“We are coming to a period over the next two or three weeks when we face games which will be must-win for us in our situation”, Garde admitted.
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Aston Villa boss Remi Garde was refreshingly honest in admitting to BBC Sport that Arsenal were the better side and fully deserved their win, but rued the manner in which his side fell apart in the first half.
The result leaves them bottom of the league, six points adrift of 19th-placed Sunderland and eight points off safety.
There’s been little for Aston Villa supporters to get excited about recently, and the 2-0 weekend defeat to Arsenal offered relatively little comfort.
An early penalty decision against right-back Alan Hutton – which referee Kevin Friend deliberated over for several seconds before finally pointing to the spot – set Villa on their way to a club-record 15th consecutive league match without victory. Liverpool loanee Tiago Ilori has not played while Adama Traore, who signed for 12m euros from Barcelona, is yet to start in the league. “He’s questioned some times, but the numbers get people to realise that he’s a quality player”.
Aside from being able to hold up the ball, harass defenders and bring team-mates into play, Giroud is far more clinical this year, and has slowly but surely developed the knack of being in the right place at the right time.
“But overall for us it was a great week”, said Wenger who heaped special praise on Arsenal’s second goal and Ozil’s contribution.
If he keeps banging them in, don’t count against Giroud adding another personal accolade – such as the Golden Boot – to his name. He is not spectacular individually but he is a very efficient player for the team.
Villa are the joint lowest scorers in the top-flight with Stoke having netted just 13 times after Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Arsenal.
And Match of the Day pundit Shearer said: “I know he’s come from the Championship and I know he’s come into a struggling team but he has to offer more”.
When Villa needed goals to survive last season they had a reinvigorated Benteke to turn to but now there is nothing to suggest their current strikers can bail them out.
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“If you don’t look a threat at the other end, how are you going to win games?” He’s a dream to play with and he makes our job a lot easier.
