Fewer touches than Martinez: AVFC passenger again proved he's "not enough" for Gerrard - opinion

Aston Villa fell to to their second consecutive defeat in the Premier League today after losing 1-0 to Arsenal at Villa Park in the lunchtime kick-off.

Bukayo Saka’s 30th-minute goal was enough to separate the two sides, with Steven Gerrard’s team managing just one shot on target all day.

The Villans remain ninth in the table, with numerous matches postponed this weekend due to other clubs’ FA Cup commitments, but they will certainly be disappointed to follow up three consecutive wins with back-to-back defeats, even if those were against Champions League-chasing duo West Ham and Arsenal.

There was little threat in the final third from the home side, with Emiliano Buendia particularly struggling to make an impact against the Gunners.

Handed a 6.7/10 rating by SofaScore, the Argentine had just 36 touches during his 69 minutes of action, fewer than goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s 44. Moreover, the 25-year-old didn’t take a single shot or even attempt a dribble or cross in more than an hour of football.

In fairness to the winger, Buendia enjoyed an 88% passing accuracy whilst contributing defensively with one tackle, one interception and two clearances, also winning half of his duels.

However, it was another frustrating match for the 25-year-old, who joined from Norwich City for a club-record transfer fee of £38m last summer but is still yet to offer evidence that he will eventually live up to that substantial billing.

The Argentine has scored just twice so far for Villa, contributing four assists alongside in 28 appearances across all competitions, having netted 15 times and set up a further 17 goals in the Championship for Norwich last term.

Getting more from Buendia in the final third is certainly a puzzle that Steven