Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa. The Gunners had to work hard for the three points, with Villa defending well for long periods before Saka finally broke the deadlock in the second half. Saka was one of Arsenal’s best players on the [...]
Bukayo Saka scored the only goal of the game as Arsenal secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Aston Villa.
The Gunners had to work hard for the three points, with Villa defending well for long periods before Saka finally broke the deadlock in the second half.
Saka was one of Arsenal’s best players on the night and received a rating of 8/10 from BBC Sport, alongside left-back Riccardo Calafiori, who also earned an 8 after providing the assist for the winning goal.
Calafiori was praised for his attacking contribution, while Saka was described as a key player for Arsenal despite the team not being at their best going forward.
Arsenal captain Gabriel Magalhaes also impressed, earning 7/10 as he helped the visitors keep a clean sheet.
Young midfielder Myles Lewis-Skelly continued his strong start to the season with another composed display and was rated 7/10.
David Raya, Ben White, Cristhian Mosquera, Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz all received 6/10.
Christos Tzolis had a difficult evening for Villa and was given the lowest starting-player rating of 4/10 after struggling to make an impact before being replaced at half-time.
Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, making his debut after his £30m move from Parma, impressed with his passing and earned 7/10.
Boubacar Kamara and 19-year-old George Hemmings also received 7/10 for their performances.
New Villa signing Nicolas Jackson, who arrived for £65m, was rated 6/10. The forward showed some promising moments but was unable to find the equaliser.
For Arsenal, Eberechi Eze made a positive impact after coming on at half-time and was rated 7/10.
The result gives Arsenal an important three points, while Villa will feel they deserved more after making life difficult for the visitors for much of the match.
