Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa player ratings: Trossard stars but Gunners drop points in title race

Arsenal were left cursing a lost lead as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Aston Villa on Saturday.

Things had looked so good for the Gunners who led 2-0 after 55 minutes thanks to goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz. But two goals in 10 minutes rescued a point for Villa, in a big blow for Arsenal’s title hopes.

The Gunners thought they had won it late on too, but Mikel Merino’s shot had deflected in off Kai Havertz’s arm and was ruled out for handball. It means Arsenal are now six points behind league leaders Liverpool, having played a game more.

Arsenal player ratings

David Raya: 50%

David Raya wasn’t too involved as Aston Villa weren’t heavy on the attack. He faced four shots on target and saved two, but that also means he conceded two. The Spaniard also ended the game with -0.48 goals prevented and just four long passes completed.

Thomas Partey: 61%

Thomas Partey was strong in the air for Arsenal, winning four aerial duels, and he also made three clearances and one interception retaining possession. But people will rightly look at his role in Watkins’ equaliser, failing to properly mark the Englishman in the box. He did also complete five passes into the final third.

Jurrien Timber: 58%

Defensively, Jurrien Timber won one tackle and made two interceptions retaining possession, very clearly a full-back playing in the centre. He was almost perfect on the ball, with a retention rate of 98.65%. But both goals did attack his side of the defence, and he wasn’t secure alongside Partey.

Gabriel: 63%

Without his regular partner, Gabriel had a lot of work to do to marshal the Arsenal defence. And the Brazilian won four aerial duels and two tackles while making two interceptions. Gabriel won 80% of his ground duels, and registered two successful offside traps. He was also reliable on the ball, boasting a retention rate of 92.05% and completing 16 passes into the final third.

Myles Lewis-Skelly: 57%

Myles Lewis-Skelly did okay in keeping his flank quiet, with two interceptions retaining possession and two tackles won. He also completed eight passes into the final third and had two touches in the opposition box. But the teenager was also dispossessed in his own half once, which does count against his Score.

Martin Odegaard: 57%

Martin Odegaard underwhelmed for Arsenal. Perhaps he’s missing having Bukayo Saka on his flank. The Norwegian didn’t really contribute defensively and completed just one pass into the penalty area. He did have six final third entries, and 12 penalty area entries. But Arsenal needed more from their captain.

Declan Rice: 69%

Playing at the base of Arsenal’s midfield, Declan Rice will be able to look back on his personal performance positively. The Englishman made two interceptions retaining possession and won two tackles, with 80% success rate in his ground duels. Rice was also strong on the ball, completing 91.84% of his open-play passes including 15 accurate forward passes. His run in the build up to Arsenal’s disallowed goal showed his quality.

Mikel Merino: 62%

Mikel Merino thought he had won it for Arsenal with his shot deflected in, before it was ruled out. It would have seen Merino make up for his weakness in Aston Villa’s opening goal as the Spaniard was beaten in the box by Tieleman. But Merino did made three interceptions retaining possession and won possession three times in the middle third and three times in the attacking third.

Gabriel Martinelli: 65%

Once again playing on the right, Gabriel Martinelli was a real threat for Arsenal. He was the one to give them the lead with a good run to catch the defender out, and a decent connection which had enough to beat the goalkeeper. The Brazilian hit the target with two of his three shots and had 10 touches in the opposition box, more than any other Arsenal player.

Kai Havertz: 62%

Kai Havertz put Arsenal 2-0 up 10 minutes into the second half with a neat finish, though Martinez should have done better with it. It means each of Havertz’s last 12 Premier League goals have all come in London. It’s the longest such run by an Arsenal player since Lukas Podolski between December 2012 and April 2014 (also 12). The German had three shots in total, with his goal the only effort on target. But Havertz also won two aerial duels and had four touches in the opposition box.

Leandro Trossard: 75%

Leandro Trossard was so unfortunate not to be a winner. The Belgian set up both of Arsenal’s goals with good balls into the box. It’s the first time he’s provided two assists in a single Premier League game since May 2023. In total, Trossard created three chances and completed three crosses, with 11 penalty area entries. He could have won it too, missing a chance in the dying stages, though it may have been ruled out for offside by VAR.

