Arsenal vs Aston Villa LIVE: Result from the Emirates as visitors come from 2-0 down to draw
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa: Visitors come from two goals down to grab a result in entertaining clash
Arsenal let a two-goal lead slip to draw 2-2 against Aston Villa on Saturday night, as the Gunners once again lost ground to Liverpool in the title race.
The hosts started the match quickly, squandering chances early on, but they were deservedly ahead at the break as Gabriel Martinelli bundled in Leandro Trossard’s cross at the back post.
The second half started in a similar fashion, and the pressure paid off after another excellent cross from Trossard allowed Kai Havertz to volley in for 2-0.
Arsenal looked like strolling towards a straightforward win at that point, only to fall asleep and allow Lucas Digne to swing in a brilliant cross that Youri Tielemans dived to head in.
Villa’s pressure then told as Ollie Watkins volleyed in Matty Cash’s cross to equalise late on.
There was still room for more drama at the Emirates as Mikel Merino’s effort was disallowed after hitting Havertz’s hand on the way in, but the points were shared in a match that could prove pivotal in the title race.
Follow all of the latest from the Emirates Stadium in our live blog below:
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
97 min: Digne drags down Sterling for a late free-kick, and it’ll surely be the last chance Arsenal get.
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
96 min: Was that the chance to win it?
Lewis-Skelly slips a through ball into the path of Trossard, who is 1-v-1 with Martinez but drags his effort wide of the far post!
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
94 min: Raheem Sterling and Morgan Rogers are both in the book late on, the first for a foul and the latter for dissent.
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
93 min: Tielemans takes a shot from distance but it’s always going wide.
Arsenal come again. Can they find a winner?
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
91 min: CLOSE! Villa survive again!
Arsenal are piling on the pressure here and they put the ball in the box. It comes back to Merino and he fires a low shot that cannons back off the post, before Trossard forces a good save from Martinez!
There’ll be seven minutes of added time.
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
90 min: It was an easy decision to disallow the goal, as the volley from Merino came off Havertz’s hand and deflected in. No controversy there.
GOAL DISALLOWED! Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
88 min: GOAL!
It all comes from great work from Rice, who skips past a challenge before swinging in a cross. It bounces to Merino on the edge of the box, and he fires a volley into the ground that takes a deflection off Havertz and goes in!
But hang on...drama at the Emirates! It’s been disallowed!
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
86 min: Arsenal are having plenty of possession at the moment but they’re not really probing efficiently. In fact, they lose it near their own box and Villa counter well, with the ball eventually making its way to Bogarde on the edge of the box.
The Dutchman takes the shot but it takes a small defection before Raya makes the save.
Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
84 min: Sterling gets away from his man but his through ball runs out of play.
Villa bring on Leon Bailey for Jacob Ramsey.
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