September 1, 2026 at 06:00 AM
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How did match-winner Saka do? Aston Villa v Arsenal ratings

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, Football reporter and , Football reporter Bukayo Saka's goal gave Arsenal a 1-0 victory at Aston Villa . Here's how sources rated the players, and how you rated them. Aston Villa starting XI Zion Suzuki: A debut for the £30m goalkeeper from Parma who had no chance with the opening goal. Misjudged his first corner but his distribution caught the eye and will be useful this season. 7 Matty Cash: His usual solid display and got the better of Christos Tzolis, who was replaced at the break. 6 Pau Torres: Helped keep Arsenal at bay until they broke the deadlock in the second half. 6 Victor Lindelof: The Sweden international diligently tried to keep Arsenal in check. Has not let Villa down since arriving on a free transfer. 6 Ian Maatsen: With new signing Matteo Ruggeri on the bench, he has competition and had his hands full with Bukayo Saka, and was beaten to the ball for the goal. 6 Boubacar Kamara: The midfielder is so crucial to how Villa play and he offered an important shield to frustrate the Gunners until Saka's opener. 7 Ross Barkley: The former Everton youngster has been given a second chance at Villa as they rebuild and tried to keep the hosts flowing. 6 John McGinn: The skipper drilled over and was his usual energetic self as Villa tried to unsettle Arsenal and did not drop his energy levels. 6 Emi Buendia: The Argentina international hit the bar early and was a good creative outlet for the hosts but could not find the killer touch. 6 George Hemmings: Villa rate the 19-year-old highly and he showed no fear against the champions. He threatened in the first half, especially with one low cross. 7 Nicolas Jackson: The £65m record signing will take time as he replaces Ollie Watkins but showed flashes of what he can bring. 6 Subs: Tammy Abraham (on 71, Jackson): Included despite Ipswich trying to take him on loan, but could not find a leveller. 6 Alysson (on 71, Hemmings): Winger looked lively in second-half cameo. 6 Alejandro Garnacho (on 78, Barkley): Could not provide late magic. 5 Aaron Wan-Bissaka (on 78, Cash): Debut appearance came late on. 5 Subs not used: Bizot, Bogarde, Lynch, Mings, Ruggeri Arsenal starting XI David Raya: A reliable display from Raya. A good range of passing. 6 Ben White: He didn't produce his usual overlapping runs as much but helped the Arsenal back four keep a clean sheet. 6 Cristhian Mosquera: The 22-year-old produced a solid performance next to the more experienced Gabriel. Had to come off with an injury in the second half. 6 Gabriel Magalhaes: A chance early on from an Arsenal corner which he headed over. The Brazilian led the Arsenal back four as they picked up three points. 7 Riccardo Calafiori: Picked up his usual adventurous positions when Arsenal were going forward and provided the assist for Saka's goal. 8 Declan Rice: Assured in the middle of the pitch and covered a lot of ground. Some important interceptions and threatening set-pieces too. 6 Myles Lewis-Skelly: Continued his excellent start-of-season form. Comfortable when under pressure and played with a lot of responsibility. 7 Martin Odegaard: A couple of nice passes in the first half but not enough impact going forward. Went close with a free-kick in the second half. 6 Bukayo Saka: The winger scored the vital goal for Arsenal . The Gunners were not at their best going forward but most of the good moments involved Saka. 8 Christos Tzolis: A disappointing night for the winger who worked hard but lacked quality when going forward. Taken off at half-time. 4 Kai Havertz: It was a quiet night for Havertz but the forward still provided a focal point and held the ball up. 6 Subs: Eberechi Eze (on 46, Tzolis): Introduced at half-time and played a big part in Saka's goal. 7 Merino (on 71, Odegaard): Added bite into the Arsenal midfield. 6 Bruno Guimaraes (on 71, Lewis-Skelly): On for his Arsenal Premier League debut. 6 Ezri Konsa (on 78, Mosquera): Made first appearance for his new club. 6 Martin Zubimendi (on 85, Rice): Came on for Rice as Arsenal looked to see out the game. 5 Subs not used: Kepa, Hincapie, Gyokeres, Madueke. How did you rate the players? The Player Rater cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable JavaScript or try another browser. Player of the match R. Calafiori 7.41 1 Z. Suzuki 6.29 2 M. Cash 5.78 10 E. Buendía 5.69 7 J. McGinn 5.63 14 Pau Torres 5.63 6 R. Barkley 5.61 11 N. Jackson 5.60 3 V

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How did match-winner Saka do? Aston Villa v Arsenal ratings | TopBin9