Arsenal moved back to the top of the table after an incredible 4-2 win over Aston Villa this afternoon.
The Gunners were poor in the first half, and went behind twice to goals from Ollie Watkins and Philippe Coutinho. There were equalisers from Bukayo Saka and Oleksandr Zinchenko, before a madcap last 20 minutes.
Martin Odegaard missed a sitter, Aaron Ramsdale made a brilliant save from Leon Bailey, before an Emi Martinez own goal in injury time, and a late icing-on-the-cake strike from Gabriel Martinelli sealed the deal and ensured all three points.
Here’s how the players rated this afternoon.
Read the Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal report and see the goals here
Aston Villa 2-4 Arsenal – Player Ratings
The ratings are hidden by default until you vote, but if you just want to view the ratings and the comments, flick the switch at the top above Aaron Ramsdale. Also, please give the ratings a few seconds to load.
Martinez : 11/10…
Early kick off away win : 10/10
And so proud of that 2nd half
On to Leicester🤩
The fact that most people are talking about Martinez shows what a prick he is. Thank fuck he no longer plays for us!
And the Villa fans can do one too. Unlikeable bunch
Reading some reaction on some french sports blog is pretty hilarious today… karma being the main written word
Yeah he showed himself up to be a right to$$er in the world cup and has been an asshole today and got his just deserts!! Glad we sold him and got Rambo instead!!!
Agent Martinez, earth calling…..
And c’mon Forest…. you woody beauty Wood!!!!!
I always liked him, he always backed himself and he was right to do so. I’m pretty sure they quite like him at Villa and in Argentina. I’m also pretty sure a lot of people think Ramsdale is a massive prick, but we love him for being “a character”.
Being logical, are we? Haha totally get your point
‘Two things can be true’
We can like/respect Martinez for his time at Arsenal.
We can laugh at his shithousing attempts spectacularly backfiring.
10/10 performance from Martinez in those last 5 minutes – absolutely loved it!
Bonus bonus rating (11/10)for Mikel’s parody of ref! Hilarious!
https://twitter.com/rehnato/status/1626950034313838592?s=20
It’s one of those funny rules–a ref will allow a free kick from the wrong spot but will never allow it when the ball is moving.
FA charge incoming in 3..2..1…
As it should probably, in this case? That is disrespectful… *Ducks for cover*
As soon as he did I saw the meme coming
Richard Keys is currently throttling his cock in vitriolic fury at that.
Emi, that my friend is Karma 😂😂😂
Best GK of the world…hahaha
Own goal & open goal – lovely
That’s what happen when you think with your dick.
You might almost say he is a dickhead.
Bonus rating:
Emi Martinez:
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please wait…
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trying to produce a rating…
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Please come back tomorrow for a possible rating.
Suck on that Martinez.
Shouldn’t there be a rating for Agent Martinez?
There is no Knob Of The Match category.
How the hell you gave Jorginho the same rating as Odegard?
Indeed, Jorginho should have been rated higher.
Some of Jorginhos passing was so, so good incisive and I think he really stepped up. Imagine this game with Lokonga or Elneny, does it end 4-2 to us?
Odegaard was pretty anonymous in the first half I believe.
Thought Jorginho had a good game
Ok personally thought Jorginho was MOTM
Jorginho was fantastic. His movement and passing were a joy to watch.
Odegaard was great in the second half–looked like he did most of the season.
Jorginho was quite good. The playing-out-from-behind thing is however a challenge for him so far. He tends to hide so the team mates cannot play him. Partey also used to be quite bad at this phase of the play, but he has improved greatly, doubtlessly after having had some friendly reminders from the resident Basque.
Eat that Tom Hanks. Nobody ever liked you anyway.
What did Tom Hanks ever do lol
Celebrated Villa’s goals
He became an Aston Villa fan, when the obvious choice of supporting Arsenal was right there staring at him in the face!
On the NBC feed, the host said that Hanks had heard the name Aston Villa 40 years ago and adapted it as his team because he thought it sounded like a nice English beach town. “Then” she said, “he went to Bitmingham. [pause] But you can’t change your team.”
