premier League. They were very focused. “We were focused as well about trying to win the match but we didn’t do it the right way. Not in the style or the idea in how we’re speaking or working. Why? Maybe it’s because we were winning 1-0 and we are not taking risks. But football is to play. If a player is in front of you, you have to win it. To have to beat him and have to play with combinations with your players. You have to play and do things and be protagonists. We are not doing it. “For example, in the second half, we wasted more time than I wanted. We wasted time. For me, we have to play and we will progress trying to impose playing and being responsible and being protagonists on the pitch. “I am frustrated. And with myself because they are not doing the game plan I have in my mind and are doing with them on the training ground. They are working, being confident in the training ground but, here, doing the opposite in the 90 minutes. This is the moment to do it. When they are not doing it, I am frustrated and really disappointed. I can be angry as well, with them, because it’s embarrassing for me to lose 2-4 at home two times. It’s embarrassing. It’s not normal and I don’t like it. It’s not the way. “We have to play a match and, here, the Premier League is the best and most difficult league in the world. We have to be protagonists and play with personality in our style. We have to play with ball possession. We are not doing it and we are doing more long balls. Because when Arsenal had ball possession, they were progressing with passes and pushing us to defend low and I don’t want to defend low for a long time. That is the work, when I analysed the team before I arrived here, and when I was working with them, it’s something I’m trying to change. I know we will need time and confidence. We have been taking confidence but losing the game. We are going bad in some circumstances in our work and it’s not something I want. “Each match is different and it depends. Man City and Arsenal, the last two matches, are difficult matches. They demand us a lot, more defensively. In our moment, overall, we can play better today. I can demand them to play better and demand to myself to push them to do more. “When we are repeating in different ways, like Leicester because we didn’t compete well against Leicester. Today we didn’t compete as well. We have to compete. We have to be consistent in the idea we want to win. “Mentality is everything. Everything. You have to break lines, go ahead and to break lines… working to do more difficult things. Yes, individually. He scored today, Watkins. Philippe scored as well but there’s not a lot of positive things today. “We are training to do our game plan but then, on the pitch, we are not doing it. “It’s run, run, run, no… That’s not the idea. I want to build a style. “At the end, it was 2-2, in my mind I knew about the match… We were with ball possession, minute 92, we didn’t keep ball possession, taking passes between us and trying to attack better. We did one long ball, easy, gave them the ball and they’d attack progressively in the build up and they created. Then they scored the third goal and that’s the example, for 90 minutes, for me. It’s an example of not the way I want to create and build here. “We have to play with ball possession. We are not doing it and we are doing more long balls because, when Arsenal had ball possession, they were progressing with passes and pushing us to defend low and I don’t want to defend low for a long time. That is the work, when I analysed the team before I arrived here, and when I was working with them, it’s something I’m trying to change.” Unai Emery. “He [Emiliano Martínez] decided and, sometimes, it’s good for a player to decide on the pitch himself. They are the protagonists but I don’t like it! I told him at the end of the match. “Because, statistically and usually, you can go 100 times to score one goal in the end minute and the last minute of the match and, in the history, you score one, two or maybe three times. Goals in the transition there are more. Goals scoring against you, there are more. “OK if we’re losing 2-0 but, 2-4, it’s worse. It’s very important and I told them and I’m going to tell him as well in the next few days. “We have to be consistent in our mind, controlling our emotion and, of course, controlling of our game plan and to be prepared. “Today, I am very, very disappointed. I am embarrassed about the last goal. I have never told my keeper to go forward. It’s not the spirit. “We have to keep our mind clear and be smart. No, no, not like that [he didn’t ask me if he could go forward]. I have never told my keeper to do it. Today he decided it was his decision. I didn’t tell him. He knows now [not to do it].” Unai Emery. “At 2-2 with four or five minutes to go, we should see the game out and draw at the end of the day, “I don’t think they can score two goals. “Obviously Jorginho’s goal was lucky but they had a lot of the ball in the second half and kept putting pressure on us. It’s disappointing at the end of the day. “We’ve shown that we play some good football at times. Maybe not today actually, we didn’t play great. “There have been times we have played some really good football and been patient on the ball. Whatever team you’re up against you need to stick to the game plan and that’s what the boss has tried to implement. We can do it, it’s just turning the losses into draws and then winning games. “I feel good. Going into each game I feel confident and feel like I’m going to score goals now going into each game which is a nice feeling for a striker. “Any team I come up against I feel like I’m going to have the beating of the centre halves as long as my team-mates play me the ball. I feel good at the moment but it’s a shame we’re not winning to top that off.” Ollie Watkins.
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🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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MATCH REPORTS

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*BBC Sport*
Saturday, 18 February 2023

**Arsenal scored twice in stoppage time to win a six-goal thriller at Aston Villa and return to the top of the Premier League.** Jorginho’s shot came off the crossbar and bounced in off Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez to put Arsenal 3-2 up, before substitute Gabriel Martinelli raced clear to score as Villa chased an equaliser. Villa twice led, through Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho, in the first half. They were pegged back by goals from Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko either side of the break. Victory ended Arsenal’s run of three games without a win and took them back above Manchester City after losing to them in midweek. There was an electric pace to the game from the off, and Villa took the lead inside five minutes through Watkins’ fourth goal in as many matches. He caught Arsenal cold on the counter, latching on to Matty Cash’s long pass before beating William Saliba and finding the far corner. It took only 11 minutes for Arsenal to respond. Moments after Tyrone Mings cleared Eddie Nketiah’s shot on to the bar, Saka levelled with a powerful effort into the roof of the net. Coutinho, making his first league start under Villa boss Unai Emery, put the hosts back in front, rounding off a wonderful team move with a calm finish from inside the area. On the hour Zinchenko found space at the edge of the box and fired in at the near post from a short corner for his first Arsenal goal, before Nketiah fired over minutes later. Martin Odegaard shot wide with 14 minutes remaining and it looked as though it would not be Arsenal’s day until Jorginho and Martinelli’s vital contributions. Gunners show resolve There had been so much talk about Arsenal’s title chances after losing to City, despite the fact they went into this match level on points with a game in hand. For long periods they looked like they may come up short again. But they proved their mental strength with those stoppage-time goals, as well as the fact they twice came from behind. There was no panic as they probed and pushed late on, even when Nketiah and Odegaard missed chances and Villa were going for it themselves. Winning titles is about overcoming adversity under pressure, and that is exactly what Arsenal did today. “We can take two big lessons,” manager Mikel Arteta told BBC Sport. “In the first half we did the simple things wrong and in the second half we raised our individual level and did the simple things right. “We totally merited the win.” Emery ‘embarrassed’ by Martinez Tactically, Emery’s plan was clear and it very nearly worked. Villa started the better and scored early. Even as Arsenal settled after Saka’s goal, Villa maintained their threat through Watkins, Coutinho and Emi Buendia. Having the lead at the break allowed them to stay compact and absorb Arsenal pressure and, although they conceded again, Watkins continued to cause problems. Bringing Leon Bailey on could have paid off, but Arsenal found a way through to condemn Emery to defeat against his former club. While Martinez was unfortunate with his own goal, Villa boss Emery was furious at his keeper for going up for the corner from which Arsenal broke away to add their fourth. “Today I am very, very disappointed,” said Emery. “I am embarrassed about the last goal. I have never told my keeper to go forward. It’s not the spirit. “We have to keep our mind clear and be smart. Today he decided it was his decision. He knows now.” Villa sit in 11th in the table after a third straight defeat.
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🟥 18 February 2023, Villa 2-4 Arsenal, Villa Park

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