**Arsenal maintained their perfect Premier League start with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Aston Villa, as Bukayo Saka’s second-half finish proved decisive at Villa Park.**
Mikel Arteta’s side were far from their fluent best but showed another side to the champions, controlling the closing stages and recording a second successive league clean sheet. You can read our full Aston Villa 0-1 Arsenal match report here.
Here are our Arsenal player ratings from Villa Park.
Had surprisingly little conventional goalkeeping to do.
Emiliano Buendia’s first-half effort crashed against the crossbar, but Villa failed to record a shot on target across the 90 minutes. Raya remained composed with the ball and dealt with the hosts’ late pressure without drama, with Sky Sports noting Villa have now gone two league games without an effort on target.
A relatively understated performance from White, but an effective one.
Defended his side well and provided Saka with support without leaving Arsenal vulnerable when possession changed hands.
Another encouraging performance.
Mosquera retained his place despite Ezri Konsa being available, with Arteta having named an [unchanged Arsenal starting XI](https://readarsenal.com/2026/08/31/arsenal-xi-vs-aston-villa-confirmed-as-130m-pair-benched/?utm_source=chatgpt.com).
Rarely looked uncomfortable and helped restrict Nicolas Jackson before making way for Konsa late on.
Arsenal needed authority at the back and Gabriel provided it.
Aggressive when required, dominant around his penalty area and also helped initiate the move which eventually produced Saka’s winner.
**Arsenal’s standout performer alongside Saka.**
Calafiori was adventurous throughout and his movement became increasingly influential after the interval.
The decisive contribution came on 59 minutes. Eberechi Eze released him down the left before Calafiori beat Victor Lindelöf to the ball and drove a low delivery across goal for Saka to finish.
His ability to attack from full-back gave Arsenal something Villa struggled to contain.
> Jamie Carragher says Riccardo Calafiori is “by far the best left-back in the Premier League.”
>
> — Connor Humm (@TikiTakaConnor) [August 31, 2026](https://x.com/TikiTakaConnor/status/2094534432548094154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw)
Another mature midfield performance.
Rice helped Arsenal control territory even when their attacking football was not clicking and became increasingly important as Villa chased the game.
This was exactly the sort of away match where his physicality and game management become invaluable.
Continued to justify Arteta’s faith.
Comfortable receiving under pressure and offered Arsenal control through midfield without trying to force the game.
The introduction of Bruno Guimarães later gave Arteta a different profile, but Lewis-Skelly did his chances of retaining a starting place no harm.
**Match-winner.**
Saka was Arsenal’s biggest threat and became increasingly influential after half-time.
He initially thought he had won a penalty when Ian Maatsen brought him down, only for VAR to determine that the contact occurred outside the box. Four minutes later, Saka had his goal.
He attacked Calafiori’s delivery and forced the ball home from close range.
Arsenal weren’t at their best. Their most reliable attacking player still found a way to decide the game.
A quieter evening for the Arsenal captain.
Ødegaard found pockets of space but Villa succeeded in restricting his influence around the penalty area.
Still worked hard out of possession and helped Arsenal manage the game once ahead.
His most difficult Arsenal outing so far.
Tzolis was booked during the first half and subsequently found himself walking a disciplinary tightrope. Arteta decided not to take the risk and replaced him with Eze at half-time.
Sky Sports also noted that the winger had endured a difficult evening before his withdrawal, although his promising start to life at Arsenal should not be forgotten. Their post-match analysis highlighted the impact of Arsenal’s improved bench options.
Worked hard at the top of the pitch without getting many clear opportunities.
Havertz was denied by Zion Suzuki after Bruno Guimarães sent him through in the second half, although the flag subsequently went up.
Not his most influential evening.
A **very good** half.
Eze replaced Tzolis at the interval and immediately gave Arsenal another technical presence on the left.
His best contribution came in the winning move, receiving possession from Gabriel before releasing Calafiori into the space that eventually produced Saka’s goal.
It was not the official assist, but Eze’s involvement was crucial.
A promising return.
Guimarães demonstrated exactly why Arsenal wanted him with several forward-looking passes after his introduction.
Gary Neville praised the midfielder’s willingness to play progressively during Sky Sports’ coverage, and his pass towards Havertz was a glimpse of what he can add.
Introduced as Arsenal looked to make the contest more physical and protect their advantage.
Did his job without fuss.
A memorable Arsenal debut against his former club.
There wasn’t enough time for a higher rating, but Konsa helped Arsenal navigate the closing stages and preserve the clean sheet.
**Riccardo Calafiori – 8.5**
Saka scored the winner and could easily take the award, but Calafiori’s overall influence gives him the narrow edge.
His aggressive positioning repeatedly offered Arsenal another route forward before his excellent run and delivery finally unlocked Villa.
Two victories. Two clean sheets. Six Premier League points.
And Arsenal still have Eze, Guimarães and Konsa pushing hard for greater roles.