Suck it, Hanks!
Hanks doesn’t often play the Villain, however, today I give exclusively for you, dear gunners…
But I’ll forgive him because Forrest did us turn. Cheers Forrest ❤️
I like him. He was stranded on an island for years with only a volleyball to wank with. Who can blame him for following Villa?
Jorghinio my man of the match, not just the assist for the goal, but his overall contribution. White very good too
Love the connection between White and Saka. They work so well together.
I like Tomiyasu’s connection with Saka better. Not taking anything away from Ben White, he’s been incredible, but that side is more effective when Saka and Tomi play together.
Right…so we actually pumped city 3-1…not the other way around…?!
Agree. Tomi and Saka play better together.
Crazy finish!
Money’s worth x 10 !!! Emi awarded giant cock of the season goal of the season and shittest appearance at a corner award all in in 5 minute spell !!! Outstanding truly outstanding !!!!
Throw in the Ballon Dork
Agent Martinez.. loooooooooool https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/1f602.svghttps://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/1f602.svghttps://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/14.0.0/svg/1f602.svg
He does need a goal but hats off to Eddie for working his socks off for the third full 90 minutes this week – racing back to defend in the 92nd, that’s the attitude!
Even before he “scored” was already praising Jorginho for some of his passes in that second half. Definitely an upgrade on what we had behind Partey. Let’s keep going now!
excellent from zinchenko, many fans who celebrated his goal today are the same whom where bashing him for shooting at goal a few matches ago. also dominant display by jorginho, also shutting doubters up. as for eddie, hope we sell him in the summer. no threat at all in too many games in a row; doesn’t matter if you have three good matches if you disappear for the next three. you can’t get away with that in the prem anymore. saliba needs to be benched, he’s been looking clueless lately. can’t understand the cb’s getting 7,5 today with an awful… Read more »
I thought Saliba was decent in the second half…asleep at the wheel in the first for sure. 6.5/10…I actually thought ramsdale could have done better with the two goals but did redeem himself with two excellent saves later. 7/10. Eddie not at the races again, 5/10. Odegaard non existent in the first half again but better in the second…6/10.
I was kinda with you with your standing with Zinny and Jorgi, but lost you on your take on Eddie and Saliba
That was quite a sharp turn
we may disagree on the best way to handle eddie’s case, but im sure you’ve noticed saliba’s lapses in concentration these last few matches. he was having none of those in his first three months with us, now he’s having three every match. i just think he could use some rest, just like martinelli.
Shooting at goal from 20 yards is fine. 40 yards, not so much
This is possibly the best single comment on a live blog of a game ever:
94
TIME WASTE THAT MOTHERFUCKER
Emi Martinez he scores when we want,
He scores when we want,
Agent Martinez he scores when we want!
10/10 for the lads and the away support.
0/10 for the pond-life fairweather fans slating the team, Arteta and Edu on the official twitter page at half-time. I know Twitter is a cesspit of knee-jerk reacting keyboard warriors but i deleted my account so depressing it was. We might not end up as champions but it was the kind of win champions take. Have a great weekend everyone!
Amen
Plenty of them on here too that haven’t been heard from since half time.
There is an ancient Australian saying we use in relation to people like Martinez. It goes, “Cop that, you dickhead!”
Jorginho man of the match. What a Rolls Royce player! It will be a challenge for Partey to get back into the starting lineup again.
Partey is on a completely different level when it comes to movement, controlling space and playing around pressure. Don’t get me wrong, Jorginho was good (especially when Villa tired and left him time and space), but Partey is a completely different beast.
