Several Arsenal players had an outing to forget at Villa Park when Aston Villa beat the Gunners 2-1.
Emiliano Buendia’s last-gasp goal struck Mikel Arteta’s squad with a feeling they had been deprived of since August.
Arsenal suffered their first loss since matchday three of the Premier League season, seeing the title race take an early twist.
After the loss, Pep Guardiola predicted that Arsenal won’t suffer defeat many more times this term, but after what happened at Villa Park, it’s clear that things need to change to ensure the Manchester City manager’s prediction plays out.
Gabby Agbonlahor wasn’t impressed with Jurrien Timber against Aston Villa
One thing that needs to change is out of Arteta’s power, and that’s Arsenal’s influx of defensive injuries.
Having used six centre-back pairings this season, the Gunners are down to the bones due to injuries, with the Villa defeat showing how Gabriel and William Saliba are missed.
Jurrien Timber was elected to play centrally alongside Piero Hincapie, where the Dutchman was truly tested.
How would you sum up Jurrien Timber’s performance at centre-back vs Aston Villa?
Arteta thought that Timber and Hincapie were exceptional, but Gabby Agbonlahor had a different view.
“Rogers was playing like he was in the five-a-side league in Power League, mate. Having fun trying to nutmeg players,” Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT.
“Timber was all over the place. Timber. Timber, do us a favour, lads. Deary me.”
The Aston Villa icon wasn’t impressed with what he saw from Timber in his rare chance to impress at centre-back.
It wasn’t the 24-year-old’s best day at the office, but Agbonlahor’s feedback wasn’t necessarily bad news.
Timber’s performance at Aston Villa proved Mikel Arteta right
Many times this season, Arteta has been told he’s playing Timber in the wrong position, as the defender is considered a better centre-back than right-back at international level.
What have you made of Jurrien Timber when he’s played centre-back?
The Arsenal manager was given food for thought from external voices chiming in on the matter, but against Villa, it was proven that Arteta was right to field Timber as a right-back all along.
Though Timber is one of the world’s best defenders, in the Premier League, he’s far better suited to the right side, be it because of his height or simply how strong he is at full-back.
Arteta had always resisted testing his 2023 signing centrally, until matchday 15, when it became clear that the Dutchman is a right-back before anything else at Arsenal.
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