Premier League

MIKEL ARTETA blasted the defensive errors that left Arsenal’s title hopes in tatters.Two blunders from Thomas Partey and Mikel Merino allowed Aston Villa to come back from 2-0 down.Paul Merson has ripped into Arsenal’s makeshift defender Thomas ParteyCredit: GettyOllie Watkins dented Arsenal’s title hopes again – after scoring at the Emirates in AprilCredit: ReutersWatkins was left unmarked on the edge of the six yard boxAnd Gunners title winner Paul Merson let rip at Partey over his ‘schoolboy error’ that gifted Ollie Watkins Villa’s equaliser.Merson fumed: “I don’t know what Partey was thinking. Certain players let Arteta down.”Thomas Partey has played for one of the most disciplined teams in the whole of Europe at Atletico Madrid and you cannot do that.”That cannot win you league titles.”READ MORE FOOTBALL NEWSArteta, who saw Merino’s late ‘winner’ ruled out by VAR for a Kai Havertz handball, admitted: “The way we defended can’t be part of our game.”We have to blame ourselves. You can’t defend like that if we want to be at the highest level in this country.”What we did for the second goal is nowhere near the standard that is required.”Merson added: “Thomas is on his man (Watkins) and then just leaves him to score.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS”I don’t know what he’s trying to do. And that’s what Mikel is talking about.”You won’t see a worse defensive goal than that all weekend. They were schoolboy errors.Lone sad Arsenal fan being asked to leave by security”Merino lets Youri Tielemans run off him for the first goal and I can’t believe what I saw with Partey. I am flabbergasted. I am really worried about their mentality.”Missing crocked William Saliba, Arteta’s side capitulated as Tielemans and Watkins scored to leave Arsenal six points adrift of Liverpool, who have a game in hand.It meant Arsenal have now dropped 12 points from winning positions this term, their worst record since 2020-21.Sky pundit Merson said: “I don’t care what division you are in, those two goals can be stopped if you do your job.”Former Arsenal star Paul Merson gave a damning assessment of Arsenal’s defensive errors against VillaCredit: GettyOllie Watkins was free to fire past David Raya to level the scoreCredit: GettyThe studio then erupted in laughter when Merson said the referee should have given Partey a microphone to explain himself mid-game.Merson added: “You want to stop the game with the Partey one when Watkins scored and tell the ref to give him a mic and go up to him and ask, ‘right what were you thinking?’.”I dread to think what Jamie Carragher is going to do to him on Monday Night Football. Jamie would never have done that.”Jamie must have played 600 or 700 games or even more. He would have never done that in his life. Never ever. He would’ve said ‘right that’s my man and I’m standing with him’.”Arteta said he is “very worried” about Saliba, who will have a further scan on his hamstring injury today.He added: “For sure I’m worried. Especially with the numbers we have in the squad and looking at our bench, very worried.”READ MORE SUN STORIESWatkins felt his side were fortunate with the handball. He said: “Seeing it back, I’m not sure. It’s gone in our favour if I’m honest.”If that was against me I’d have been a little bit disappointed. But that’s what VAR is there for.”Arsenal ratings vs Aston VillaArsenal’s title hopes took a huge hit as they threw away a two-goal lead against Aston VillaLeandro Trossard turned provider for the Gunners to set up both goals as it looked like they would cruise to three points.But defensive lapses from two stars cost Arteta’s side dearly.Here is how SunSport’s Jordan Davies rated the players…DAVID RAYA – 6/10Let down by those in front of him for both goals, a duo of close range efforts he had no chance with.MYLES LEWIS-SKELLY – 8With performances like this, he is suddenly the first name on the team sheet for Arteta. So calm and composed for someone so young, and his strength against bigger opposition is scary at times.GABRIEL – 7Made a crucial tackle one-on-one with Watkins and another block from a speedy counterJURRIEN TIMBER – 7Alert to foil counters against the pace of Watkins and coped well in general. It is not his fault that he doesn’t have the defensive presence of Saliba.THOMAS PARTEY – 6A great stint at right back but one lapse in concentration cost Arsenal the lead, losing track of Watkins in the box before he volleyed in.MIKEL MERINO – 6A workman-like performance – won his duels and worked his socks off, but the small details were missing, shanking a good chance well wide in the first half.He then lost his marker to allow Tielemans to head in and make it 2-1. Could have won it at the end with a scuffed effort in off Havertz that VAR chalked off and smacked the post too.DECLAN RICE – 7Integral to everything good about Arsenal and came close with a long-range punt in the second half.MARTIN ODEGAARD – 6A solid display but he is really missing his partner in crime in Saka. He created as much as he could but sometimes needs to be more selfish to drag his team over the line.LEANDRO TROSSARD – 8Deflected effort was comfortable for Martinez but his superb cross made life much harder for the Villa keeper to tee up Martinelli for the opener before blazing over himself.The Belgian racked up his fifth Prem assist of the season in the second half for Havertz.GABRIEL MARTINELLI – 8Threatened at the far post early on, but got his rewards from the same position in the 35th minute with a stabbed effort ahead of Maatsen.KAI HAVERTZ – 8Again, lack of decent service left him living off scraps, but when he got a scrap he fired an effort straight at Martinez from close range.The German more than made up for it after the break with a clinical finish, even if Martinez should have done better. That will do wonders for his confidence.SUBS:RAHEEM STERLING (MARTINELLI, 82) – 6A few darting runs, but added virtually nothing, other than a needless yellow card. A cameo that screamed “lacking confidence”. More

