Arsenal defeated Aston Villa on the road with a fantastic, hard-fought victory. Injury problems caused the game to start slowly, but Arsenal seemed to be in control and had a chance to take the lead when Bukayo Saka’s effort forced an incredible save from Emi Martinez.
Leon Bailey then had a chance to put Villa ahead when he beat Gabriel in front of goal, allowing Morgan Rogers to set up Ollie Watkins for a tap-in. Still, the England striker missed the mark by a whisker. Following that, Villa had a slight advantage as the two teams traded half-chances, leaving the score evenly balanced at the half.
Soon after the restart, Amadou Onana’s deflected shot appeared certain to score for Villa as it struck the bar and fell directly into Watkins’ path. But David Raya appeared out of nowhere to keep the score at 0-0.
Villa appeared to be in control the entire time, but Leandro Trossard’s weak shot gave Arsenal the advantage. Then, with a strong shot from the edge of the box that slipped through Emi Martinez’s gloves, Thomas Partey gave the Gunners a two goal lead. This is football.london’s rating of the Arsenal players involved in the match.
David Raya: An incredible block to stop Watkins’ header. Amazing reactions at such a close distance. Excellent aside from that in terms of his placement and dispersal. Arsenal has a world-class goalkeeper in goal! 9.
Ben White: As Villa extended the game, he did occasionally find himself out of position. But in one-on-one fights, he was generally respectable. 6.
William Saliba: During the first half, John McGinn’s physical approach clearly agitated him. While it did appear to have a slight impact on his performance, Watkins’ runs down the channel were mostly handled well by him. Great recovering tackle to halt Ramsey in the final moments. 7.
Gabriel: Watkins ought to have penalized him for his poor first-half possession loss. but made a full recovery and showed leadership, especially after Arsenal took the lead. 6.
Jurrien Timber: When Arsenal had the ball, he inverted straight into the center circle. kept Bailey silent most of the time, but his one-on-one defense was usually strong. 7.
Thomas Partey: He never stops making bold moves from the outside in, and this one worked! Although he wasn’t always at his best in the middle, he made a significant contribution to a big victory. 7.
Martin Odegaard: Saka’s through pass to him was crucial in setting up the first goal. Late on, we should have added a third after a good opportunity went over the crossbar. 7.
Declan Rice: Engaged in a fantastic midfield duel with Jurrien Timber and Amadou Onana. Although he wasn’t always the best at blocking the backline, he still managed to get forward with some success. 7.
Bukayo Saka: His lung-busting run was a major contributor to the first goal. then gave the second’s assistance. Once more, not the most powerful, but vital in the pivotal moments. 8.
Kai Havertz: With an outstretched foot, he provided the crucial assist for the first goal. Even so, there had been moments when his pass selection had been a little off. 7.
Gabriel Martinelli: When he is forced to land on his left foot, his final product still disappoints. On occasion, I kept it on the counter for too long. Despite this, his gait and running into empty space are still positive. 6.
SUBSTITUTES –
Leandro Trossard: Made a beautiful finish with his first touch to score from a ball that was right behind him. then contributed to the second goal with his low cross. won a match that Arsenal was expected to lose. What constitutes a super sub. 8.
Riccardo Calafiori: A respectable left-wing debut in the Premier League. won a fight with Martinez that will have already won him over to the Arsenal supporters, winning over the home crowd. 7.
Reiss Nelson: Too late to receive a rating. n/a.
