Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa: Gunners Claim Narrow Victory on the Road

It certainly got chippy by the end, especially after former Aston Villa man Ezri Konsa took the pitch at Villa Park in an Arsenal jersey, but the Gunners and their dazzling summer signings walked off with a narrow 1–0 victory over the Villans on Monday night to extend their undefeated streak in the new 2026–27 campaign.

Arsenal dominated the run of play, eager to capitalize on a Villa side down on its luck after last week’s 4–0 thrashing by Bright and Hove Albion. Nevertheless, the hosts kept the reigning league champions at bay, forcing them back toward the midway line and largely closing down the channels through the middle.

Bukayo Saka finally broke through just before the hour mark, the finishing piece to a stellar four-pass sequence that started with Eberechi Eze and also found the feet of Martin Ødegaard and Riccardo Calafiori.

Mikel Arteta will be happy with a win in his 250th-career Premier League match as well as the ability to trial his new signings, Konsa and Bruno Guimarães, both of whom made their league debuts on Monday and cost Arsenal a combined $170 million (£125 million).

One Thing We Can’t Ignore

both players talk before a free kick. — Martin Ødegaard (left) and Declan Rice struggled to generate anything in the first half. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

In the previous two games—a 3–0 win over Manchester City in the FA Community Shield and another 3–0 win over newly-promoted Coventry City in the league opener—Arsenal scored four of their six total goals in the opening half, all before the 30 minute mark. The other two, both Martin Ødegaard finishes, came in the 48th and 49th minutes respectively. In both affairs, they had made an emphatic statement before the match had even reached the hour mark.

The Gunners opened their 2026–27 account on a high precisely by dominating matches early, something Unai Emery’s side refused to let them do, perhaps motivated by the demons of last week’s thumping.

The visitors struggled to generate any real threats in the first half. Despite dominating possession with 66%, Arsenal took just four shots—one more than Villa—and none on target. Villa kept the Gunners’ possession concentrated in the center of the pitch, allowing them only the flanks as outlets. They then outmuscled Christos Tzolis or double-teamed Bukayo Saka before the wingers could penetrate the box or create any real danger. Arsenal had just 38% and 19% accuracy on long balls and crosses, respectively.

For as much as Villa halted their advances, Arsenal didn’t make their own lives easier. They failed to be threatening on set pieces, whether it was Declan Rice’s lackluster corner kick delivery from the left side or the players not doing much besides crowding the box. The Gunners allowed seven free kicks and three corner kicks to go completely to waste.

By the 56th minute, Arsenal had gone 36 minutes since last attempting a shot. They finally broke through just at the stroke of the hour, energized by a denied penalty kick for Bukayo Saka just minutes before. A calculated sequence of passes found Riccardo Calafiori at the goal-line, who slide to make a pass across the goal mouth to Saka, who then buried the shot.

The Gunners may have broken through, but they will do better to generate their own momentum—and way sooner—rather than waiting for VAR to make a controversial decision that lights a fire.

Arsenal Player Ratings vs. Aston Villa (4-2-3-1)

odegaard dribbling — Martin Ødegaard consistently breaks lines. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

*Ratings provided by FotMob*

GK: David Raya—7.1: The Spaniard has yet to be truly tested this season.

RB: Ben White—7.7: Got outgunned on the flank by 19-year-old speedster George Hemmings, who reached a top speed of 19.8 miles per hour. Consequently dropped lower in one-on-one instances, allowing Hemmings space to shoot.

CB: Cristhian Mosquera—6.6: The young Spanish defender likewise struggled to handle the pace of Hemmings on the counterattack. Went off injured in the final 10 minutes.

CB: Gabriel—7.5: Solid performance for the Brazilian, who had a 92% pass accuracy. Got burned at the midway line in the 42nd minute though, granting Aston Villa their first real opportunity of the game.

LB: Riccardo Calafiori—7.9: Starting to form a harmonious partnership with Tzolis that is only bound to get stronger. His inside vertical runs helped break down Villa’s lines, and his assist to Saka was pure art.

CM: Declan Rice—7.6: Struggled on his corner kick deliveries, but solid in the run of play.

CM: Myles Lewis-Skelly—6.9: Outmuscled early in the match, but broke lines well and ended with five defensive contributions.

RW: Bukayo Saka—8.4: Saavy on the ball, but rather limited when double-teamed by Hemmings and Ian Maatsen. Struggled to get meaningful crosses off.

AM: Martin Ødegaard—7.0: His dynamic movements throughout the center of the park opened some space for Rice and Lewis-Skelly to operate, even if it was too far away from the final third. His continual quick half-turns on the ball were stunning and nearly granted Havertz an opportunity in the 15th minute.

LW: Christos Tzolis—6.5: The workhouse had a tough night, unable to muscle past fullback Matty Cash. Came off at halftime after he picked up a yellow card.

ST: Kai Havertz—6.7: Proving to be the starting striker ahead of Viktor Gyökeres. Struggled to maintain his line, called offside twice in the first half.

SUB: Eberechi Eze (46’ for Tzolis)—6.4: Started the passage of play that resulted in Saka’s 59th minute goal.

SUB: Bruno Guimarães (71’ for Lewis-Skelly)—6.1: The $101 million signing made his league debut after a brief groin injury setback. Had a big defensive tackle in stoppage time that commanded a large reaction from the crowd.

SUB: Mikel Merino (71’ for Ødegaard)—6.9: Solid outing for the Spaniard, who had 100% passing accuracy.

SUB: Ezri Konsa (76’ for Mosquera)—6.1: Came on for an injured Mosquera. The former Aston Villa man, who Arsenal acquired for $69.4 million, was welcomed back to Villa Park with a chorus of boos every time he touched the ball.

SUB: Martín Zubimendi (85’ for Rice)—N/A:

Subs not used: Kepa Arrizabalaga (GK), Viktor Gyökeres, Piero Hincapié, Noni Madueke

What the Ratings Tell Us

referee and tzolis — Christos Tzolis was flashed a yellow card in the first half. | Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC/Getty Images

Christos Tzolis couldn’t capitalize on the positive momentum from his last two outings. The $45.5 million transfer created just one genuine chance and managed only two touches in Villa’s box, wholly contained by Cash on the flank. He is, however, starting to show promise in his sequences with Calafiori. That could be a lethal duo as the season wears on.
Bukayo Saka is off to a fantastic start. The 24-year-old now has two goals in the campaign’s opening two matches.
One could not help but notice the sheer depth Arsenal has on its bench. Even aside from the dazzling new summer signings, Konsa and Guimarães, who made their league debuts late in the second half, Tzolis had Eberechi Eze to give him respite. Meanwhile, World Cup heros Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi came on for Ødegaard and Rice, respectively.

The Numbers That Explain Arsenal’s Narrow Win

Arsenal dominated the run of play with 61% possession, but it didn’t translate into shots, as both sides ended with seven. It was a brief stoke of brilliance, ending with just two shots on target, that enabled them to break through Villa’s sturdy defense and walk away with all three points. They will need to either do better to unclog central channels or support their width players.
Villa were the way grittier side, walking away with 17 fouls to Arsenal’s six.

Statistic	Arsenal	Aston Villa
Possession	61%	39%
Expected Goals (xG)	1.05	0.31
Total Shots	7	7
Shots on Target	2	0
Big Chances	2	0
Pass Accuracy	88%	81%
Fouls Committed	17	6
Corners	4	2

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