3 standout players from Arsenal's heartbreaking loss to Aston Villa

Arsenal slumped to a 2-0 defeat against Aston Villa in a massive blow to their title charge.

Heading into the game, Arsenal knew that a win would send them clear at the top following Liverpool’s loss to Crystal Palace earlier in the day.

The Gunners started strongly in the first half but could not break the deadlock, with Leandro Trossard denied by the toe of Emiliano Martinez from close range.

It was like a different team came out in the second half and it seemed the writing was on the wall. Villa scored two late goals to leave Arsenal with their first league defeat of 2024. The Gunners are now reliant on Manchester City to drop points in order to keep their title dreams alive.

It was a game where few individuals impressed for Arsenal, but here are three who produced respectable performances.

3 standout players from Arsenal's heartbreaking loss to Aston Villa

1. Martin Odegaard

Like most players on the pitch, Martin Odegaard struggled to make an impact in the second half of the game. However, in the first half, he was pulling the strings in the Number 10 role.

His movement was excellent and he was constantly open to receive the ball. Even when Odegaard was tightly marked, his first touch allowed him to glide past opponents like they weren’t there.

On many occasions, he was able to send in Ben White or Bukayo Saka behind the Villa defence, but for once the decision-making in the final third was poor and the Gunners failed to capitalise on their early domination.

There will be some concern as to whether Odegaard will be able to play against Bayern Munich as the Norwegian made an early exit against Villa. It is clear based on this game that Odegaard is sorely missed when he is not on the pitch.

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