Premier League talking points: Arsenal remain corner kings as Aston Villa fade away

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]City[/a] edged [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Leeds 1-0 on Saturday[/a] to pile pressure upon the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/arsenal/hA1Zm19f/"]Gunners[/a], who responded [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/arsenal-hA1Zm19f/chelsea-4fGZN2oK/summary/stats/?mid=CE2gREmB"]to beat Chelsea 2-1[/a] thanks to their prowess from set-pieces.[/p][p]In the battle for a place in next season's Champions League, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/aston-villa/W00wmLO0/"]Aston Villa[/a] suffered a damaging defeat to bottom-of-the-table [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/wolves/j3Azpf5d/"]Wolves[/a] as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-united/ppjDR086/"]Manchester United[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/liverpool/lId4TMwf/"]Liverpool[/a] gained momentum.[/p][p][i]AFP Sport [/i]looks at three talking points from the Premier League weekend:[/p][h2]Corner kings Arsenal[/h2][p]Goals from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/saliba-william/EgIM3sB7/"]William Saliba[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/timber-jurrien/hSaoLOM4/"]Jurrien Timber[/a] took Arsenal's tally for the season from corners alone in the Premier League to 16 - equalling the competition's record for a single campaign.[/p][p][b]"The first goal is top. Arsenal are probably the best team in the world at them,"[/b] said Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.[/p][p]Set-piece goals fuelled the Gunners' early charge towards a first league title in 22 years, and Mikel Arteta welcomed the return of that route to goal after a few dry weeks.[/p][embed guid="2512f23a-4411-4d86-ada1-d9654efbd47f" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2028175924483543197" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"We have lost points to long throws lately, and we haven't scored from many set-pieces. Today we did it. To have these options is great,"[/b] said the Spaniard.[/p][p]The attritional nature of much of Arsenal's success has led to criticism.[/p][p]Arteta's men may not fit the aesthetically pleasing mould of Arsene Wenger's title winners around the turn of the century.[/p][image alt="Standings" id="15733196-d575-43e4-a489-53adac3d6e97" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="bcb52eb5-8c76-485b-88e9-2b026fc6713e" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]But they have answered questions over their ability to handle the pressure of a title race in recent weeks after a wobble in draws at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brentford/xYe7DwID/"]Brentford[/a] and Wolves.[/p][p][b]City still have a game in hand and home advantage when the sides meet next month.[/b][/p][p]But that is Arsenal's only remaining fixture against a side in the top six as their path to glory opens up.[/p][h2]Semenyo's immediate impact[/h2][p]City's investment in [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/semenyo-antoine/r1Gz1yPk/"]Antoine Semenyo[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/guehi-marc/KEeklutO/"]Marc Guehi[/a] has provided an immediate return to haul Pep Guardiola's men back into the title race.[/p][p]After failing to win any of their first four league games of the year, they have now put four victories together to have Arsenal fearing that history could repeat itself.[/p][p]City pipped the Gunners to the title in 2022/23 and 2023/24 and famously won their last 14 games to overhaul Liverpool in 2018/19.[/p][embed guid="958f5cca-cfb6-402d-99f4-f0c6c76e57f1" url="https://x.com/ManCity/status/2027813323509542975" social-type="twitter" /][p]Semenyo's sixth goal in 11 appearances since joining from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bournemouth/OtpNdwrc/"]Bournemouth[/a] inflicted a rare defeat on Leeds under the lights at Elland Road.[/p][p][b]"It's the attention to detail, everyone's focused. It's not lacking. When you do that in training, it follows into games and everyone just wants to win,"[/b] said the Ghana international on the step up to life at City.[/p][p][b]"Everyone's just major-focused, and that shift in mentality is so crazy. Little things and making sure you're in tip-top shape."[/b][/p][p]Guehi has made an equally impressive start at the other end of the field to bring some stability to a defence that had been rocked by injuries.[/p][h2]Villa run out of steam[/h2][p]Villa are at risk of being overwhelmed by giants of the English game with far deeper resources in the fight for a place in the Champions League.[/p][p]Unai Emery's injury-ravaged side have won just one in six games in all competitions to tumble from title contenders down to fourth.[/p][embed guid="25068fce-ce74-423a-bfc9-9a8af35ead0e" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2027503847388680473" social-type="twitter" /][p]They hit a new low on Friday as Wolves secured just their second league win of the season to avoid a record low Premier League points tally.[/p][p][b]Manchester United's 2-1 win over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/crystal-palace/AovF1Mia/"]Crystal Palace[/a] lifted them into third, and Liverpool have also closed to within three points.[/b][/p][p]But Villa have a huge opportunity when Chelsea visit on Wednesday.[/p][embed guid="5479b52d-3313-41b9-b1ff-9fbd37ef39ac" url="https://x.com/Flashscorecom/status/2027516115362992598" social-type="twitter" /][p]The top five are almost certain to qualify for the Champions League thanks to the strong showing of English sides in Europe this season.[/p][p]Victory over the Blues would stretch Villa's advantage over Chelsea to nine points with nine games to go.[/p][p]"It's getting balance,"[b] [/b]said Emery. [b]"We are doing a great season, and this is the moment I want to tell our supporters, now we need the supporters. We need their energy."[/b][/p][h2][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/england/premier-league/"]Follow the Premier League with Flashscore.[/a][/h2]