Aston Villa vs Arsenal: Notebook

My match notes from watching and rewatching the match

Ready for this one. Arsenal just one change, Timber for Zinchenko. Jesus out and that hurts the look of the bench.

Still feel pretty good about the team.

The Villa crowd looks up for it, nice atmosphere coming through the TV.

1 Timber already holding a better line, than what Zinchenko is known to do. Got Bailey offside.

2 Timber already getting action. Good strength to receive in midfield and drives forward last Onana. His pass is intercepted (sort of telegraphed it).

Onana down getting treatment after bouncing off Timber. Blow to the head there.

5 Odegaard nice little touch, good pass from Partey inside there. Odegaard should do more on the edge of the box.

7 Arsenal pressing, where is Partey? On a zoom out he’s way behind the play

7 Arsenal have a good break. Martinelli pass just misses odegaard. Decent back post cross from Saka aimed at Havertz. Started from good play deep. Risky Timber pass that comes off. It looked like the weight might not have been right but good from Havertz to get to the ball.

This Martinelli pass and run was perfect and what I want to see from him. He doesn’t wait too long, picked his head up and made a good pass and I think the right choice here. Odegaard choosing to dummy it (behind him a bit) was probably the less ideal choice in this sequence.

Arsenal did get a shot (Rice) but pretty weak effort. 9% xG

10 Havertz nearly steals the ball there. Called for a foul, a bit soft but good. Arsenal in the midblock looking to jump passes and break if it is there.

11 Partey showing some strength winning the ball. Villa wanted a foul not given. This was good from him, got tight but stayed strong to not get spun and beat.

12 Martinelli over hits a cross. Aimed for back post, I think he’s got the quality to have better delivery there. Cash down looks like a hammy, bummer for him.

15 Villa down to 10 men forcing Bailey to play right back. Martinelli has a great run here on his blindside. Rice just misses making the pass. This is an area where the attacking instincts aren’t quite at the elite level.

16 Saka. Ahhh. Great save. Nice pass from Odegaard. Partey did good cleaning up a loose ball to keep the attack ticking over. Saka placed that well.

6.5% xG shot

17 bullshit foul call on the corner. Martinez diving, Arsenal were pretty dangerous but no shot. I’d hope on review that’s not a foul. That was contact from his own player if anything.

18 Saliba a little iffy on the header, Gabriel able to help it out. That is an area for improvement for him.

Arsenal’s buildup against the midblock has been something that looks to be 3-2 and then 4-1. Timber alternating between the lines and from being wide and actually in the center.

In this sequence he starts next to Partey drops next to Saliba, while the ball quickly shifts over to Gabriel who plays a nice pass into Partey running to break the first line.

Rice slowed the play down there more than I would have liked but still nice little movement.

19 White bad pass, Odegaard changed his run on him. Onana interception and carry. Need to clean that up.

Lots of first half injury time

23 Saliba switch to Martinelli, first touch let’s him down and he over cooks pass to rice. Idea is good just not quite perfect execution.

25 DANGER. Gabriel too slow. Gets caught on the ball, was trying to buy a foul. Watkins misses a gapping net.

Good pressing from Aston Villa. Came hard when it went to Saliba, looked like they had that as the trigger and Arsenal didn’t seem set up to deal with the shape not leaving a passing option.

It might be a foul, especially in the context of what is a foul in this game.

That is a HUGE miss from Watkins there. My model gave that a 75% rating, Opta’s 36%

25 Villa come again at Arsenal on the press, Timber finds him self double teamed on the touch line and loses it.

Arsenal able to win it back (Havertz good interception) and come back the other way. Game opening up a bit for both teams.

Arsenal looking a couple different ways of making the 4-2 shape in build up here. Starts with Timber at the center, and then he steps forward with Raya stepping up to make the 4.

31 Partey doesn’t need to foul there, but not the worst. Villa take it quick (Partey needs to be more cynical and stop that) and almost catch Arsenal out. Arsenal come back quick the other way. Saliba is so aware on that one and stops the danger and sets it off the other way.

33 Havertz. Ahhh make the pass better. He’s done well to break the line. Blows it trying to find Saka, maybe he should have gone near post.

Martinelli does well to win the first header to set things off. Not sure if maybe the earlier pass was on, or maybe Saka needs to get into the near post spot.

34 there is a melee here. McGinn a dick kicking the ball into Saliba and then gets it back from White.

38 White gets through but cutback to no one.

39 Martinelli puts it on a plate for Havertz. Can’t quite get the angle right to shoot. Martinelli can’t really do much better on that one.

Best chance of the game so far for Arsenal. 44% xG on that. Havertz didn’t quite seem to have his body shape right to try and get that one in.

41 Roger’s makes Rice look silly. He has a good cross but Raya is aware and cuts it out.

Damn dangerous. Rays’s claiming makes a huge difference again.

43 Partey caught on edge of the box, might have been a foul. Villa break but Arsenal able to recover with numbers quick enough.

47 Gabriel with a nice little chipped pass into Martinelli. Martinelli tries first time cross but no one really making the run.

Saliba headers aren’t great man.

48 Rice and Partey cannot handle Rodgers.

Rice has to pickup a yellow there with Villa breaking. Bad free kick from Villa so nothing hurt.

50 Onana kicks the shit out of Saka. No card. He is no where near the ball.

First half ends.

Arsenal the better team, Villa danger comes from one mistake Arsenal had a half chance and a really good chance. Overall solid play here.

Second half