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Two games is no measure of a team’s title chances, but the early psychological signs are favourable for Arsenal. They ended the Aston Villa disaster with a result the Gunners of a few years ago could never have hoped for.

Under a manager desperate to beat the only club he had yet to excel at, Villa had the chance to make it three straight wins over the Gunners and inflict further damage on a title contender, as one defeat could mean the difference between a first league title in 20 years and further frustration.

Yet, having weathered the massive Villainous storm, goals from Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey had everyone in the Villa Park away end waving their arms on Saturday, a supreme statement of intent and an end to a recent damaging curse.

Villa effectively cost Arsenal the title last season. This incarnation of Manchester City leaves little room for error, with April’s defeat at home to Villa at the Emirates the difference between a first league title in two decades and another year of injuries.

The Gunners, however, are only there mentally. Arsenal had won 17 of their 19 games this calendar year prior to Saturday’s clash; in Football League history, the most wins by a team in their first 20 games in a season is 18, won by Liverpool in 1982 and Man City in both 2019 and 2021.

On foreign soil, they have had a near-perfect run in 2024, winning eight of their nine away Premier League games so far. They have scored 28 goals, conceded three and kept seven clean sheets ahead of their trip to the Midlands.

They looked as relentless on the road as Elvis after a blistering start at Villa Park, but Bukayo Saka was denied by a superb save from Emiliano Martinez, who celebrated the stoppage against his former employers with his usual enthusiasm.

Villa are the Gunners’ recent bogey team for good reason, however, and they quickly found themselves in the game. The hosts should have taken the lead in the 24th minute, but England’s last-gasp hero Ollie Watkins somehow missed the target and the goal was at his mercy.

Morgan Rogers, playing in a free role alongside Watkins, caused Arsenal all sorts of problems, fending off challenges like Jonah Lomu against bewildered Pacific Islanders, but lacking a great end product.

Watkins’ radar was off course early in the second half as he headed too close to David Raya when he was the first to react to an Amadou Onana effort that came off the crossbar. The Holte End rose as one, convinced the net was about to expand, but Raya’s reflexes held them back.

The chances kept coming for Villa, with Ezri Konsa firing just wide of the post. Villa’s moment was over.

Every team that wins the title needs something to change the game from the bench – where would Manchester United be without Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – and Arsenal once again found their saving grace in Trossard. Six of the Belgium international’s 14 Premier League goals for Arsenal have come as substitutes, the highest percentage of any player to score 10 or more goals for the club in the competition.

Partey’s second goal was less convincing, with a desperation dive from Martinez ten minutes later to seal the win, but it was no less crucial.

The celebrations began at Arsenal’s away game. Even this early in the season, the style of victory was reminiscent of the title winners of yesteryear. Villa will feel shortchanged, but Arsenal’s resilience in the face of adversity is admirable. They will keep going, it’s just a question of whether Manchester City can stay with them.