Arsenal survived a scare to get back to winning ways, beating Aston Villa 4-2 with two stoppage-time goals.
Arsenal came in today’s game without a win in their last four games in all competitions, and having been knocked off the top of the Premier League following their 3-1 loss to Man City in midweek.
They would, however, fall behind in just the fifth minute as Ollie Watkins; Matty Cash playing the ball over the top for the 27-year-old, before he burst into the box and drilled past Aaron Ramsdale with a fine finish.
Bukayo Saka emphatically leveled the scores with a superb half-volley 11 minutes later, before Philippe Coutinho re-established the Villains’ lead just after the half-hour mark following some tidy interplay.
Summer signing Oleksandr Zincheko hauled Mikel Arteta’s side level for a second time in the 61st minute, the Ukrainian firing home his first goal for the club from the edge of the area.
It looked as though the visitors would have to settle for another game without a victory, though in the 93rd minute they got themselves in front for the first time in the game – Jorginho’s strike rifling off the underside of the bar and going in off the head of former Gunners keeper, Emi Martinez.
Arsenal look to have won it in injury time! 🔴
A crucial three points are heading back to North London… pic.twitter.com/hDgZIdOHa7
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) February 18, 2023
Having survived a corner at one end, Arsenal then raced up the pitch to bag a game-settling fourth, Gabriel Martinelli finishing off the game and sending the North London side back to the top of the Premier League ahead of Man City‘s trip to face Nottingham Forest.
Speaking after the game, Arsenal goalscorer and four time Premier League winner Zincheko said his side ‘need to believe until the very end’
“From this game I would like to say two things. First, we took an unbelievable lesson for all of us that we need to believe until the very end,” he told BT Sport.
“Like I said in the past, this group has such amazing people who can achieve everything they want. If we are going to keep fighting and keep believing. The reaction from all of us in the second half is a perfect way to go.”
Asked about netting his first goal for the club, he said: “I’m so happy to help with my goal but most important is to take the three points.”
The 26-year-old former Man City star was asked what the win would do for the side’s morale, and he reiterated the need to ‘keep fighting and keep believing’.
“We would like to go in the dressing room as soon as possible but there are still a lot of games to play and we just need to keep going, keep fighting and keep believing we can do everything.”