I don’t think it will at all.. Partey is our 2nd most important player next to Saka once he’s fit and ready to go he walks in to that midfield. I wish we had a good replacement for Xhaka.I think Xhaka is the one that needs to sit on the bench for a few games he offers nothing going forward and not much defensively he’s just there to rotate the ball in midfield. Would like a proper 8 in the summer a Lmapard type 8 box to box can score get in the box and can defend Xhaka is neither
Steady on there mate…lol
“That sounds like one of them good problems”
-Marlo Stanfield
Going to respectfully disagree. The team play better when Party is in there, they know how he plays and how he performs the anchor in midfield that we so need. Jorginho, was excellent today and a perfectly able understudy, but he’s a different player to Partey with different qualities that the team need to understand better before he can even be considered 1st choice over Partey. But, we’ve found a way to win without Partey in a big game. Jorginho did well against City, but we lost our heads in key moments allowing avoidable mistakes to be costly. We did… Read more »
Jorginho was solid and everyone enjoyed his goal but he’s nowhere near the skill set that Partey has. They’re different types of player so you’re comparing apples and oranges.
Thank you Martinez. I’m very sure those 2 late goals came from your heart. Once a gooner, always a gooner. Lol
If ever someone deserved an 11/10, it was Emi today. Clearly underrated by Blogs.
That seems very generous for Eddie, he’s really looking like the governor on what this team can achieve at the moment.
Once a gunner, always a gunner, right? Thanks, Emi!
Nketiah hasn’t registered a shot on target in FIVE games.
Cue 3 v Leicester … his work rate is great and the luck will turn like ours did today … Jesus bk to seal it tho. Tears of joy watching highlights at 8am in NZ. Then Chris Wood Kiwi scores to hurt our rivals. COYG since 1970. We can do this ….
All strikers go through lean periods like this (like erm…Jesus before his injury where he couldn’t even buy a goal) Eddie’s movement is unfailingly good so the goals will come.
I thought White was excellent myself, especially in the second half.
Well that was fun. Enjoyed every second of Emi receiving Karma in stoppage time.
Good to have Martinelli back in the goals and Zinchenko pulled his socks up in the second half. It was like we remembered we were in a title race.
We just need Eddie back among the goals for his confidence.
I thought Zinchenko was a liability in the first half, slow, ponderous, bad decisions . Great goal but we got away with it today with his sloppiness.
Totally, I fully agreed with Blogs’ comment. Irritating in the first half, much improved in the 2nd.
100% disagree with the Martinelli one though… when he put his hands up I was expecting him to fall on his face and see the ball trickle wide!
Yeah, Zinchenko was pretty dodgy in the first half. Kept the ball to long, got caught a fair few times which proved costly. Was much better in the 2nd half.
Funnily enough, just as you’d expected Tomi to have cleared the ball in the City game rather than a poor pass back costing a goal, you wouldn’t expect Zinny to loose the ball where he did, and do cheaply in the first have before Villa’s opener.
ONCE A GOONER ALWAYS A GOONER !!! The real MVP should be Emi Martinez, 1 goal, and 1 “assist” in the injury time? proud mooment man !!!
Anyone wearing short sleeves and gloves is deserving of such an outcome.
Motm martinez. Proper gunners legend who scored the winner
Loved the Thrilla at the Villa. As someone said, many of the guys need different ratings for the two halves. Taking nothing away from the quality of the two Villa goals, both were defensive breakdowns. I’ve been worried about Zinny the past couple of games but he redeemed himself in the second half. I thought White was struggling a bit defensively. Odegaard quiet in the first half, but came alive. Eddie’s having trouble finishing – hopefully that will pass. I think Jesus will help us penetrate the low block when he returns. Both the new guys doing well. Going forward,… Read more »
I love Saka so much.
I think this was one of the worst (less good, actually) games for Arsenal I’ve seen from him. But the fight he showed, and his undeniable quality that just shows up because he’s just that good is amazing. I’d never seen him go violent on anyone out of pure frustration (Coutinho didn’t actually foul him, I thought) but that showed, along with his untiring, industrious performance, that our ‘nice’ Starboy has the desire and competitiveness to go with his talent.
He gets kicked with impunity wherever he goes and it’s testament to his good character that he very seldom retaliates.I feared the worst on Saturday but he didn’t raise his hands to anyone’s face mercifully.
