Arsenal are looking in control but can Villa turn it around? Arsenal and Aston Villa went head to head in a thrilling Premier League fixture and the latter left the Emirates with a slender 1-0 deficit at halftime. The highlight of a half-time is that Arsenal mostly controlled and their constant pressure was a slick finish by Martinelli after a piece of brilliant build-up by Trossard. However, Arsenal dominated most of the match, though Villa occasionally threatened on the break, especially through Ollie Watkins.
Aston Villa refused to back down and came all guns blazing after going 2-0 in the second half, they were already looking dangerous during counter-attacking situations to the Arsenal defensive line but failed on several occasions. But Youri Tielemans scored a thunderous header which Raya couldn’t have done anything, making him helpless. Villa scored once more to level the score thanks to Ollie Watkin’s thunderous volley goal.
Let’s now take a look at the Arsenal vs Aston Villa Player Ratings:
Arsenal player ratings against Aston Villa
Goalkeeper
David Raya (6.5/10)
David Raya had a mixed evening between the sticks for Arsenal. He looked confident in the first half making routine saves. However, things changed in the second half with Tielemens and Ollie Watkins scored thunderous strike to make things worse for him.
Defenders
Myles Lewis-Skelly (6/10)
The 18-year-old had a rollercoaster game on the left side. Myles supported his team with overlapping runs in the first half, combining well with the midfielders. But his inexperience got the better of him as one mistake from him turned into a goal for Aston Villa.
Gabriel (7/10)
Gabriel was his team’s defensive pillar as he stood his ground in the absence of his regular partner, Saliba. The Brazilian center-back was rock solid winning aerial duels in the first half and making crucial interceptions to keep Aston Villa’s striker quiet. But was exploited with few mistakes in the second half leading to a comeback from Aston Villa.
Jurrien Timber (6.5/10)
Jurrien Timber was looking exceptionally good in the first half, physically dominant with key blocks and strong tackles. He read the game well for much time of the game but a few miscommunications with his defensive partner led to goals.
Thomas Partey (6.5/10)
Usually plays as a defensive midfielder/central midfielder but today Emery started him on the right side of the defensive line as a right-back. Whenever he was moving forward into the opposition’s half with the ball, he left a big space behind to fill which made things easier for Villa during counter-attacking.
Midfielders
Declan Rice (7.5/10)
A midfield general in every sense. Rice bossed the center of the park with his physicality and awareness, breaking up Villa’s counters and initiating Arsenal’s transitions. His thunderous long-range strike, which forced a great save from Martínez, showcased his growing confidence. While he remained Arsenal’s most consistent performer, even Rice couldn’t fully stem Villa’s momentum in the second half.
Mikel Merino (6/10)
Merino linked play well and at times but he was not able to dominate the match and sometimes left Declan Rice alone when Aston Villa attacked. He requires a couple of matches to settle into Arsenal’s demanding style of play.
Martin Odegaard (6.5/10)
The captain, Odegaard was somewhat more inventive, putting some nice passes together in the final third but he did not dominate the game as much as he normally does. His crosses were poor or too central and Villa’s midfield closed him down well with relentless pressure from both sides, making him less influential as the game wore on.
Forwards
Leandro Trossard (8.7/10)
Arsenal’s most electrifying player on the night. The Belgian forward was at the heart of everything good for Arsenal, registering two exquisite assists. His pinpoint cross for Martinelli’s opener and clever cutback for Havertz’s goal underlined his creative brilliance.
Kai Havertz (8.5/10)
The German striker’s late run into the box and clinical finish from Trossard’s cutback was the highlight of his performance. However, his overall contribution remained patchy, as he occasionally went missing during Villa’s dominant spells. Scored the second goal for his team to go 2-0 up against Villa.
Gabriel Martinelli (8/10)
Martinelli was Arsenal’s livewire down the left, terrorizing Villa’s defense with his pace and directness. His first finish for the opening goal was clinical but failed to provide good-quality output most of the time. He had a few better chances but he failed to seal them due to lack of maturity.
Substitutes
Raheem Sterling (6/10)
Sterling provided an extra impetus in Arsenal’s front line and hassled Villa’s defenders constantly. Still, he failed to get sufficient opportunities to prove Martinez.
Manager
Mikel Arteta (7.5/10)
Arteta’s team began well but were blunt in the final third of the pitch. Some of his strategies brought some liveliness into the game but starting Havertz upfront as a striker was a poor decision. Offensively, Arsenal seemed always under threat from Villa’s speedy breaks.
Aston Villa player ratings against Arsenal
Goalkeeper
Emiliano Martinez (7.5/10)
The former Arsenal man was excellent, making crucial saves to stop Kai Havertz and Leandro Martinelli. His control of the box and passing was good and he looked very confident all through.
Defenders
Matty Cash (6.5/10)
Cash worked hard defensively as he made a few important tackles for his team. However, he struggled overall while going forward to support during attacking situations.
Ezri Konsa (6/10)
Konsa looked solid in aerial duels but was caught out by Trossard’s movement for the opening goal. Needs to be sharper in his positioning. His positioning was off during several occasions which could have made things difficult for his team.
Tyrone Mings (6.5/10)
Organized the defense well and made some key blocks, but his distribution was inconsistent under Arsenal’s press.
Ian Maatsen (7/10)
One of Villa’s brighter players in the first half. Forced Raya into a sharp save and was a willing runner on the left flank.
Midfielders
Boubacar Kamara (6.5/10)
Worked hard to shield the defense but struggled to cope with Arsenal’s fluid midfield movement. Played a few decent passes forward.
Youri Tielemans (6/10)
Tielemans was very clean in the use of the ball and some of the passes he did were sharp to create counterattacks. He did a lot of running in defense, offered a much-needed counterpoint to Villa’s midfield, and scored the opening goal for his team with a good close-range header.
Amadou Onana (6.5/10)
Onana’s physicality and his threats as a ball carrier were always a headache for Arsenal. He was especially effective in the ability to interfere with Arsenal’s regular playing pattern and launch counterattacks.
Forwards
Morgan Rogers (6/10)
Struggled to make an impact in the final third. His runs were easily tracked by Arsenal’s defenders.
Ollie Watkins (7.5/10)
Ollie Watkins looked great during counter-attacking situations and caught Arsenal with quick attacks initially. Scored the much-needed equalizer for his time with a thunderous volley.
Jacob Ramsey (6.5/10)
Ramsey was lively on the ball, and it wasn’t easy to mark him when he was making direct runs. He combined well with Watkins and nearly got one himself.
Substitutes
Lamare Bogarde (6.7/10)
He came onto the field to replace injured Amadou Onana in the first half. Bogarde had the most tackles in the game and was the most accurate passer in the game (min. 45%).
Lucas Digne (7.6/10)
Lucas did provide his side the defensive stability they needed and also provided the much-needed assist for the second goal.
Jhon Duran (N/A)
Leon Bailey (N/A)
Manager
Unai Emery (6.5/10)
Unai Emery got his strategies right, with Villa daring to close ranks and hit back through the counter-attacks. His substitutions made it possible to keep up the pressing high energy and finish the game with professionalism.
When was the match between Arsenal vs Aston Villa?
The Arsenal vs Aston Villa match was in 18th January 2025.
What was the score of Arsenal vs Aston Villa match?
The score of Arsenal vs Aston Villa match was 2-2.
Who was the best player in Arsenal vs Aston Villa match?
The best player in the Arsenal vs Aston Villa match was Leandro Trossard.
Who was the worst player in the Arsenal vs Aston Villa match?
The worst player in the Arsenal vs Aston Villa match was Jacob Ramsey.