Aston Villa entertained Arsenal at Villa Park earlier tonight as they hoped to secure a win at home in the Premier League. The Villans made a decent start to the game and managed to get to the half-time break with a 0-0 scoreline.
Bukayo Saka broke the deadlock for the visitors in the 59th minute. Unai Emery’s men failed to mount a comeback and crashed to a lackluster 1-0 loss in front of their home fans.
Let’s take a look at how each [Aston Villa](https://the4thofficial.net/category/leagues/english-premier-league/aston-villa/) player fared during the clash against the Gunners.
**GK: Zion Suzuki – 6.5/10**
He made one great save at the back but couldn’t do much about Saka’s effort.
**RB: Matty Cash – 6.5/10**
Cash came back to defend when he could, but offered very little going forward.
**CB: Victor Lindelof – 6/10**
He put his foot through the ball when needed, but failed to keep a clean sheet.
**CB: Pau Torres – 6/10**
Torres performed his defensive duties well but lacked quality on the ball.
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND – AUGUST 31: John McGinn of Aston Villa argues with referee Jarred Gillett after a penalty is awarded to Arsenal which was later overturned after a VAR check during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Aston Villa FC and Arsenal FC at Villa Park on August 31, 2026 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
**LB: Ian Maatsen – 6/10**
Maatsen had a few nervy moments at the back but was adventurous on the ball.
**CM: Boubacar Kamara – 6.5/10**
He anchored the midfield well but failed to make a difference going forward.
**CM: George Hemmings – 6/10**
Hemmings struggled to get a foothold in the game and put in a disjointed performance at the centre of the park.
**RW: John McGinn – 5.5/10**
He worked his socks off, but struggled to be a threat in the final third.
**CAM: Ross Barkley – 6.5/10**
Barkley got stuck in with some solid tackles and engineered two key chances on the offensive end of the field.
**LW: Emiliano Buendia – 6.5/10**
He managed to shine at times, but there was no goal for him tonight.
**ST: Nicolas Jackson – 6.5/10**
Jackson made a few decent runs with the ball but never looked like he would score.
**Substitutes:**
**RW: Alysson – 6/10**
He failed to influence the game after coming off the bench.
**ST: Tammy Abraham – 6/10**
Abraham failed to threaten the Arsenal goal.
**RB: Aaron Wan-Bissaka – 6/10**
He was solid at the back.
**LW: Alejandro Garnacho – 6/10**
Garnacho’s impact was minimal.