Arsenal’s Premier League title push was hit by late goals from Aston Villa’s Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins as they suffered a surprise 2-0 home defeat on Sunday.
The loss hands the initiative to leaders and defending champions, Manchester City.
Villa substitute, Bailey tapped home from close range in the 84th minute before Watkins’ sublime finish three minutes later sent Gunners fans streaming for the exits.
Arsenal’s loss, their first in 12 league games, leaves them in second place, two points behind City and level on points with third-placed Liverpool with six games left to play.
“We knew that this moment could come and now it’s about reacting and keep believing and doing what we can,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta told reporters.
“Now is the moment to stand up, as a leader, as a character, to make yourself count. When you win and win and win for four months, it’s very, very simple to do it. The moment is now.”
Following Liverpool’s 1-0 defeat at home to Crystal Palace earlier on Sunday, the weekend belonged to City who bolstered their chances of an unprecedented fourth straight league title with a 5-1 demolition of visiting Luton Town on Saturday.
Opta now give City a 70 per cent chance of winning the Premier League, with Arsenal on just over 18 per cent and Liverpool nearly 12 per cent.
Arteta said his side’s trip to Bayern Munich in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie, after a 2-2 draw in midweek, was “a beautiful opportunity” to respond.
The win boosts fourth-placed Aston Villa’s chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League, and moves them three points above Tottenham Hotspur, albeit having played a game more.
