Arsenal’s Jurriën Timber Calls for Team to Use Aston Villa Defeat as Motivation
Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber wants to use his side’s last-gasp defeat at Aston Villa as motivation to get their Premier League title bid back on track. The Gunners saw an 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions end as Emiliano Buendía scored with the last kick of the game to give Villa a 2-1 win.
It turned into a damaging day for Mikel Arteta’s side as their lead at the summit was cut to just two points after Manchester City beat Sunderland. But Timber, who had to play at centre-back amid an injury crisis, says his side need to use the loss to drive them on.
“I think in the end you need to use it as a motivation and in the end as a strength, because it happened and we need to accept it and we need to get better,” Timber said. “At the same time, within the season, I think these moments happen, set-backs, and you just have to step up after that.”
Injury Crisis and Title Race
Timber, usually a right-back, was forced to play in the middle with injuries to central pair William Saliba and Gabriel. Cristhian Mosquera has also been ruled out for “weeks” with an ankle problem and Timber says the fitness issues have disrupted Arsenal’s campaign. “Yes, it is [a disruption],” he said. “I think we have a great squad. I think players that come in always do really good, but obviously it’s not always easy.”
“We can’t play every week with the same players and if players go out again, it’s tough. But I think it’s also part of… it happens within the season. I think it happens at every club. With us it’s the same and we just have to manage that with and win our games.”
Victory for Villa announced their arrival in the title race as they moved to within three points of Arsenal. Unai Emery’s side are on a roll, winning nine of their last 10 Premier League games. They took the lead at Villa Park through Matty Cash’s opener but were pegged back by Leandro Trossard early in the second half. Buendia’s goal sparked mass scenes of celebration at the death.
Cash said on the club’s official website: “We’ve got to take it game by game and just keep working hard and taking it in our stride. At the minute, we’re on a great run, but we know it’s not even Christmas yet. We have to keep being demanding, keep being consistent and we’ll see where it takes us.”
For more information on the Premier League and the latest football news, visit ESPN or Premier League official websites.
