Zion Suzuki: The £30m arrival from Parma made his bow; powerless for the opener. Misread his first corner, but his distribution impressed and should be a real asset this season. 7
Matty Cash: Dependable as usual and edged his battle with Christos Tzolis, who was withdrawn at half-time. 6
Pau Torres: Helped contain Arsenal until the second-half breakthrough. 6
Victor Lindelof: The Swede worked diligently to keep Arsenal quiet and hasn’t disappointed since arriving on a free. 6
Ian Maatsen: With new signing Matteo Ruggeri waiting in the wings, he faced a stern test from Bukayo Saka and was beaten in the build-up to the goal. 6
Boubacar Kamara: Integral to Villa’s approach, he screened the defence superbly to frustrate the Gunners until Saka’s strike. 7
Ross Barkley: The former Everton man is enjoying a fresh chance as Villa rebuild and tried to keep play flowing for the hosts. 6
John McGinn: The captain lashed one over and, as ever, brought relentless energy in an effort to unsettle Arsenal. 6
Emi Buendia: Rattled the bar early and provided a creative spark but lacked the decisive final touch. 6
George Hemmings: The highly rated 19-year-old showed no fear against the champions and threatened before the break, notably with a dangerous low cross. 7
Nicolas Jackson: The £65m club-record buy, stepping in for Ollie Watkins, showed flashes of promise and will need time to settle. 6
Subs:
Tammy Abraham (on 71, Jackson): Involved despite Ipswich’s loan interest, but couldn’t find an equaliser. 6
Alysson (on 71, Hemmings): Injected energy in a lively second-half cameo. 6
Alejandro Garnacho (on 78, Barkley): Couldn’t produce late inspiration. 5
Aaron Wan-Bissaka (on 78, Cash): Introduced late for a brief debut. 5
Subs not used: Bizot, Bogarde, Lynch, Mings, Ruggeri