'Sickening' Arsenal loss at Aston Villa 'a good result for football' - Martin Keown and Peter Crouch on dramatic Premier League clash

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Arsenal's title hopes were dented by potential challengers Aston Villa on Saturday, as Emi Buendia's dramatic late winner consigned The Gunners to a first loss since August. There had been suggestions that Mikel Arteta's side might run away with the Premier League title, but Villa and Manchester City are now within touching distance. TNT Sports' Martin Keown and Peter Crouch reflected on the game.

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Martin Keown said Arsenal's late defeat at Aston Villa in the Premier League was "sickening", but Peter Crouch claimed it was "a good result for football".

Emi Buendia's last-minute strike sent Villa Park into raptures and condemned The Gunners to their first defeat since August.

Matty Cash had given the hosts a first-half lead, before Leandro Trossard struck back for the league leaders.

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But Villa's dramatic winner continued their remarkable run of form and took them to within just three points of Arsenal.

"It was an amazing finish to this game," former Arsenal and Villa defender Keown said on TNT Sports.

"You're happy for the Villa fans in the end, but that's a sickening way for Arsenal to lose this epic game. And that's what the Premier League gives us now."

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Arsenal's lead at the top was cut to two points when Manchester City beat Sunderland at the Etihad later on Saturday.

And ex-Liverpool and Tottenham striker Crouch suggested the outcome was a positive one for neutrals.

"You don't want them running away with it," he said. "We've pulled them back in now. We want the race as tight and as long as possible, so it was a good result for football."

Arsenal's mentality will now be tested as they attempt to bounce back from their most significant setback of the season so far.

They face Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday night - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - before returning to league action at home to bottom side Wolves.

"This is where you've got to recover," Keown added. "You dust yourself off. It's how you react to adversity and they'll see this as a major blow.

"This is a difficult place to come to, it's a fortress, they've lost one game here all season, so it can happen. There's been a succession of away games, difficult fixtures, and they nearly got through it.

"Gabriel, Saliba, they missed them a bit in some of these duels, the physicality from set-pieces. They'll welcome people back.

"You have to applaud some of the jobs these players have had to do when they've hardly featured for Arsenal, certainly in central defence."

Incredible scenes at Villa Park as Buendia scores late winner to dent Arsenal's title hopes

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Reflecting further on Arsenal's defensive troubles, Keown said: "It's a bit of a patchwork defence. Timber's playing central defender; he's the right-back normally.

"Mistakes are made, but you go away and think about it. You've got a long journey back now, a long evening, and you use it as oxygen when you come back.

"There's been a lot of hurt over the years and this is maybe just a blip on the road. I don't think this is going to derail what they're trying to achieve.

"It's important to get people back again to form that base in defence. They're still learning, new partnership in the middle. You can't expect it to be perfect. But it's disappointing."

Crouch, too, claimed Arsenal remain the favourites for the title.

"Plenty of teams will come to Villa Park and come unstuck," he said.

"This Arsenal side have been the best team in the league. There's no disgrace. They've come here and created chances.

"When they get the two centre-backs fit, they're still the team to beat."

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