Arsenal got their title charge back on track with a 4-2 comeback win over Aston Villa on Saturday. Emi Martinez’ unfortunate own goal changed the complexion of the game at Villa Park.

Arsenal got an all-important win over Aston Villa on Saturday (Courtesy: Reuters)

By India Today Web Desk: Arsenal got their title charge back on track with a 4-2 comeback win over Aston Villa on Saturday as former man Emi Martinez had a moment to forget.

The Gunners had come into the game on the back of a 3-1 loss to title rivals Manchester City and needed a win to keep their title aspirations alive. However, things didn’t get off to the best of starts for them.

Ollie Watkins scored for the home team in the fifth minute to put Arsenal on the back foot. The England international got the ball from Matty Cash, who went past Zinchenko and scooped the ball to the Villa man who unleashed a low shot to the left of Aaron Ramsdale.

The Gunners were woken up by the goal and applied pressure on the Villa defence. In the 16th minute, they got the equalizer as a poor clearance from Tyrone Mings fell to Bukaya Saka who rifled the ball into the top corner with a fine strike.

Mikel Arteta’s men were on the front foot from that moment but were dealt another blow in the 31st minute. In a fine move that started with Martinez, Villa cut through the Arsenal defence and Philippe Coutinho restored the lead for the home side.

The scores remained the same till the end of the first half with Arsenal having to do all the work. The Gunners were far better in the second half and kept knocking on the door for the equalizer.

Zinchenko then levelled things up for Arsenal in the game with a low shot past Martinez. Both sides would then have great chances to get their third with Martin Odegaard missing a guilt-edge chance in the 77th minute.

Leon Bailey pulled off a great run in the 82nd minute but his resultant shot was tipped on to the bar by Ramsdale. The Gunners once again had their goalkeeper to thank as he saved a shot from Duran in stoppage time.

But then, drama unfolded as Arsenal got the all-important third goal through an unfortunate own goal from Martinez. Jorginho’s shot from outside the box hit the post and bounced back into the net off the Villa keeper’s head in stoppage time.

Villa’s attempt to chase the game backfired in the dying moments as Gabriel Martinelli scored in a counter-attack from a corner which saw Martinez come up.

The win gives Arsenal the lead for the moment on the points table over City, who will play Nottingham Forest later on.