‘It pains me’ – Troy Deeney forced to praise ‘wonderful’ Aston Villa star after win vs Arsenal
Aston Villa have blown the Premier League title race wide open after a magnificent win against Arsenal on Saturday.
Emi Buendia’s 95th-minute winner secured Unai Emery’s side a 2-1 victory over the Gunners at Villa Park on 6 December.
Matty Cash had opened the scoring for Villa in the first half before Leandro Trossard drew the visitors level, but Buendia made sure of the three points in stoppage time.
The result means that the Midlands outfit now sit third in the Premier League, just three points adrift of Arsenal at the top of the table.
Matty Cash deserves credit for Arsenal moment
Cash has been one of the best attacking full-backs in the Premier League since his move to Aston Villa, and the Polish international proved his class once again over the weekend.
With the score still at 0-0 against Arsenal, the 28-year-old got on the end of Pau Torres’ deflected cross and smashed the ball past David Raya.
After his goal and overall display for Aston Villa, it is no surprise that Cash made it into Troy Deeney’s team of the week.
Writing for BBC Sport, Deeney highlighted the full-back’s defensive abilities and begrudgingly gave him credit for a superb performance.
Speaking about Cash, he said: “Wonderful goal as Aston Villa beat Arsenal and great defending.
“As a Birmingham fan, it pains me to give him credit, but he was great and Aston Villa were fantastic.”
Matty Cash was immense vs Arsenal
Cash has been an ever-present in Emery’s side since the start of the campaign, and is one of only three players to have started every single Premier League game for Aston Villa, along with Morgan Rogers and John McGinn.
Of course, the full-back’s goal against Arsenal will grab all the headlines, but his all-around performance was immense.
With a key pass and four clearances, it is clear that he was sensational in both boxes, which is the minimum needed if you want to beat the Gunners right now.
| Stats | Matty Cash vs Arsenal |
| Goals | 1 |
| Key Passes | 1 |
| Passing Accuray | 28/32 (88%) |
| Clearances | 4 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 2/2 (100%) |
| Tackles Won | 1/1 (100%) |
Across the 90 minutes, Cash completed 88 per cent of his passes, as well as winning both his aerial duels.
The former Nottingham Forest man also made four clearances and a tackle, helping Villa out defensively as well as going forward.
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