One shot, on target and in the back of the net, was all it took for Aston Villa to reopen the wound that Arsenal had been carefully trying to stitch back up.
Despite almost 65% possession, 28 shots to one, and 56 touches in the opposition box to four, Alessia Russo’s 85th-minute goal meant Arsenal were only able to salvage a point against Villa after back-to-back wins in the league and Champions League had appeared to have kickstarted their season.
The worst possible scenario for a team that has struggled against low blocks arrived in the 25th minute, when Lynn Wilms found Chasity Grant, who fired low into the bottom corner. It was a hammer blow to the home team, with Villa knowing exactly what to do next: stick 11 players behind the ball and frustrate the Gunners.
Russo’s late goal spared Arsenal’s blushes a little, the forward flicking a header in at the far post from a Stina Blackstenius cross, but the reprieve delivered by Arsenal’s victories over Tottenham and Benfica has been rolled back.
The Gunners have an incredibly tricky run of fixtures coming up, with Liverpool away followed by Barcelona, London City and then Lyonnes. And, despite the back-to-back wins, they haven’t been able to resolve the problems in the final third that have plagued every performance.
The pressure will be back on head coach Renée Slegers and there are questions to be asked about some decision making. However, with similar problems present under Joe Montemurro and Jonas Eidevall before her, maybe it’s time to look beyond the head coach.
