Kenya Sport

Player Ratings: Aston Villa vs Arsenal - Gunners Edge Narrow Win

Bukayo Saka scored the only goal as Arsenal secured a 1-0 win at Aston Villa. Below are the player ratings from both teams based on their performances.

Aston Villa Starting Lineup

  • Zion Suzuki: Made his debut after a £30m move from Parma. Could not stop the goal but showed promise in distribution. Rating: 7
  • Matty Cash: Delivered a dependable performance and outplayed Christos Tzolis until the latter was substituted. Rating: 6
  • Pau Torres: Helped keep Arsenal at bay for much of the match before conceding. Rating: 6
  • Victor Lindelof: Worked hard to contain Arsenal’s attack and has been consistent since joining on a free transfer. Rating: 6
  • Ian Maatsen: Faced tough competition from Bukayo Saka and was beaten for the goal. Rating: 6
  • Boubacar Kamara: Played a vital role shielding the defense and frustrated Arsenal until the goal came. Rating: 7
  • Ross Barkley: Given another chance at Villa, kept the team moving but didn’t stand out. Rating: 6
  • John McGinn: Energetic captain who maintained intensity throughout. Rating: 6
  • Emi Buendia: Came close with a shot hitting the bar and created chances but lacked the final touch. Rating: 6
  • George Hemmings: The 19-year-old showed no fear against champions and threatened early on. Rating: 7
  • Nicolas Jackson: Record signing at £65m still settling in but flashed potential. Rating: 6

Villa Substitutes

  • Tammy Abraham (71', for Jackson): Tried to make an impact but couldn’t find an equalizer. Rating: 6
  • Alysson (71', for Hemmings): Showed energy in a brief cameo. Rating: 6
  • Alejandro Garnacho (78', for Barkley): Unable to change the game late on. Rating: 5
  • Aaron Wan-Bissaka (78', for Cash): Debuted late in the match. Rating: 5

Unused Villa Subs

  • Bizot, Bogarde, Lynch, Mings, Ruggeri

Arsenal Starting XI

  • David Raya: Solid and reliable with good passing range. Rating: 6
  • Ben White: Less attacking than usual but helped secure a clean sheet. Rating: 6
  • Cristhian Mosquera: Steady alongside Gabriel but forced off injured in the second half. Rating: 6
  • Gabriel Magalhaes: Led the defense well and nearly scored from a corner. Rating: 7
  • Riccardo Calafiori: Attacked boldly and assisted the winning goal. Rating: 8
  • Declan Rice: Commanded midfield, covered lots of ground, made key interceptions and set-piece threats. Rating: 6
  • Myles Lewis-Skelly: Continued strong form; confident under pressure. Rating: 7
  • Martin Odegaard: Delivered some nice passes but lacked impact; narrowly missed a free-kick. Rating: 6
  • Bukayo Saka: Scored the decisive goal and was involved in most good attacking moves. Rating: 8
  • Christos Tzolis: Worked hard but was below par and was subbed at halftime. Rating: 4
  • Kai Havertz: Quiet night but held the ball well and provided a target. Rating: 6

Arsenal Substitutes

  • Eberechi Eze (46', for Tzolis): Key figure in the build-up to the goal. Rating: 7
  • Mikel Merino (71', for Odegaard): Added grit to midfield. Rating: 6
  • Bruno Guimarães (71', for Lewis-Skelly): Made Premier League debut for Arsenal. Rating: 6
  • Ezri Konsa (78', for Mosquera): First appearance for new club. Rating: 6
  • Martin Zubimendi (85', for Rice): Came on to help see out the match. Rating: 5

Unused Arsenal Subs

  • Kepa, Hincapie, Gyokeres, Madueke

Top Rated Players

  • Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal) – Average rating: 7.41
  • Bukayo Saka (Arsenal) – Average rating: 7.34
  • Declan Rice (Arsenal) – Average rating: 7.05
  • Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.93
  • David Raya (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.88
  • Bruno Guimarães (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.70
  • Myles Lewis-Skelly (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.64
  • Eberechi Eze (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.63
  • Mikel Merino (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.55
  • Cristhian Mosquera (Arsenal) – Average rating: 6.55

Lowest Rated Villa Players

  • Alejandro Garnacho – 4.54
  • Tammy Abraham – 4.84
  • Alysson – 5.13
  • Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 5.41
  • George Hemmings – 5.43

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