'They are': Unai Emery makes claim about how Arsenal play immediately after 2-2 draw with Aston Villa
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At this point, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has become well accustomed to thwarting his former club Arsenal and their push to win the Premier League.
Last April, Villa dealt a devastating blow to Arsenal winning 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium, a loss that Mikel Arteta couldn't afford.
And on Saturday evening in N5, Arsenal lost more points at the hands of their old boss, Emery, who has his own aspirations towards another top four finish at Villa.
Despite being 2-0 up against Villa, Arteta's side, who are hamstrung by injuries right now, were unable to hold on, surrendering all of their hard work in just eight minutes or so.
Shortly after Kai Havertz's strike to put Arsenal two ahead, the home side suddenly looked very vulnerable at the back, and William Saliba's absence was strongly felt.
Unai Emery calls Arsenal ‘very powerful’ after Aston Villa draw
That being said, when speaking to Sky Sports, Emery praised Arsenal after full-time, particularly for how they often perform at home.
Arsenal haven't lost at the Emirates in the Premier League since that defeat against Villa last April.
READ MORE: Why Benjamin Sesko rejected Arsenal in the summer as Mikel Arteta targets RB Leipzig striker again
And when also praising his own side, Emery was quick to point out that Arsenal are 'very powerful' at home, saying that he wanted his Villa team to mirror those efforts in the future.
Emery said: "Fantastic. Brilliant how the players reacted after the two goals – it was fantastic.
"In our mentality, we never give up and today we never give up and we tried to score.
"Arsenal were pushing and creating some chances, but even with that we have another.
“Arsenal are very powerful at home. This is the level we want to be close to, but we still have work to do as they are very strong.
"To complete like we did is the only way to get something here.”
Donyell Malen fails to make Arsenal reunion at the Emirates
Of course, in addition to the disappointment towards their dropped lead, some Arsenal fans may have also been hoping to see Donyell Malen against his old side.
Malen left Arsenal in 2017 but has often been linked with a move back to the club.
However, it was Emery who secured a deal for Malen this week to play his football at Villa Park in the near future.
And although the winger was set to come on at 2-1, Ollie Watkins' goal saw both Malen and Jhon Duran sit back down on the bench, with the former then failing to come on.
A frustrating night for the Gunners, predominantly because of their surrendered lead against their former boss.
Ian Wright thinks Arsenal need help right now, and it's currently hard to conclude otherwise.
