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.

Aston Villa came back from 2-0 down to rescue a draw against Arsenal in the Premier League. Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz scored either side of half-time to put the home side in a commanding position, but they were pegged back.

On their remarkable run from New Year's Day 2014 to the final day of the season, there was just one opponent who managed to beat Arsenal in the Premier League. In doing so Aston Villa effectively derailed Mikel Arteta's title bid,

Arsenal closed the gap on Premier League leader Liverpool to four points after a 2-1 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday. Mikel Arteta’s team took advantage of Liverpool’s draw with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday,

Gunners writers decide how they think Mikel Arteta should line his side up for their Premier League clash against Aston Villa

Predicted Arsenal XI to face Aston Villa. Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Odegaard, Partey, Rice; Sterling, Havertz, Martinelli. Where to watch Arsenal vs Aston Villa