The three Arsenal players that disappointed me against Aston Villa

Aston Villa inflicted significant damage to Arsenal’s title hopes with a late double in their meeting on Sunday evening.

The match, which appeared to be heading for a draw, sprang to life in the dying minutes when Leon Bailey (a second-half substitute) and Ollie Watkins scored in short succession for the 2-0 Villa win.

Mikel Arteta’s team selection raised many questions, but Gunners who played but fell short of expectations must take accountability. Some players were disappointing, and here are three I thought were below par:

Oleksandr Zinchenko

Zinchenko was poor. He struggled in a game where he should have established himself as the reliable option at left back. With his inverted left-back role, he became a liability, providing plenty of room at left-back for Villa to exploit. He also struggled to win his duels.

Leandro Trossard

He initially demonstrated quick feet and good pressing. But he squandered a clear chance. He received a rare opportunity to start but did not take advantage of it. His lack of influence on the left wing led many to remark that he should have come off the bench yesterday; he’s better as a super sub.

David Raya

He was decent at first, but there wasn’t much to do, he didn’t even make a save. The first Villa goal was entirely his fault; he was unable to contain a cross from the Villains’ left flank, and Leon Bailey appeared on the other side to push the ball and give the visitors the lead. His catastrophic errors towards the end of the game overwhelmed any previous accomplishments.