Mikel Arteta has said the VAR had a "difficult" decision when awarding a handball that denied Arsenal a game-winning goal against Aston Villa on Saturday.

LONDON — The Arsenal vs Aston Villa player ratings were a lot of fun to dish out after a pulsating clash on Saturday. Arsenal were 2-0 up and cruising but Aston Villa came flying back and grabbed an unlikely point to dent the Gunners’ title push. Below are the Arsenal vs Aston Villa player ratings out of 10, with analysis on each player.

It may still be too early to definitively call time on Arsenal’s Premier League title bid, but the size of this blow to Mikel Arteta’s team cannot be underestimated.

Renée Slegers, the interim head coach of Arsenal since October 15, has finally been offered a contract and will become the ninth different permanent manager of the club.

Arsenal appoint Renee Slegers as head coach on a permanent basis after an impressive spell in charge as interim boss.

Slegers, contracted until the end of next season, is no stranger to Arsenal. She was in their academy from 2006 to 2007 and returned as part of Eidevall’s backroom staff at the start of the 2023-24 season after succeeding him as head coach at Swedish side FC Rosengard.