Arsenal defender Jurriën Timber urged calm after Saturday’s 2–1 defeat to Aston Villa, arguing the squad must convert frustration into a constructive response rather than catastrophise. The loss, combined with Manchester City’s win over Sunderland, cut Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League to two points, with Villa a single point further back.

Timber was clear about the need to learn from the setback. “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,” he said. “Within the season, these moments happen, setbacks, and you just have to step up after that.”

The defeat should, according to Timber, sharpen Arsenal’s response rather than prompt panic. If any complacency had been creeping in, the manner of the loss ought to have removed it. Attention now turns quickly to a home game against a struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers side, followed by a trip to in-form Everton on Dec. 20.

Before those league matches Arsenal have a Champions League assignment that offers a chance to steady the collective mood. The team travels to Belgium to face Club Brugge as they look to consolidate their position atop the group stage standings.

Form and availability have complicated Arsenal’s position. It feels like only a few weeks ago that some were already ready to hand Arsenal the Premier League trophy, but since a 2–0 win over Burnley at the start of November the Gunners have won two of five Premier League games. Over the same period Manchester City have won four and dropped points only once.

A more immediate concern is the injury toll in central defence. Starting pair Gabriel and William Saliba are sidelined, and backup option Cristhian Mosquera also picked up an injury during the midweek win over Brentford. Timber, who had made the right back spot his own, started at centre back on Saturday alongside Piero Hincapié. Fellow full backs Ben White and Riccardo Calafiori have also filled in there, but the depth and cover are being heavily tested.

Arsenal suffered a devastating 95th-minute defeat as Emiliano Buendía rifled home the decisive goal to give Aston Villa a 2–1 Premier League victory. Leandro Trossard, introduced at half time, had levelled quickly after the break and offered Arsenal hope, but Villa’s stoppage-time winner proved decisive.

David Raya produced a number of important interventions, including a fine save to deny Ollie Watkins, but was ultimately helpless to stop Cash’s earlier fierce effort and Buendía’s late finish. Ben White provided attacking width on the right and linked well with Bukayo Saka, while Jurriën Timber and Piero Hincapié coped for the most part with Villa’s direct forward play.

Riccardo Calafiori pushed high early on but was cautioned after the hour mark and will be suspended next weekend. Martin Ødegaard led Arsenal’s creative work, producing dangerous shots and passes in the final third. Declan Rice covered big distances in an all-action display and made a key block to thwart Cash in the first half as well as forcing the turnover that led to Arsenal’s leveller.

Bukayo Saka was Arsenal’s principal attacking threat and supplied the cross for Trossard’s equaliser. Mikel Merino and Eberechi Eze were withdrawn at half time after limited involvement; Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres replaced them and had differing impacts. Substitutes Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli were introduced later as Arsenal sought a late winner, while Kepa Arrizabalaga, Marli Salmon, Christian Nørgaard, Ethan Nwaneri and Gabriel Martinelli were listed among the unused options.

Villa’s Starting XI read Emiliano Martínez; Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, Ian Maatsen; Boubacar Kamara, Amadou Onana; John McGinn, Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers; Ollie Watkins. Villa’s bench included Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho, Lamare Bogarde, Emi Buendía and Victor Lindelöf among the subs used.

The defeat hands Manchester City and Chelsea the opportunity to close the gap on Arsenal, while Villa moved to within three points of the table-toppers. Arsenal will regroup after a game decided in the final seconds.

Phil Jones has made a clear case for Arsenal as the team to beat in 2025/26, arguing that Mikel Arteta’s squad combines tactical variety with the physical tools to sustain a title bid. Arteta has faced criticism for a perceived reliance on set-pieces, free kicks and throw-ins, but Jones says that is only one element of what makes the side strong.

“I enjoy it,” Jones said of modern football in his first appearance as a regular voice on a new weekly show. He expanded on the point in a longer interview, praising the return of different facets of the game and Arsenal’s capacity to handle them.

“I look at football now and I think I’m glad that throw-ins are back in. I’m glad that deep free kicks and duels are back in the game and it’s not a game of chess all the time because that’s what we loved, we grew up watching and loved so much and, you know, it makes it so competitive now in games.

“I think the best thing you can say about Arsenal at the minute is is that they’re suitable and adaptable to any situation in game. So if they need to get ugly, they can get ugly. If they need to play their way through the thirds, they can play their way through. If they need to play on transition, they can do that.

“They can play any team at any time for any sort of strategy they want to play. And I think that’s the biggest compliment I can pay Arsenal. And that’s why, for me, they will win the league this year. I think this is the year they win it.”

Jones spoke from experience. The former Manchester United and England defender was a key squad player in United’s 2012–13 Premier League title triumph and rose through the ranks at Blackburn Rovers before joining United. He made 229 appearances for the Red Devils across 12 years.

Reflecting on his own career and the demands on modern defenders, Jones warned about the athletic profile required of young players. “When I got into Blackburn’s first team, I thought I was good enough technically,” he reflected. “I thought I was good enough, but I was nowhere near sort of the athleticism that some of these players … the strength that some of these players now are coming into the team with, I didn’t have that.

“I think to myself now, if I was coming through in this day and age … yes, I think I would have had a good career still, but I’m not sure if I’d have played at that top, top level. I’m not trying to do myself a disservice.

“I think the the strength of these boys coming through now is incredible, at 16, 17 years old, and you have to have that as a defender. You have to be quick now. You don’t really get away with being slow or not being able to play high up the pitch. Teams like to play on the halfway line. If you haven’t got the capability of sprinting back 30, 40 yards, you’ve got a problem.”