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Arsenal’s Premier League title bid was dealt a hammer blow after they surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Aston Villa at the Emirates.
Gabriel Martinelli fired Arsenal ahead in the first half before Kai Havertz doubled the home side’s advantage 10 minutes after the interval.
But Villa responded just four minutes later through Youri Tielemans, with Ollie Watkins grabbing an equaliser for the visitors.
A shell-shocked Arsenal went in search of a winner following Watkins’ 68th-minute strike, and Havertz thought he had found it when he turned in Mikel Merino’s shot with three minutes remaining.
But Havertz was adjudged to have used his arm as he turned the ball in, and VAR ruled out his goal.
Former Arsenal boss Unai Emery engineered a 2-0 win for Aston Villa here in April which effectively ended the Gunners’ championship challenge.
And the Spaniard came back to haunt his old club again with a comeback draw which leaves Arsenal on the back foot and six points behind Liverpool following their late win at Brentford.
Arsenal have also been rocked by another high-profile injury – this time to defender William Saliba – with the defender ruled out of Saturday’s fixture.
Villa were unable to get a foothold early on in the match, but the visitors rode the initial storm and it was Emery’s men with the first shot on target as Ian Maatsen’s effort was punched clear by David Raya.
Five minutes later and the hosts tested Emiliano Martinez for the first time, with Leandro Trossard stinging the hands of the Argentina international.
Mikel Arteta, and the man he replaced in the Arsenal hotseat, then clashed on the touchline, with Emery urging his compatriot to return to his technical area after the former remonstrated a throw-in.
Arteta was booked for his protest, but the breakthrough for his side arrived with 10 minutes of the first half left.
Trossard found space on the left-hand side before fizzing a cross across the six-yard box. Martinelli caught Maatsen napping to take his team-mate’s pass on the volley.
Martinez saved at point-blank range, but the ball drifted over the line before the Villa stopper could claw it away again with his left glove.
Referee Chris Kavanagh looked at his watch, which indicated it was a goal, with a jubilant Martinelli celebrating his seventh strike of the season.
Replays showed it was the correct decision, and moments later, Arsenal might have doubled their advantage only for Trossard to blaze over.
Arsenal remained largely in control of the fixture at the start of the second half, while knowing that they needed another goal to afford them some daylight.
And Havertz thought he had delivered it with 55 minutes gone. Havertz’s missed spot-kick sent Arsenal crashing out of the FA Cup here last Sunday, and this was a much-needed goal for the German.
Trossard was the provider again with Havertz volleying home the Belgian’s cross. Arsenal supporters were still singing Havertz’s name when Villa nicked a goal.
Tielemans stole a yard on Merino and his diving header from Lucas Digne’s cross nestled into the bottom corner.
A minute later, Tielemans came within inches of hauling Villa level only to see his fine strike sail through Merino’s legs and cannon of the foot of Raya’s post.
It was a let-off for Arsenal but in the 68th minute, Villa had their equaliser.
Matty Cash was allowed to whip in a cross from Villa’s right-hand side and Watkins, unmarked from six yards, volleyed past Raya to land his 10th of the season and leave the Emirates stunned.
Arsenal looked for a response and, after rarely threatening, looked to have landed the winner when Havertz helped Merino’s shot on its way past Martinez.
The Emirates went wild but a VAR check followed and then disallowed his strike to leave Arteta on his knees. Merino then hit the Villa woodwork, with Martinez diverting Trossard’s follow-up from danger.
Seven minutes of stoppage time followed and Trossard had a golden chance to win it but he dragged his effort agonisingly wide as Arsenal were left to reflect on a sobering draw in their hunt for a first title in two decades.
