Yahoo News Aston Villa answered Ollie Watkins criticism by beating Arsenal
A week is a long time in football, so they say. Aston Villa have been through all the emotions in the space of eight days: pleasure, frustration, elation, anxiety, delirium. Villa's season remains very much alive at home and in Europe after this potentially season-defining week, and they've done it without a host of important players, too.
Work is still to be done, but Villa supporters will understandably take a little time to come down from the emotional heights of Sunday's result. Whether you fancied Villa to nab a result at the home of a side with the Premier League title in their sights - and who had dropped only two points in 2024, those coming at the Etihad - or not, the manner in which they did so would've taken you aback.
After a first half which required them to compose themselves - and they still might've gone ahead if Ollie Watkins' shot had spun into the net and not around the near post having struck the far post first - Villa gradually grabbed a hold of the initiative. For quite a period of time before they did nose themselves in front, it was apparent which club was the most likely - perhaps the only side - to make a breakthrough.
Speaking of Watkins, his delicate finish was the epitome of composure, as a recovering centre half appeared at his shoulder and his former teammate David Raya stormed out to reduce the space and time. Both Gunners were helpless to prevent what has often been the inevitable this season. Watkins killed the game stone dead in that moment - and in doing so proved that his side do possess the quality he himself questioned a week ago.
READ: National media react to 'outstanding' Villa win over Arsenal as European chances boosted
READ: Gary Lineker makes Arsenal claim Unai Emery 'will never admit' after Aston Villa win
In what was a surprisingly candid response after the draw with Brentford last weekend - in which Watkins scored twice against his old side but saw Villa surrender a two-goal lead to relegation threatened opposition - the England striker admitted he was left wondering if Villa possessed the necessary ability to see games out when in a commanding position.
"I'm not belittling my team, I'm part of it," Watkins told BBC Match of the Day after the 3-3 draw with his former club. "We need to somehow figure out when we're 2-0 up how to shut up shop. It's frustrating. We lacked that big-team mentality where they kill games off which is really disappointing."
Granted, the timings of Villa's goals on Sunday - firstly through Leon Bailey and then Watkins himself - meant that Arsenal had little time to muster any sort of reply. While some sides would've sat back after the opening goal, invited the opponent to react and run the risk of conceding a late equaliser, Villa found a way to put daylight between themselves and Arsenal, much to the delight of Unai Emery.
And irrespective of the timing of the goals, Villa showed plenty of a 'big-team mentality' to not only go toe to toe with a side who have even greater aspirations than theirs, but to actually take the initiative and run out deserving winners. Villa have completed a league double over Arsenal, have taken three off Manchester City and still have Liverpool to come to Villa Park.
This team, under Emery, littered with international talent and with a striker who has 36 goal contributions to his name this season, have moved to a different level and have nobody in this league to fear, because they've proven time and again that they boast the mind-set required to compete at the top end.
