Arsenal make Paul Merson title race prediction come true in nightmare Aston Villa defeat

Arsenal suffered a gut-wrenching blow in the Premier League title race with their 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa. The Gunners gave up crucial ground on new league leaders Manchester City and failed to capitalise on Liverpool’s earlier defeat to Crystal Palace.

The early game on Sunday saw Liverpool present Arsenal with an opportunity to move a point clear in first place. Mikel Arteta’s side were denied a first-half lead by ex-Gunner Emi Martinez and were made to pay the price as Unai Emery masterminded a disciplined away performance from his Villa team.

However, before kick-off, Arsenal legend Paul Merson had aired his concerns about the Gunners being able to take charge in the title race. The club icon worried that the situation could cause Arsenal’s frailties from last season to resurface.

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"I don’t know [if they’ll deal with the pressure] because what I’ve just seen at Anfield, anything can happen this afternoon," Merson told Sky Sports. "Last year, Jorginho was left out against Southampton last year and I think that was a game that Arteta thought they’d easily be able to win and I believe that game ended 3-3.

"He’s done it again today to make room for other players like Jesus, it seems to me that’s what he’s doing. The first 20 minutes of this game is very important, they have to start well because we saw what happens to Liverpool if you don’t and then you’re left chasing the game."

While Arsenal remain firmly in the title race, seeing how the team respond to such a significant setback will be intriguing. Last season, Arsenal were in pole position to win the title for the first time since 2004 but struggled during the final run-in, winning just three of their last nine league games.