Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal Vs Aston Villa: Player ratings – What just happened?

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's third goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team's third goal with team mates during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Dani Ceballos of Arsenal breaks away from Aston Villa defenders during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Dani Ceballos of Arsenal breaks away from Aston Villa defenders during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images) /

Central Midfield

CM. Arsenal. GRANIT XHAKA. 3.0. Utter pants. The only good thing he did was spray passes from one flank to the other, and he even missed a few of those. Horribly slow, got his usual booking for a stupid foul, then seemingly forgot how to take a touch when he started pushing forwards in the second half. Oh, and if you wanted any more proof that his immobility is a major problem, just watch Villa’s second goal. Time to drop him permanently.

MATTEO GUENDOUZI. 7.5. MAN OF THE MATCH: The mistake for the first goal was unforgivable, make no mistake about it. But when Arsenal needed inspiration in the second half, it was Guendouzi who provided it. He was phenomenal. Showed excellent dribbling ability on several occasions, including winning the penalty, sprayed passes throughout the pitch, dictating from a deeper position once Xhaka was withdrawn, and played with heart and fire that is necessary when you have ten men. Made a crucial error, yes, but was also the reason why Arsenal came back in this game. That is why he is my Man of the Match.. CM. Arsenal

Arsenal. DANI CEBALLOS. 5.0. Had a few nice touches here and there and certainly tried to get into the game, but struggled to progress the play on a consistent basis. Also looked slow in comparison to Villa’s vibrant midfield. Joe Willock made more happen when he was introduced.. CM