Is Aston Villa now a title contender?

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa were thrusted into the Premier League title contest after beating league leaders Arsenal 2-1 at the Villa Park on Saturday.

Emery, who was replaced at the Emirates Stadium by Mikel Arteta, has now brought Villa into a likely title contender.

Villa’s win narrowed the deficit at the top to three points between league leaders and Villa – two points between Gunners and City at second position.

However, Emery will deny his side can win the league, but they are a match for anyone and will be feared after exposing Arsenal flaw.

But Villa are now in the title contest – having now won nine of their last 10 Premier League games and being second on the table heading into the Premier League’s most busy period.

From the blast of the whistle, Villa put Arsenal under duress, and could have taken the lead inside the opening 20 minutes.

However, goalkeeper David Raya brilliance denied Ollie Watkins a goal scoring opportunity.

The ball broke to John McGinn and he played in the England international, who wriggled past Jurrien Timber and Ben White and looked primed to score until Raya sprang to his left and pulled off a fine save.

Villa took in the 36th minute as a Pau Torres cross took a nick off Timber and Cash took advantage of Eberechi Eze switching off to lash home.

Villa looked like being denied when Leandro Trossard’s early second-half goal cancelled out Matty Cash’s first-half fiz.

But Emi Buendia’s strike at the death won it and delivered a potentially damaging blow to Arsenal.

Buendia scored with the last kick of the game in the fifth minute of added time to end the Gunners’ 11-game unbeaten run in the league and throw the title race wide open.

Seyi John Salau is a BusinessDay Correspondent with interest in development journalism, which tells stories that connect the people, brands, and the government. SeyiJohn is also a media professional with BSc, Mass Communition (ACU); Masters of School Media (MSM, Ibadan) & MSc, Mass Communication (Caleb).

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