Arsenal vs Villarreal: Full Player Ratings

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Arsenal vs Villarreal Pre-Season Player Ratings: Dowman Wins Penalty, Odegaard Converts, Defense Struggles.
Arsenal returned to the Emirates Stadium after their Asian pre-season tour to face Villarreal. but suffered a disappointing second pre-season defeat. conceding three goals—including one from former Gunner Nicolas Pepe.

Match Summary:

Arsenal found themselves trailing early as Nicolas Pepe struck against his former club. His long-range effort hit the post and bounced off David Raya, eventually finding Pepe again for a close-range finish.

Things got worse when Karl Etta Eyong capitalized on a rebound at the back post, and later, Christian Norgaard headed in from a corner after poor marking left him unchallenged.

Although Villarreal extended their lead via Arnaut Danjuma, Arsenal responded through Martin Odegaard, who converted a penalty won by promising youngster Max Dowman.

Player Ratings:

David Raya – 6/10
Unlucky with the ricochet that led to the opener. Made a good save prior to the second goal but lacked defensive support.

Ben White – 6/10
Effective going forward, frequently overlapping Saka, but caught out defensively during key Villarreal attacks.

William Saliba – 7/10
Calm and composed. Dealt well with several 1v1 situations and showed class under pressure.

Jakub Kiwior – 5/10
Struggled with positioning, especially for Pepe’s goal. Not his best outing.

Myles Lewis-Skelly – 6/10
Showed great flair and footwork in midfield but was partly at fault for one of Villarreal’s goals due to a lapse in positioning.

Christian Norgaard – 7/10
High work rate and defensive presence. Delivered on his promise from set-pieces with a well-taken header.

Mikel Merino – 6/10
Good movement in the left channel, but lacked creative support. Improved after Zubimendi came on.

Ethan Nwaneri – 7/10
Energetic and technical. Created moments of danger but once took the ball off Gyokeres in a promising area.

Bukayo Saka – 6/10
Consistently beat his man down the right but lacked end product with final passes and shots.

Gabriel Martinelli – 5/10
Frustrated fans with poor decision-making. Did assist the Norgaard goal but was otherwise quiet.

Viktor Gyokeres – 6/10
Showed flashes of promise. Came close in the second half but lacked sharpness in front of goal.

Substitute Ratings:

Kepa Arrizabalaga – 5/10
Caught in no man’s land for Villarreal’s third goal. Needs better decision-making under pressure.

Martin Zubimendi – 7/10

Controlled the tempo well after coming on. More direct and progressive than others in midfield.

Cristhian Mosquera – 6/10
Versatile display across defense. Looked solid and composed.

Gabriel Magalhães – 6/10
Initially shaky but grew into the game. Decent defensive contribution.

Jurrien Timber – 6/10
Great to see him return from injury. Showed sharpness with a clever spin that led to a chance.

Final Thoughts:
Despite some bright moments from youngsters like Dowman and a composed performance from Saliba, Arsenal will be disappointed with their defensive lapses. As the Premier League season nears, Mikel Arteta has key areas to address—particularly defensive structure and sharpness in the final third.