Aston Villa deepened Arsenal’s end-of-season misery as Darren Bent scored twice in a 2-1 Premier League win at the Emirates Stadium.
Bent’s goals came in the first quarter of an hour, while Robin van Persie’s 89th-minute goal from close range was too late to salvage anything from another desperate afternoon for the Gunners.
The result gives Villa hope of a top-half finish, while Arsenal will drop to fourth if Manchester City beat Stoke City on Tuesday.
Despite the absence of Cesc Fabregas andSamir Nasri, there was good news for Arsenal as centre-back Thomas Vermaelen played for the first time since September.
The Belgian’s absence with an Achilles injury has been cited as a major reason for Arsenal’s defensive woes – but his return to the side heralded some truly woeful play.
As Kyle Walker lofted a diagonal pass into the Arsenal box, the red shirts left the scene. Bent chested the ball and lobbed a deft volley over Szczesny into the far corner.
Four minutes later, it was two. Ashley Young played a simple through ball as the Arsenal offside trap froze, and Bent slotted it coolly through Szczesny’s legs.
Arsenal eventually woke up, with Robin van Persie continuing his run of fine form that has provided a rare ray of light in the Gunners’ springtime slide into oblivion.
Van Persie twisted and turned into the box and fired a diagonal shot against the base of the right-hand post, and was extremely unlucky to be penalised after turning Richard Dunne brilliantly at the edge of the box.
Arsenal might have had a penalty when Dunne appeared to bring down Aaron Ramsey, but referee Michael Oliver ruled the defender took the ball.
Marouane Chamakh came off the bench at half-time but his six-month Premier League goal drought has robbed him of all confidence.
Theo Walcott provided a magnificent cross for the Moroccan, who inexplicably chose to attempt an unlikely volley rather than simply heading the ball.
When Chamakh finally got the ball in the net, Oliver chalked the goal off for a push on Kyle Walker. It was one of those days.
Kieran Gibbs was a lively presence down the Arsenal left, but he personified their failings in attack – trying to walk the ball in, and always wanting one touch too many in the box.
Van Persie eventually reduced the arrears a minute from time, when he poked the ball in after a goalmouth scramble for his 16th Premier League goal of the season.
But by that stage the Emirates Stadium was half empty, and the final game of the season in North London duly ended on a deeply depressing note.
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