Arsenal got payback on Aston Villa in the Premier League, beating Unai Emery’s side 2-0 at Villa Park.
Mikel Arteta’s side showed superb resilience to secure three points against Villa on Saturday evening in a game that could’ve ended far differently.
After a poor opening half, Leandro Trossard broke the deadlock with his first touch in the 77th minute, inspiring Arsenal to claim the win.
Scoring the opener wasn’t enough for the winger, as the Belgian then played a significant part in setting up Thomas Partey’s first goal of the season, seeing the midfielder put the Gunners 2-0 up with the help of Villa ‘keeper Emi Martinez.
It was an admirable yet gritty victory from the visitors, who turned their fortunes around in the second half to ensure three points travelled back to North London.
Five things we learned as Arsenal beat Aston Villa
William Saliba is Arteta’s most important player
From Bukayo Saka to Declan Rice, Arsenal have a handful of crucial players however, none of Arteta’s assets are more important than William Saliba.
The centre-back showed that against Villa, where he was commanding and assured at the back from kick off to the final whistle.
The Frenchman gave Ollie Watkins very little to play with throughout the well-contested game, leading by example for Arsenal.
Arteta saw in the latter stages of the 2022/23 campaign just how difficult it is to operate without Saliba’s presence in the squad, reinforcing his status in the side.
Forwards are needed before deadline day
It was a dreary game in the final third for Arsenal, who created the chances required to exploit Villa’s weaknesses, but to no avail.
In the first half, it became more evident than ever what Arteta’s side are missing, with another dynamic forward absolutely necessary before deadline day.
Whether that be another winger or a centre-forward, Edu must be scanning the market for additional resources in the advanced areas before it’s too late.
Time is up for Gabriel Martinelli
On the subject of creating with little end product comes Gabriel Martinelli, whose form is at a level that many are not accustomed to seeing.
The Brazilian was explosive during the 2022/23 campaign however, injuries triggered a dip in performance level last season which seems to have carried into this term.
Unfortunately, the left-winger is playing with limited confidence as a result, seeing his actions interpreted as rash at times, causing Arsenal’s threat on the left side to deteriorate.
Now is the time for Arteta to assert himself and drop the 23-year-old to the bench in order to encourage competition and ultimately an improvement.
Leandro Trossard is Arsenal’s best finisher by far
Cometh the hour, cometh the man and Trossard is there to make amends for the Gunners in the final third.
The Belgian came off the bench and scored after one minute, netting Arsenal’s opener with his first touch of the ball.
There are very few as reliable as Trossard when it comes to scoring goals, something that Arteta will be more than aware of when assessing what his squad requires in an in-game situation.
Not only did the 29-year-old score the opener, but he played a crucial part in the second goal, causing issues down the left side for Villa.
Mikel Merino coming at the perfect time for Declan Rice
A rare poor performer was Rice, who struggled to impose himself playing on the left side of midfield.
The Englishman was part of the reason that Martinelli had a difficult afternoon, with limited support available to the Brazilian on the flank.
Fortunately, the pending arrival of Mikel Merino will solve such woes, giving Arteta the opportunity to return Rice to his favoured number six role, where the 25-year-old is most effective.
Receive a digest of our best Arsenal content each week direct to your mailbox
