In a week when Arsene Wenger's men had lost two games that they could and should have won with plenty to spare, nothing less than a victory would have done against a Villa side whose current plight was highlighted by the presence of a 37-year-old Robert Pires making his return to the Premier League against his former employer.
It was always asking a little too much of the former great to spark into life straight away and so it proved as Pires looked a long way off the pace of this league before he was substituted by Villa boss Gerard Houllier at half-time.
By then, Arsenal had already established what they now consider to be a perilous 2-0 advantage, with their doubts implanted after Tottenham responded to a similarly grim position to secure a famous 3-2 win at Emirates Stadium last weekend.
In truth, Arsenal could have been five or six goals ahead by half-time in this game as the brilliantly taken goals from Andrei Arshavin and Samir Nasri were nearly complemented by efforts from Marouane Chamakh and Tomas Rosicky, with the gulf in class between the two sides somewhat alarming from a Villa perspective.
You don't have to dip back too long into the memory banks to recall the days when Villa were competing in cup finals and winning at venues as illustrious as Old Trafford and Arsenal's Emirates Stadium, yet the Holt End fans who were frustrated by the progress made during the Martin O'Neill era must now be pining for such glories.
Even though Villa are troubled by injury woes, Houllier's 4-5-1 formation was the more negative version of the formation and it left John Carew isolated up front while his ten team-mates did little more than defend for their lives.
Inviting Arsenal to attack them at will, it was only a matter of time before the Villa defence was breached and, while it took Arsenal 39 minutes to make their dominance pay, the two-goal buffer they had at the break meant Villa's hopes in this game should have been forlorn.
However, if the first half exposed the gaping holes in Villa's game-plan right now, the second period was an example of why Arsenal are unlikely to challenge for anything other than the honour of being the side who complete the most passes over the course of a Premier League season.
Most top teams would consider a two-goal lead after almost 45 minutes of total dominance to be a decent platform to push for a victory, yet the Arsenal alarm bells started chiming all over again when Ciaran Clark blasted a fine response for Villa six minutes into the second half.
Houllier's decision to replace the ineffective Pires with striker Nathan Delfouneso gave Villa more of an attacking threat and the rising noise levels around Villa Park confirmed that the home fans sensed Arsenal's mental fragility may see them crack for a second week running.
That optimism should have been shattered when Chamakh restored Arsenal's two-goal advantage after 56 minutes, but it seems as if no game is ever won for Wenger's side and the old tensions returned as Clark pulled Villa close again after some typically shoddy defending from the visitors.
With Richard Dunne re-employed as an emergency centre-forward for the final ten minutes, Arsenal's nerves were jangling until Jack Wilshere scored their fourth in injury time. "To lose a 2-0 lead once again would have been very damaging, so hopefully we have put it behind us now," a relieved Wenger said.
"Unfortunately, we had a little of the syndrome in our minds that we were vulnerable after scoring twice in this game and it stems back to the Tottenham game. Thankfully, we found the resources to keep scoring goals, so the result was positive this time and this win shows that we are not doing too much wrong at Arsenal this season."
Houllier offered little defence of his side's lamentable first-half offering as he tried to find some solace in their response after the break. "They were a bit scared at 3-2, but the overall picture has to be that Arsenal are better than us," he said.
"Being hit by so many absentees made this a tough day for us and this seems to be the way week after week at the moment. People ask me about signings in January, but I'm more interested in trying to get back some of the important players who are not available for us at the moment. That's my priority."
Even though a handful of Arsenal fans were chanting Wenger's name during the second half, it was hardly a unanimous vote of confidence in a manager and a team who had made what could have been a comprehensive victory more complicated than it needed to be.
"We always let our opponents score to easily and that makes things too difficult for us," goal-scorer Arshavin said after the game, and it was hard to argue with the Russian. His honesty may be just what Arsenal need to hear at a time when their manager seems content to hide behind his side's lofty position in the league table.
The declining standards in this season's Premier League may well offer this unconvincing Arsenal side a chance to challenge for the title, but you cannot help but feel another shock defeat is just around the corner for them.
Brilliant and frustrating in equal measure, the time will tell whether the critics of this team or their belligerent manager have accurately summed up Arsenal's latest title challenge.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Samir Nasri
His goal was a touch of real class and his link-up play was also impressive. In what has been an inconsistent season for Arsenal, this Frenchman has maintained a high level week after week.
PIRES WATCH
It was hardly surprising that this Arsenal legend looked off the pace on his return to the Premier League and the jury is out over whether he can still cut it at the highest level at the age of 37. He only lasted 45 minutes of this game and though he rolled back the years with one pacy, penetrative run, it was his only contribution of note.
ASTON VILLA VERDICT
Houllier is quick to point out that his side are depleted by injuries, but the negative tactical plan he put in place for the first half was doomed to failure. He should start with two strikers in home games, with the introduction of Delfouneso so nearly reviving Villa.
ARSENAL VERDICT
Maybe it's impossible to play the open, inventive football Wenger promotes and still have a solidity that is the hallmark of a championship-winning side, but Arsenal only appear to have one of the qualities required to clinch a title right now. Brilliant going forward, Arsenal look desperately exposed when pressure is applied at the other end.
Source: Kevin Palmer, ESPN Soccernet on 27 Nov 10
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