2008-03-03 : Arsenal v Aston Villa

Dear Supporter,

You could see in the first half against Aston Villa that we definitely had a bit of a hangover from the events of the Birmingham game.

We needed to dig deep to find the pace of the game and in the second half we were a little bit better, although we still lacked our usual spark. The reason we got a point was our desire and our refusal to accept defeat.

I must say that I was impressed by Aston Villa. Until the last minute they didn't give us any space or time on the ball. They are a team who are very difficult to beat. Villa defended well and were sharp on the break. They have very robust players they exposed our defenders to a physical challenge but in a fair way.

Villa are a dangerous side - they take advantage of every mistake and they are a real handful up front.

With that in mind I believe the point we gained right at the end will have a big impact on the Premier League. Staying top of the table helps so that point could have vital importance.

For many observers we will not be favourites for the title now and Manchester United will be. But we must remember that we have lost just once in the Premier League all season and I am confident we will bounce back. The momentum is with United but, for me, Arsenal are favourites.

Emmanuel Adebayor has not scored for a few games but that doesn't worry me. We want to be successful and it is important the goalscoring responsibility is shared by all the players. On Saturday it was Nicklas Bendtner who scored from Adebayor's header.

We leave for Milan on Monday for the second leg of our Champions League tie. Robin van Persie might be in the squad. However, if he is in the squad, he probably will not start. At the moment we need to get our injured players back. Tomas Rosicky and Van Persie have been out injured and in the context of Saturday's game it would be good to have them available.

Thanks for your support.