Aston Villa made sure of their premiership status with a stunning victory in a dramatic game at the Emirates. A brace from Darren Bent set Villa on the way and some super defending, great saves and some odd refereeing helped them to weather a torrent from the Gunners.
Villa set up slightly different from recent games. Bent stayed upfront alone and Fabian Delph moved into the middle of the fied with Reo-Coker and Petrov.
It was those 3 that dominated the middle of the pitch early on and Villa threatened quickly as Arsenal failed to get started.
On loan right back Walker burst down the right, his dangerous ball in was played back to him by an Arsenal defender, but Walker chose to dummy the ball to win the first corner of the game. Something was said to Walker, who joked about his action, but, it turned out to be the catalyst for Villa's goal.
The corner was cleared, but only as far as Walker and a Tottenham connection was set up against the hated Arsenal. The Spurs player timed a perfect pass for BENT, who was just onside and the former Spur chested and volleyed in one movement for arguably Villa's finest goal of the campaign.
Five minutes later and Villa were 2-0 up in 15 minutes! Collins took forever to chose a recipient of his free kick deep inside Villa's half. He finally found Young in space down the right, Young controlled and fed BENT who ran free of the defenders for the 3rd time in the game and slotted a shot passed the helpless keeper.
Villa were now playing with a confidence and the party tricks began to come out. Always dangerous at this ground against this side with so much time left on the clock.
The midfield that had won so much early on, were now rushing tackles and mistiming them. and the players were getting caught in possession, guilty of holding the ball too long instead of passing out of trouble and getting the ball into space.
Villa were very lucky not to concede a penalty when Dunne appeared to take Ramsey's legs as he was lining up a shot, then he managed to avoid being penalised on the edge of the box near the goal-line when he shoved Van Persie.
Van Persie rattled the post after good work on the left.Before all of this he had had a goal ruled out when the linesman adjudged a forward pass from a team-mate when it could easily have been Downing that kicked the ball to last man.
The second half was one way traffic at times. Friedel made a string of saves including a great block from Gibbs. Dunne and Collins made blocks reminiscent of better days at Villa, like the 0-0 draw at Spurs a season or two back.
Delph was efficient in midfield and really seemed to grow in confidence in the second half. Petrov and Reo-Coker had to behave themselves after each had been cautioned. Arsenal's blood was boiling at the misses and the decisions by the ref and it reached fever pitch when Chamachs goal was ruled out due to an apparent shove in the back on Walker.
Villa finally broke out and Young forced a decent save and so did Downing, Downing had other options available though and he should really have explored them.
Time almost seemed to stop on 3 occasions. The 78-79th minute, Arsenal had caused so much chaos in the Villa box that it seemed like 10 minutes, then again in the 86th and 88th minutes the time was not moving.
Luke Young got into altercations with several Arsenal players upset with his tackling.
Arsenal scrambled a goal in the final minute when VAN PERSIE got onto the end of a loose ball in a melee of players.
The ref signalled 4 minutes of stoppage time and Friedel helped Villa stand tall and resist the North Londoners, the highlight being a timely punched clearance.