Someone wrote a few years ago that I only posted directly after a match when we lost. I think that was under different times when things were not right at the Club. Things are very much right at Aston Villa these days.
And I wrote yesterday that I wasn't convinced Arsenal would win the League and it was just because they'd had such a good 2024 that was surely going to come to an end soon, but also a little because I think Manchester City have so much more than them. Manchester City not winning the League would be an injustice.
Today we showed why I don't think Arsenal will win it.
In the first half, we soaked up everything they threw at us and we were unlucky to not go in leading. Sure, Martinez made a world class save, but he is the best in the world, so it's bread and butter. We hit the post. You could argue we were closer. I didn't see much from Arsenal today that you expect to see a lot more of from Premier League champions.
In the second half, we controlled the game and showed Arsenal how they should have played against us in the first half. We left it late, but we could also have had a goal before the two in the last ten minutes.
It was an all round great team performance that puts us 3 points ahead of Spurs, having played a game more and with a better goal difference of three. The goal difference will be tight and not something we should count on, but they have Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester City and Sheffield United to come.
It's going to be tight.