Gary Neville has reacted to Arsenal’s second defeat of the Premier League season after the Gunners fell to Aston Villa in the dying embers.
When Unai Emery needed a hero, up stepped Emiliano Buendia to break Arsenal’s hearts with the last kick of the game.
Arsenal suffered a Premier League defeat for the first time since matchday three, seeing the gap between themselves and Manchester City reduce to just two points.
Though it was a bad day at the office for several players at Villa Park, perspective is everything.
Interestingly, it was Gary Neville who laid things out very well amid a mass overreaction to the defeat on social media.
- READ MORE: Martin Keown apologises to Prince William after what he said about one Arsenal player vs Aston Villa
Who was Arsenal’s most disappointing player vs Aston Villa?
Unai Emery ends Arsenal's 18-game unbeaten run!
Gary Neville gives Arsenal feedback after Aston Villa defeat
After Saturday’s action on matchday 15 concluded, Neville reacted to the matches on the Gary Neville Podcast, mentioning Arsenal.
The Sky Sports pundit revealed what he’d honestly be feeling if he were an Arsenal player right now.
“I wouldn’t be panicking at all if I was Arsenal off the back of that,” he said.
“You’re going to lose a game or two. You just are. You’re going to lose a game or two, and you’re going to win a lot of games.”
What Neville said next was spot on, as he put the defeat into perspective, noting Villa’s form and the fact that Arsenal were always going to drop points at some stage of the season.
“For Arsenal, no panic. It’s a game you can lose. Don’t dismiss it and don’t think everything’s okay.
“But on the other hand, don’t think about it too much as being some sort of what would be bigger thing than it is, because sometimes you just lose football matches that are competitive against good teams, and Villa are a good team.”
The bottom line is that Emery knew how to beat Arsenal and watched his team get the job done, dealing the Gunners only their second defeat of the whole season.
Some Arsenal fans are overreacting after the Aston Villa loss
Arsenal have played 22 games this season and have lost twice.
Even Pep Guardiola doesn’t expect Arsenal to lose many more games, but some fans were absolutely furious about the Villa defeat.
The late loss triggered a knee-jerk reaction from some supporters on X, with one Arsenal fan saying:
“The way the season has gone, we should be blaming the team and rightly so for not capitalising on the failings of other teams.”
Another shared a similar opinion, saying that the defeat was not a good sign.
“Again, the manners at which we are losing this games is what its painful, the last minute equaliser at the Stadium of Light and also today easily cost us 4 points, not being able to beat Chelsea with a number advantage. Those are the margins that define a title push. Those are not good signs.”
How many wins will Arsenal secure in their final six matches of 2026?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments…
- Club Brugge (A)
- Wolves (H)
- Everton (A)
- Crystal Palace (H)
- Brighton (H)
- Aston Villa (H)
Examples such as the above make Neville’s thoughts on the game all the more important to digest, as Arsenal’s first defeat since August is being blown out of proportion.
It was a small selection of fans who felt this way, as others on X fought back.
“Season Over” Perfect, don’t watch anymore. And make sure you’re not at that parade in May,” one supporter said.
Another called for perspective.
“You have to find some perspective here. Only 2 losses in 18 games. Injuries everywhere. Hardest fixtures. Yet still top of the league. It’s a long season, and we’re going to recover some top, top players. I’m not going to cry over going from 1st to 1st.”
It was a tough result to take for Arsenal, but Neville summed it up perfectly in that it’s really not the end of the world.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
