Arsenal will bounce back from Villa setback: Arteta

LONDON: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is confident Premier League leaders Arsenal will recover from their dramatic 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa, which ended their 18-match unbeaten run and reignited the title race.

Villa’s Emiliano Buendia scored the winner with the last kick of a pulsating game after Leandro Trossard had equalised in the second half following Matty Cash’s opener for Villa.

It was Arsenal’s first league defeat since losing to Liverpool in August and only their second of the season. The setback moves Villa within three points of the top, while Manchester City also had a chance to close the gap with their match against Sunderland.

Arteta, however, remains optimistic. “That is the league. We’ve been to Old Trafford, St James’ Park, Chelsea, and here—these are tough grounds. We went 18 games unbeaten and still remain close at the top,” he said.

“Now it is time to bounce back. We will learn from today and it will make us a better team,” he added.

Arsenal’s title chase has seen near misses in recent seasons, finishing runners-up for the last three years, but Arteta is confident the team can handle the mounting pressure.

He also confirmed centre-back Cristhian Mosquera will be out for several weeks due to a worse-than-expected ankle injury, adding to Arsenal’s defensive woes.

Villa manager Unai Emery has transformed his team from relegation candidates to unexpected title challengers, winning nine of their last ten matches. Yet Emery remains cautious. “We are not title contenders yet; 38 matches is a long season. But we are in a much better position than two months ago,” he said.

Despite the setback, Arteta is focused on moving forward: “The league is tough, the margins are fine, and we have the chance to perform at the highest level. We will move on and come back stronger.”