Jorginho certainly can’t do what Partey does on the defensive side of the ball, but boy did he have some great passes today that should have resulted in at least one goal.
Very happy for Odegaard that we got the three points as he had such a great 2nd half and had his miss resulted in a tie would have been awful for him.
Can you just imagine Jorgie-boy feeding Jesus’s darting runs? I cannot wait!
Martinez is such an odd ex player for us. Youth product, won the FA cup… annoys the shit out of me. Just such an objective prat, even if he does have a trophy for a penis.
The ratings lol. 10/10 for the bonus rating of 10/10.
Martinez is a true Arsenal legend. He did everything for the team and even used his head when we were out of ideas and hope. At the end helped to give Martinelli some self-belief with that goal and special celebration. Thanks a lot Emmy, you can put your gloves anywhere.
VILLA Emery says “good ebening”. (seVILLA, VILLAreal, Aston VILLA).
Karma bit off Emi’s dick this evening and what a bite that was for his Qatar crudity.
Sweet, sweet keeper justice
It said a lot that after being booked in the 84th minute for time wasting the next time Martinez got the ball he again wasted time. He clearly knew if it took the referee that long to give him a first yellow he was unlikely to give him a second in the remaining minutes.
Keepers getting dismissed for two yellow cards are rarer than punishable fouls on Bakayo Saka. It has happened in Israel (Danny Amos of Maccabi Netanya in 2021) and Spain (Iván Cuéllar of Leganés in 2020) Uruguay (Carlos Delgado of Ecuador in an international 1977) Ecuador (Máximo Banguera of FC Barcelona in 2014)
There was a moment when Emi came up for that corner and my heart sank…
I thought: Please Lord, in your big blue heaven, let him NOT become the first keeper ever to score TWO headers in injury time… at opposite ends!!!
But, at least he got an assist to go with his goal.
It was one of the most difficult headers to execute
I find our defending rather passive. We wait and we wait which gives the attacking player the advantage. Other than the goal Martinelli was shite. He was ineffective and kept losing possession which made the players concentrate on the right. Saka is constantly double teamed and having an ineffective outlet on the left is a major problem for us. Here’s hoping that goal leads to an upturn in form for him.
Keep believing keep working… The team is just doing that… And lets do that too… COYG
Emi Martinez is a knob.
That’s why Villa looked so hurt.
You would be too, if a well struck ball smacked your knob on its head.
And this one goes up to 11
And a huge sigh of relief for all gooners, led by Martin Odegaard 🙂 A thrilling last 30 minutes with Emi’s blank stare into the void in the dying minutes being such a pleasure!
Tbh, I think Tomi was the catalyst to get Ø into the game more. He did a hell of a lot of swapping positions to move their defence around and get Ø on the ball White to me, was a little too static at times, did overlap but I dunno, I felt Tomi brought a different problem for them.
not only that but then he gets roasted by his own manager. hilarious.
Emi grated?
Some of the stuff Odegaard does on the ball is mesmerising.
Nketiah is having a way to high rating. Our creative, high pressing offensive line has been gone since he took over. Of course taking over for GJ is a tough one but the last 4 games he has been nothing but invisible.
Was unfortunate not to score today (header that his the bar) and yes, he’s missed some sitters of late but his movement has been unfailingly good throughout this lean period.
7 for Eddie?
Crystal Palace next season!
If someone told me a couple months ago that Emi “wanker” Martinez would score the winning goal for us from a beautiful Jorginho “assist” I’d have said that y’all are high af
Whatever anyone thinks of Arsenal, we are the essential ingredient in all the most entertaining premier league matches for this season. Twice we came from behind against a good Villa side and completely battered them into submission 2nd half. What’s deliciously ironic about Martinez’ time wasting antics are the 10 years he wasted at Arsenal which no ref can ever give back. Emery was reportedly embarrassed by his keepers charge up the field at the death which contributed to our 4th goal. The rest of us are just embarrassed it takes him about 2 minutes to kick a clearance straight… Read more »