Flair wins as Villa go second.

GRAHAM Taylor has been eager to play down his side's championship aspirations. He may not be able to do so for much longer. Aston Villa yesterday defeating Arsenal in a tense. absorbing match to leap over them into second place.

They have now won ten out of their last 13 league matches, and drawn at Anfield, which is a championship form. Yesterday the game had a tasteless ending, Arsenal players surrounding the linesmen to protest at Derek Mountfield's strike for Villa's second and, as it proved, decisive goal. Theo Foley. the Arsenal assistant manager, went onto the field to get his players away but then apparently added his own contribution to the 'discussion'.

If Arsenal were miffed it was understandable. They had dominated large parts of the second half, and an equaliser had looked far more likely than a second Villa goal. As it was, the late goal by Adams came too late to do more than give the scoreline a representative look.

The excellence of the Villa defence with Paul McGrath, Kent Nielsen and Mountfield all outstanding yesterday. and fine contributions in midfield from the new England hopeful David Platt, scorer of a splendid first goal, and the veteran Gordon Cowans, there is clearly something to build on.

If Taylor can turn his side into real challengers it will be good for the competitiveness in the first division, and for Midlands football. On the first 45 minutes indeed it was hard not to conclude that anything which removed Arsenal from the race was a blow for football.

Wimbledon have been justly criticised for the confrontational nature of their game. but the difference between Wimbledon and Arsenal is minimal on the London club's first half showing yesterday.

Both punt the ball forward rather than pass it and both put such physical pressure on all over the field that while playing little football themselves they also make it impossible for the opposition to do so.

Arsenal's approach was made even more basic yesterday by George Graham's decision to bring back Steve Bould for his first game since pre-season. Bould. a big centre half, replaced the England midfield player David Rocastle, as Arsenal reverted to the system of three centre-halves which may have seen them safely over the tough final hurdles in last year's championship but did nothing for their contribution to flowing football.

For that we have to rely on Villa, and once they had resisted Arsenal's fierce aggression they answered the call, Cowans, Platt, Tony Daley and the lanky lan Ormondroyd illuminating the battle with some flashes of pure football.

But although Platt and Cowans somehow found the time in space to make some telling passes, for a long time it looked as if Villa would not turn their territorial supremacy to account.

Lukic beat out a fierce strike and hacked away a curling free kick by Cowans and after Villa's best move of the early period Daley saw his header fly a fraction too high.

But it looked as if Arsenal would reach the interval in safety, Villa grabbed the lead with a fine goal. Ormondroyd, not for the first time, won an aerial battle to head the ball back to Platt, who swerved through two defenders and left Lukic helpless.

A goal behind. Arsenal were then forced to try and play, and for much of the second half they did so effectively that one wondered why they hadn't tried it earlier. Richardson was everywhere. the fullbacks began to pass the ball rather than keeping it, and it looked as if an equaliser was only a matter of time.

But after Spink had saved brilliantly from Merson, Villa counter-attacked and caught Arsenal on the break, Platt forcing a corner but his shot was blocked. The corner was half cleared to Bailey who returned it instantly for Mountfield, all alone 12 yards out, to fire a looping header beyond Lukic as Arsenal looked in vain for an offside flag.

They might have swallowed their anger at that, but Adams’ late header from Richardson's corner suddenly made that second goal a decisive one and they surrounded the linesmen furiously at the close.

Possibly they should instead direct their energy into finding out why they haven't played well until going behind.