Mikel Arteta insisted Premier League leaders Arsenal will recover from the frustration of a dramatic 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa that blew the title race wide open on Saturday.

 

Emiliano Buendia fired Villa’s winner with the last kick of a pulsating game, ending the Gunners’ 18-match unbeaten run in all competitions in the process.

 

 

Arsenal’s Leandro Trossard had come off the bench to score a second half equaliser after Matty Cash’s first half opener at Villa park.

 

 

 

 

It was Arsenal’s first defeat since losing at Liverpool in August and only their second in the entire campaign.

 

The north Londoners’ rare setback moved Villa to within three points of first place, while Manchester City also had a chance to close the gap with a victory over Sunderland later on Saturday.

 

The Gunners have a history of collapsing after establishing strong leads in the title battle.

 

They have finished as runners-up for the last three seasons and haven’t been crowned champions since 2004.

 

But Arteta remains confident they will handle the mounting pressure.

 

“That is the league, you go to Old Trafford, you go to St James’ Park, you go to Chelsea, you come here, we have been in a lot of difficult grounds,” he said.

 

“The result could have been different, the reality is not. We went 18 games unbeaten and still we are there, close to each other.

 

“That is the level of the league, we know that. That is the opportunity that we have ahead of us and that’s it.