Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta insisted he won't be viewing his team's crucial third goal at Villa Park as an Emi Martinez own goal after his team struck late to revitalise their title bid.
The Gunners left it very late to win at Villa Park and breathe new life into their title challenge. The hosts, with former Arsenal boss Unai Emery in the dugout, led 2-1 at half-time as Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho struck either side of a Bukayo Saka effort.
Oleksandr Zinchenko levelled for a second time with his first-ever Arsenal goal, but it wasn't until time added on that the points went the way of the visitors. Martinez scored an unfortunate own goal against his former club, with the ball deflecting in off his head after Jorginho's shot hit the woodwork, but Arteta insisted the goal belonged to the Italy midfielder.
"Jorginho produced an incredible moment," Arteta told BBC Sport. When the interviewer pointed out that it will go down as an own goal from the Argentina goalkeeper, the visiting manager laughed before making his stance clear.
"Not for us," he said. "For us, it will be Jorginho's goal."
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While Arsenal might have some trouble convincing the Premier League's dubious goals panel to give the goal to the former Chelsea man, one player who unquestionably opened his Gunners account was Zinchenko. The Ukraine international drilled in a low effort to make it 2-2 just after the hour mark to not only score his first Arsenal goal but his first-ever goal in the Premier League.
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Mikel Arteta insisted Arsenal's third goal belonged to Jorginho (Getty Images)"It took him too long," Arteta told BT Sport when discussing Zinchenko breaking his duck. "He's been practising on that and I'm so happy for him because obviously he had a difficult action with the first goal when he gave the ball away but he reacted really well."
Jorginho, meanwhile, has been thrust into first-team action more quickly and more significantly than he might have anticipated. The former Napoli star joined from Chelsea on transfer deadline day and has started Arsenal's last two matches after Thomas Partey suffered an injury.
"In the second half, I think we outplayed them, I think we created chances, we dominated the game, but we needed a magic moment and Jorginho produced it," Arsenal's manager said. "He's got many many qualities but perhaps that is not his biggest strength."
The three points sent Arsenal back to the top of the Premier League ahead of Manchester City's trip to Nottingham Forest and represented a first win in four for the London side. Next up for Arteta's men is a trip to Leicester, followed by their game in hand on their title rivals at home to Everton.
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