We let a two-goal lead slip and dropped two precious points in our pursuit of Liverpool at the top of the table.
We deservedly earned a first-half lead when Gabriel Martinelli stole in to squeeze Leandro Trossard’s cross just over the line, before Trossard again set up our second after the break. Kai Havertz the scorer to put us seemingly in control.
But Youri Tielemans headed Aston Villa back into it at the near post before a smart finish from Ollie Watkins off the bar brought the visitors level.
Havertz then had a goal disallowed via VAR for an apparent handball late on, before Mikel Merino hit the post, as we were left frustrated at full-time.
Early set pieces
Our fourth home game in the space of 12 days kicked off amid an expectant atmosphere following Wednesday’s north London derby victory.
We won four corners in the opening ten minutes – two on each wing – all four were delivered into a dangerous area, but the Villa defence were back in numbers to clear. Thomas Partey shot over from close range on the fourth, but the whistle had already gone against him.
Declan Rice also created a good chance from open play, whipping in a cross from deep to the far post, where Martinelli on the stretch couldn’t get enough power on his shot.
It wasn’t all one-way traffic though. Left back Ian Maatsen warmed David Raya’s gloves with a fierce drive inside the area. Gabriel then slid in to block a Watkins effort.
Trossard tried his luck from 20 yards, and a deflection made the save trickier for Emiliano Martinez, but he scrambled it away from danger.
Havertz dragged a shot wide from 20 yards, then blasted at Martinez following a quick free-kick, but was flagged for offside.
Watkins was presented with a great chance on the half hour. A Thomas Partey throw in our own half inexplicably went straight to the England forward, and with Raya off his line he tried the lob, but lifted the ball over the bar.
Trossard the provider
Then came the breakthrough. Mikel Merino fed Trossard on the left, he shifted the ball between his feet on the byline, and sent in a fantastic, teasing cross. Martinelli stole in front of Maatsen to get his foot to the ball first, and Martinez spilled the shot just over the line. Goal-line technology confirmed the goal, but there were just inches in it.
Our tails were up now. Trossard fired just over after a neat move inside the area between Partey and Martinelli before Merino curled wide from outside the area.
The second-half began with Havertz heading a difficult chance wide from a Martin Odegaard cross before substitute Lucas Digne was in the right place to clear a devilish low cross from Myles Lewis-Skelly.
We kept the pressure on, and the second goal duly arrived. Trossard took on Matty Cash in a race on the left wing, and delivered into the path of Havertz. His first-time shot went in off the knees of a befuddled Martinez.
Villa strike back
The visitors worked their way back into it just before the hour mark. Digne’s cross into the near post was met by the diving head of Tielemans, bravely getting in ahead of Merino to beat Raya.
Within seconds the Belgian then struck the base of the post following a counter-attack.
At the other end Martinelli volleyed wide inside the area when the ball was bobbling around following a corner, but then Villa levelled.
The time the cross came in from our left-hand side, delivered by Cash from deep. It cleared our defence, finding Watkins at the far post who finished well off the bar.
We had it all to do once again. Partey got in behind the defence and cut back for Odegaard, but the skipper’s shot was blocked.
VAR intervenes
As we entered the final ten minutes Mikel Arteta called for Raheem Sterling from the bench.
Havertz thought he had scored the winner late on, but VAR disallowed the goal for handball. Merino’s shot deflected off the German into the net, but the officials deemed it hit his arm rather than his torso.
Merino then struck a post and Trossard was denied at the near post as we entered injury-time.
At the death, Trossard shot wide from Lewis-Skelly’s through ball, but we could not find the winner
What’s next
We’re back in Champions League action in midweek, for the first team since early December. We host Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday in matchday seven out of eight in the league phase. We are currently third in the 36-team league. Then we head to Wolves next Saturday back in the Premier League, for our eighth game of the month so far.
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