IF this is the night when Arsenal’s title hopes died, then Ollie Watkins has been their gravedigger again.But the death sentence might have been passed by Stockley Park.Ollie Watkins struck a brilliant volley to equaliseCredit: ReutersKai Havertz had put Arsenal 2-0 upCredit: AFPMikel Merino’s late strike was disallowed after it hit Havertz’s arm on the way inThe Gunners were made to rue missed chancesCredit: RexWith less than two minutes to go the Emirates erupted as Mikel Merino’s hopeful effort from the edge of the box took a big deflection to find its way past Emi Martinez and put Mikel Arteta’s men back ahead in a game they had tossed away.Yet Merino, pointedly, did not celebrate.He knew what Jon Brooks in the VAR booth near Heathrow was going to tell ref Chris Kavanagh – that the final, vital touch to deceive Martinez had come, albeit accidentally, off Kai Havertz’ right arm.The referee had no choice but to disallow the goal – and while Merino hit the post in added time, there was to be no reprieve.READ MORE ON ARSENALOnce again, Watkins was the agent of a devastating blow – to put a smile on the face of Unai Emery.Back in April, his late second condemned Arsenal to the defeat that meant even a perfect six-game finish was not enough.And as the Emirates mood switched from delight to despair – TWICE – it was Watkins who inflicted another potentially fatal dagger into those dreams of a first crown since the Invincibles of 2004.Watkins’ close-range finish exposed all the flaws of an Arsenal side without their defensive kingpin.Most read in FootballCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITSThroughout the last two seasons, what Arsenal might do if they lost William Saliba has been one of the big questions.When the Frenchman is in the team, Arsenal tend to win – 61 victories out of 85 Prem matches, with just 10 defeats. Without him, it is now five wins in 13.Bukayo Saka update as Arsenal star spotted at Emirates without crutches… but Gunners suffer fresh injury blowSurely, if Saliba HAD been on the field, he would not have allowed Youri Tielemans to get on the end of Lucas Digne’s cross.That let Villa back into a match that seemed lost when TWO Emi Martinez moments to forget had seemingly gifted Arteta and his side the three points they needed after Liverpool’s last-gasp win at Brentford.Watkins took full advantage when Havertz was caught underneath Matty Cash’s ball in from the right and Thomas Partey and Saliba’s centre-back replacement Jurrien Timber went walkabout.But it is utterly inconceivable that Watkins would have been unmarked to volley home with Saliba on the pitch.For Arsenal, who had been four minutes of Gtech Community Stadium stoppage time away from the chance to close the gap with Liverpool, that six point deficit may look cavernous – especially as Arne Slot’s side have a game in hand.When the story of this season is finally written, this feels like it will be a pivotal day.If you want to win the league and know you can’t afford any slips, you have to win from two up.The Emirates fans have never forgiven Martinez for his claim that Arsenal “didn’t deserve me” following his 2020 departure after a decade on the club’s books.Martinez has since lifted the World Cup and the Argentine loves playing the pantomime villain. The ceaseless boos would have been water off a duck’s back.He produced a “Hollywood” dive to hold Leandro Trossard’s early curler, following a gather at the second attempt to deny Gabriel Martinelli.Which was why the home fans revelled even more at the opener – after Villa’s own best chance of the half.Partey unaccountably threw the ball into Watkins’ path as he looked for Gabriel but the early volley dropped too late.Almost instantly, Martinelli caught Ian Maatsen dawdling when Leandro Trossard – who missed TWICE in the final frantic moments – created space outside Boubacar Kamara and cross from the left.Maatsen, booked earlier for a cynical foul on Martinelli, should have dealt with the situation but was caught on his heels and while the goalbound prod hit Martinez’ chin it had enough momentum to travel a crucial few inches over the line before the keeper clawed it away.Maatsen, a red card waiting to happen, was hooked at the break by Emery, who had already seen Amadou Onana limp off in the immediate aftermath of the goal.Digne, on for Maatsen, was involved almost instantly, hooking away after Myles Lewis-Skelly – who must have impressed England boss Thomas Tuchel – drilled across the six yard box.It did not seem as if it would matter when Havertz doubled the advantage, firing an eight-yard volley from Trossard’s centre in off Martinez’ left shin – the keeper really should have saved it.But from nowhere, Villa responded.Tielemans threw himself head-first to meet Digne’s ball while Merino only stuck out a leg.Seconds later, after scrambled brains at the back, only the foot of David Raya’s right-hand upright denied Tielemans another from 16 yards.There was no let-off as Watkins grabbed his big chance.READ MORE SUN STORIESDeclan Rice went close before the Merino “goal” was rightly wiped, the Spaniard hit the post and Trossard missed the rebound and another opening at the very death. It felt like the beginning of the end. More