It's not every day that this version of Arsenal lose. In fact, Saturday's late 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa was just their second defeat of the 2025-26 season, following on from August's 1-0 loss at Liverpool, a result which hasn't aged well at all in glorious hindsight. There's still, however, a feeling that the Gunners are under increasing pressure to deliver this season more than any before under Mikel Arteta.The Premier League title favourites heading into this campaign were the reigning-champion Reds, who spent over £400 million ($533m) on new signings such as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz over the summer. Arsenal splashed the cash as well to the tune of a cool £250m, though this was largely on squad reinforcements rather than flash new starters.But as we exited the autumn and entered winter, it was clear that Arteta's men are the best team in England. If not the most complete side, they are the most reliable. What helped was the lack of a serious challenger coming up the rear.That picture has changed again, however. After this latest setback, Arsenal sit only two points clear of Manchester City in the table, and three ahead of Saturday's conquerors Villa. It gives the impression that there is a title race to be had, and though the Gunners are still in line for to finish first, they cannot afford to be dragged back into a battle when it's seemed for weeks as though there wasn't one on the horizon.Arsenal's 4-1 demolition of north London rivals Tottenham on November 23 propelled their season to new heights. Summer signing Eberechi Eze, who was acquired from under Spurs' noses at the eleventh hour, bagged a hat-trick to send his new side six points clear of second-placed Chelsea, with their next Premier League fixture coming at Stamford Bridge. A 3-1 win against Bayern Munich in the Champions League effectively confirmed Arsenal's status as the best team in Europe at the moment, too.The energy exerted into those outings, however, almost certainly took a toll on their next three performances, starting against Enzo Maresca's Blues. Chelsea dominated the opening proceedings in west London, in similar fashion to how they eventually tore apart Barcelona earlier that week, before Moises Caicedo's red card threatened to turn the tide. However, Trevoh Chalobah headed the hosts into an arguably deserved lead after the break, with Mikel Merino coming to the Gunners' rescue to salvage a point. Arsenal registered eight shots to Chelsea's 11 despite that one-man advantage for a sizeable chunk of the contest.Arteta's men returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory at home to Brentford the following Wednesday, but they were made to work every inch for those three points by Keith Andrews' dogged side. The week culminated with conceding in the fourth minute of added time at Villa Park, bringing an end to Arsenal's 18-match unbeaten run across all competitions, and was the second time in their last three away games they had been breached with so little left on the clock, following on from November's 2-2 draw at Sunderland.Prior to the Villa defeat, Jamie Carragher wrote an article for the Daily Telegraph in which he claimed there is a "danger Arsenal want it too much". He praised Arteta for building a team "ready" to finally win the title, but stressed he needs to improve in the "emotional management" department if they were to end their 22-year wait to become kings of England again."There was a feeling in the past couple of years that the Arsenal players, coaching staff and fanbase has a habit of using too much emotional energy too soon," Carragher wrote. "Too often it feels like the title run-in starts from August, every setback received in the context that anything less than 90 points could be fatal to title hopes."When big wins have come, there have been ecstatic scenes involving senior players which have been more in common with sides sealing title-defining victories. All of them proved premature. It was never a case of being the 'celebration police' to wag a finger at people savouring the moment. Supporters should embrace every three points as the most important yet. However, players and staff need to remain composed and move on to the next game."The alternative might drain energy too soon - something Arsenal have been accused of over the last three years. They just need to keep doing their stuff, not getting too high after a win or too down after a setback. This should be their time."Had Carragher penned this piece after Arsenal's trip to Villa Park, he would have almost certainly referenced their players' reaction to Emiliano Buendia's winner with the final kick of the game. A sea of bodies in their white-and-maroon third kit collapsed to the floor in disbelief and despair, while David Raya crawled across his six-yard box like a stropping toddler. It might mean nothing come May, but if Arsenal end another season without silverware, this is a moment that will be come under the microscope as a sign of when their mental state began to unravel.For the second season running, Arsenal are having to deal with a barrage of injuries. It's always difficult to know where the finger of blame should be pointed with such situations, though doomsayers will always level it at management and coaching staff for any supposed lack of rotation. It could still just be bad luck.Regardless, the north Londoners have built a squad built to withstand such a crisis far better than they did in 2024-25, during which they tailed off considerably and ended up tallying only 74 points. The difference this time around is they have been hit hardest in their most important position.First-choice centre-backs Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba have sat out recent games and are unlikely to play alongside one another again until January, while new deputy Cristhian Mosquera has now been ruled out for over a month with an ankle issue. This saw Arteta turn to right-back Jurrien Timber and left-back Piero Hincapie as his partnership in central defence at