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Are Aston Villa legitimate Premier League title challengers after toppling Arsenal?

There were two sides to the story that unfolded at Villa Park on Saturday. Arsenal were one side. Now winless in their last three away games, the Gunners are faltering for the first time this season even if they remain in control at the top of the Premier League table. Aston Villa were the other side of the story.

 

Saturday’s 2-1 win over Arsenal means Unai Emery’s side are now just three points off the pace-setters at the top of the table. If the Gunners are faltering, opening the door for others to walk through as title contenders, could Villa be one of them? Do they have the trophy in their sights?

 

Aston Villa’s form over the last two months is all the more remarkable when considering the start to the season they endured. Indeed, it took them until their sixth league match of the campaign to register their first win. The outlook was so bleak that many questioned whether Emery had reached the end of a cycle as manager.

 

Now, that outlook is very different. Emery has retooled his team and Aston Villa have surged up the Premier League table, winning nine of their last 10 fixtures. Since mid-September, Villa have been in title-winning form, closing the gap on Arsenal at the top of the table to just a single result.

 

Villa’s summer transfer window was challenging. The Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) meant that the club couldn’t spend what it would have liked on new players, limiting Emery to a last-gasp sweep of the supermarket shelves to stock his squad for the season ahead.

 

Few of those late signings have been a success. Jadon Sancho has yet to start a single match since joining from Manchester United. Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, has played even fewer minutes. Instead, Emery has looked within his squad to get more out of players he already had.

 

Emi Buendia has enjoyed an unexpected renaissance to become a difference-maker again. The Argentine netted the winner against Arsenal on Saturday, pouncing on a penalty box scramble to find the back of the net, and has scored four goals in the Premier League this season. He’s making an impact on a regular basis.

 

Morgan Rogers has taken another step forward in his development. The 23-year-old is capable of impacting games at the highest level, as he demonstrated by giving Arsenal such a headache on Saturday. Rogers is playing at such a standard that he could be a starting figure for England at next summer’s World Cup. Thomas Tuchel is certainly a fan.

 

John McGinn has rediscovered his best form following a slump with Ollie Watkins contributing again. Villa might not have strengthened much over the summer, but Emery still has his reliable spine of players in place. That spine has come to the fore again as Villa have put their current run together.

 

“We are not thinking if we are going to be a contender for the decision in the Premier League,” insisted Emery after the win over Arsenal. “My message to the players is not (to talk about it). We are going to try and enjoy each moment. They should enjoy Saturday. Enjoy winning, enjoy playing with our supporters and feel like we are now, with confidence and feeling comfortable. But it is each match, game-by-game.”

 

Emery is right to play down expectations. Aston Villa are fighting on multiple fronts this season and so their lack of squad depth might ultimately cost them in the end. Nonetheless, Villa’s recent resurgence is a sign that Emery’s grip of the club is tighter than ever before. This season is turning into his greatest success story.