Jurrien Timber sends 'tough' message to Arsenal fans after Aston Villa slump
Today at 09:00 AM
Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber has sent a message to supporters via social media after their disappointing draw with Aston Villa.
The Dutch defender started at centre-back in place of the injured William Saliba and played the full game as the Gunners drew 2-2 with Villa (18 January).
Brazilian winger, Gabriel Martinelli, opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 35th minute after he poked home from a Leandro Trossard cut-back.
The Gunners got a second goal, once again with Trossard being the provider, as German forward Kai Havertz scored in the 55th minute.
Arsenal looked to be cruising to a comfortable victory, but the Villains had other plans. Just five minutes after Havertz scored, Youri Tielemans snuck in behind Mikel Merino to head past goalkeeper David Raya.
Villa completed their comeback in the 68th minute, with star man Ollie Watkins thumping past Raya from a Matty Cash cross.
Arsenal thought they themselves had turned the game in their favour from a Merino wonder-strike, however, the ball deflected off Havertz’s arm and was ruled out by VAR.
Arsenal struggle with Jurrien Timber in place of William Saliba
Arsenal had been the Premier League’s stingiest defence up until the game against Villa, having conceded only 19 goals in 21 games.
However, Liverpool have now overtaken them as the League’s best defenders, and Arsenal struggled without their iconic pairing of Saliba and Gabriel at the back.
The Frenchman’s composed defending and ball-playing abilities were sorely missed, and Timber looked like a poor understudy to the former St. Etienne centre-back.
The former Ajax player posted a message to Arsenal fan’s on his Instagram story, saying: “Tough result yesterday. Thankyou for the huge support. Let’s stick together and focus on the next!”
The result against the Midlands side see’s the North London club trail Premier League table-toppers Liverpool by six points, and the Merseyside team also have a game in hand.
Arsenal boss, Mikel Arteta, is expected to be active in the January transfer window, and the club is now expected to accelerate their transfer plans.
Martin Zubimendi of Real Sociedad may be a player that Arsenal attempt to sign, and finance expert Stefan Borson told Football Insider exclusively that the club appeared to have secured “a great deal” for the Spanish international.
For more Arsenal news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.
The post Jurrien Timber sends 'tough' message to Arsenal fans after Aston Villa slump appeared first on Football Insider.