Villa. Unsurprisingly, it proved an erratic combination that provided nowhere near the same protection as his preferred duo.The rotating cast of minor injuries from week to week has upset the balance a little over the last few games. The compliment to Arsenal is they have had enough quality to stave off defeat for so long.Beyond the headline names on the treatment table, Kai Havertz has missed pretty much the entire season so far with a knee problem, while Viktor Gyokeres and Noni Madueke have only recently returned to full fitness. They barely missed a beat when Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were ruled out for several weeks apiece, and Arteta hasn't yet had the chance to use this deep squad with everyone available. In that sense, the best may still be to come from a team who went three whole months unbeaten.If, as Carragher warned, Arsenal are able to regroup mentally and keep themselves fresh in that aspect, then they will be primed to stack together another lengthy run of wins when they welcome back their injured stars.Speaking after the Villa loss, an optimistic Arteta said: "Everything that they [the squad] have put in the last two weeks and the results that we got, the performances and to lose it that way emotionally is very touching. You just feel that everything that you put in, it hasn't been worth it. But it is worth it, because we will learn again from today and it will make us a better team again."It's five months into the competition and so far we've coped. But we're going to have to prove that we can cope again and again and again for another six months, that's the level. If think we are going to be in this moment with 10 points clear, I think we're living in a different world."Villa have found their feet again having started 2025-26 in horrendous form. They opened their Premier League campaign with a run of five winless matches, scoring once in that time. Since then, they've won nine out of 10 and climbed to third in the table, now sitting three points adrift of Arsenal.When asked if he thinks Unai Emery's men are in the title race on Saturday, Arteta replied: "They are. When you look at where they are, the way they play, they have beaten some big teams, especially at home. Everybody is going to have to play everybody, so at the moment they are where they are and we are there as well."City, meanwhile came within a superb Gabriel Martinelli lob from beating Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in September, and appear to have got their act together after some shaky performances. Having relied heavily on the scoring exploits of Erling Haaland through the opening weeks of the season, others such as Phil Foden, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki have started to pull their weight. Like the Gunners, they too are waiting on the injury comeback of a crucial player in the form of 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri.City's game this weekend came off the back of Arsenal's defeat, and Josko Gvardiol told reporters after his side's victory against Sunderland that they are still yet to hit top gear."I remember in my first season we were on the top and fighting for the Premier League and you go Fulham away, all the games, you need to win. If you lose or drop points that's it," the Croat said. "First of all they have a good team. It's not just them, it's Aston Villa, Chelsea is good. Sunderland two weeks ago were there at the top. It won't be easy and the season is long. "We're not even at the halfway stage. Still a lot of games to play. Two points behind so we are getting closer. We need to build it up like we have for the last two or three months. We will see at the end. Every game is important and we need to win every game. It's a big three points and now focus on Wednesday [against Real Madrid]."Arsenal's attention switches back to the Champions League on Wednesday with a trip to Club Brugge, while they return to Premier League action this weekend against rock-bottom Wolves. This presents Arteta with the perfect opportunity to rest and rotate some of his players who are in the theoretical red zone, or he risks the wrath of further unfounded claims of mismanaging the fitness of his squad.On paper, the Gunners have a perfect opportunity to silence their recent critics and build some momentum again, but failure to do so will only leave the door ajar for more comments such as Carragher's. It's going to be a mental test as much as a physical one.Speaking on his podcast, Gary Neville insisted that Arsenal have put a 'tough' period in the rear-view mirror and ought to find their rhythm again: "That [Villa away] is a game you can lose. I wouldn't be panicking at all if I was Arsenal off the back of that. You're going to lose a game or two, you just are, and you're going to win a lot of games. They could sit there and think that Manchester City are a couple of points off them, but they've had a tough week, Arsenal. You could argue it's been Arsenal's toughest week of the season [facing Chelsea away, Brentford home, Villa away]."They'll realise that Manchester City have got those types of weeks coming at points in the season as well. I don't think it's a time to panic, but they're certainly going to feel that breath on the neck of Manchester City and Pep Guardiola and I think City will think, 'If we can stay this close until April, May, let's see what they're made of'. That's what Manchester City have to do, they have to hang in there and sit on their shoulder and see what they're about and see what they're made of and see what they're like in a real title race again."Christmas is an important period. There's loads of points to play for. Massive month, December, with more Premier League games than ordinarily in any other month. City should be encouraged, but I still think that Arsenal are favourites - but not as much as I did maybe a week or so ago!"Arsenal's fate remains in their own hands. It's already a matter of managing that expectation and finally delivering. They can't begin to entertain the notion this season will end in heartache again.