Aston Villa player ratings

Emiliano Martinez: 64%

This was a strange game for Emiliano Martinez. The Argentine had a goals prevented total of -0.97 and really should have done better with Havertz’s goal. He was a bit unlucky for Martinelli’s opener, but still could have had a stronger hand to stop it creeping over the line. But he redeemed himself with a big save late on, one of three in total. And he completed 14 long passes, pumping the ball up the pitch.

Matty Cash: 66%

Matty Cash was a busy boy for Aston Villa, with three clearances and two possessions won in the defensive third, as well as one cross blocked. Of course, his telling contribution was a wonderful in-swinging ball to the back post for Watkins’ equaliser, an intentional assist and big chance created.

Ezri Konsa: 55%

It was a busy night for the Villa defence, with Ezri Konsa part of a backline that conceded 1.32 non-penalty Expected Goals. On his own, Konsa made six clearances and won 100% of his duels, both ground and aerial. But Konsa has been marked down for Villa’s defending as a whole, as well as the lack of other defensive actions.

Tyrone Mings: 50%

Like Konsa, Tyrone Mings’ Score is lower because of the shots Villa faced, with Arsenal having 10 from inside the box alone. The Englishman did lead the game with clearances, making eight in total. Mings was the opposite of Konsa in duels, though, winning just 33.33% of his aerial battles and none of his ground duels.

Ian Maatsen: 58%

Ian Maatsen was caught out at the back post for Martinelli’s goal and was replaced at half-time by Lucas Digne. The Dutchman made one tackle and one interception, and won one of his two duels. He was also booked for good measure.

Boubacar Kamara: 55%

Boubacar Kamara won two tackles and made one interception retaining possession, while also winning possession twice in the middle third. But Aston Villa needed more of a shield from their midfielder, especially after Amadou Onana went off injured in the first half. Kamara also had a retention rate of 83.72%, which isn’t the worst but again you’d have wanted more.

Lamare Bogarde: 58%

Playing out of position, 21-year-old Lamare Bogarde was the one to replace Onana after 37 minutes. During his time on the pitch, Bogarde won two tackles, the joint-most of any Villa player. He had a pretty good retention rate of 94.12% and put in a good block to deny Odegaard late on. Bogarde completed 100% of his passes, though he only attempted six with 17 touches overall.

Morgan Rogers: 50%

Morgan Rogers didn’t really get into the game for Aston Villa, having 29 touches and completing just 50% of his attempted passes. The Englishman also had three unsuccessful touches, being dispossessed three times. Even with six final third passes completed, this was a night to forget.

Youri Tielemans: 69%

Youri Tielemans got Aston Villa back into the game with a very good diving header, beating Merino to the ball. He could have equalised moments later too, but his effort hit the post. It was a good game from the Belgian who looked confident on the ball, with two touches in the opposition box and 100% success rate in his take-ons. He also made five ball recoveries and won one tackle.

Jacob Ramsey: 47%

It was a pretty quiet night for Jacob Ramsey, who failed to have a shot or create a chance in his 85 minutes on the pitch. He didn’t attempt or complete a take-on and failed to win any of his seven contested duels. The Englishman also had 26 touches, with only two of Villa’s starters having fewer by the time he went off — excluding Onana, of course.

Ollie Watkins: 72%

Ollie Watkins hurt Arsenal once again, with his sixth Premier League goal against the Gunners to equalise. It was a good volley having peeled away at the back post unmarked. Watkins had three shots in total with an xG tally of 0.64, with four touches in the opposition box. He brought off with just over 10 minutes to go as Emery looked to freshen Villa’s legs up front.

How do Squawka player ratings work?

Squawka’s new player rating system is wholly stats-based. Player scores are based on the numbers they put up across a range of on-ball events, from goals scored to tackles won.

We tailored each score to the players’ respective positions using extensive research and expertise. For example, forwards are rated on metrics like shots on target, touches in the opposition box, and big chances created. Meanwhile, centre-backs are rewarded for winning aerial duels, making blocks, successful long-range passes, etc.

*Using Bookmaker/Affiliate links on squawka.com may earn us a commission, at no additional cost to you. 18+ only. T&Cs apply. Please gamble responsibly. For more information, visit gambleaware.org.