Winners and Losers: Aston Villa (a)

On Saturday morning, not even three days after a difficult and demanding match against Liverpool in London, Arsenal traveled to Birmingham to take on Aston Villa. It was a fixture that invited nervousness. After all, it was the Gunners’ third match in six days, and against a Villa side who had found some form under Steven Gerrard. However, Arsenal rose to the challenge, snatching a 0-1 win and a big three points. They now enter an international break still firmly in the lead for a top four place. Below are five Winners and three Losers from the side’s fifth successive away win.

Winners

Bukayo Saka

If anyone has earned themselves a rest, it’s the young Englishman. Having started all three matches this week, covered much ground on and off the ball, and faced constant fouling in the process, Saka looked exhausted when his number came up on the board. But his contribution today was critical, as his 10th goal in all competitions proved the winner. This week especially, Saka has shown the fortitude to keep producing and pushing himself to the limit, even in the face of cynical challenges and officials who look the other way. And despite being absolutely knackered, he ran Ashley Young ragged and forced Tyrone Mings into a few awkward moment as well. He’s not just one of the best players at Arsenal; he may be one of the best players in the league now, too.

Bernd Leno

When it was announced that Aaron Ramsdale would miss Saturday’s match with a hamstring issue, uncertainty among Gooners regarding the fixture continued to climb. Leno is a top-notch shot stopper, but his distribution has often been found wanting in critical moments. But against Villa, he came into the starting lineup and didn’t put a foot wrong, except for one wayward long ball that landed in the dugout. He also made some crucial saves late on in the match. Leno hasn’t deserved to spend the season on the bench, and hopefully he can find a better situation for himself elsewhere in the summer. However, his contribution on Saturday was vital, and he earned his clean sheet.

Emile Smith Rowe

Also confined to the bench in recent weeks, Gabriel Martinelli’s absence allowed Smith Rowe to start on the left wing on Saturday. While he didn’t grab a goal as has almost become customary now, he was superb on the ball all game. His silky drives from midfield constantly gave Villa something to think about, and he was consistently secure in possession as well. The Hale End product added a much-needed energy to Arsenal’s offensive game. Even while Saka and Martinelli are starring, Smith Rowe is still showing that he too has a bright future.

Benjamin White

Ahead of the match, former Villa forward Gabriel Agbonlahor criticized White, calling him slow and stating that Gerrard’s men should target him going forward. But the English defender proved the opposite to be true on the day. He spent much of the match engaged in a physical battle with Ollie Watkins, and came out the resounding winner. He was quick, strong, and imperious in the air. And with Ramsdale not in goal, much of the responsibility of building attacks from the back fell to him, which he didn’t shy away from either. White has been immense lately, and is one of Arsenal’s standout performers this season. He’s a dreamboat on and off the pitch.

Rob Holding

The arrival of White and his subsequent chemistry with Gabriel has meant a season of mostly coming off the bench for Holding. But as the season has progressed, he has developed an interesting role. In matches when Arsenal are holding a narrow lead and can’t dominate possession to see things out, Mikel Arteta has brought Holding on to form a low block with the rest of the Gunners’ defense. It has worked a charm, and continued in that fashion on Saturday. Holding’s appearance on the touchline in the 86th minute was a harbinger of doom for Villa. Hopefully he won’t be needed much, but it is nice to know that on the Arsenal bench is a man who spells the end for opposition teams’ hopes of scoring a late goal.

Losers

Nicolas Pepe

When a substitute comes on in a forward position, they normally have two jobs: score or create a goal, and don’t lose the ball too much. In a tight match with massive top four implications, Pepe came on and accomplished neither objective. He was clumsy in possession, usually failing to beat his man and ending up halfway up the pitch while Villa mounted a counterattack. His passes were wayward, and he failed to serve as an especially effective outlet for his teammates. He even made a foul on the edge of Arsenal’s penalty area to give Villa one last chance to score in the dying seconds of the match. Pepe managed to pack 90 minutes’ worth of a Hall of Shame performance into a half-hour cameo, and Arteta surely won’t be impressed.

Alexandre Lacazette

There isn’t much more to say on this topic that hasn’t already been said. Lacazette simply wasn’t good at the linkup play he normally is quite reliable for. And when that happens, he doesn’t offer much else. His choice to attempt a shot that was immediately blocked when Odegaard was unmarked with only the goal ahead of him was especially infuriating. An upgrade in the position is the highest of priorities this summer.

Granit Xhaka

Xhaka is not included here because of his performance against Villa. Indeed, he was actually quite good. Xhaka is a Loser from the Villa match because Premier League referees treat him differently, and did so again on Saturday. While Matty Cash was allowed to commit five fouls without seeing yellow, Xhaka was booked for “persistent fouling” after his first offense of the affair. It is becoming asinine how much Xhaka is treated like a thug with cleats on while players around him perform worse acts unhampered and unpunished. The Swiss midfielder may be guilty of his fair share of poor decisions, but he does not deserve to be singled out by referees the way that he is. Unfortunately, it will probably continue until his final match in England.

If you enjoyed this article, follow me on Twitter @dopegooner.