OUR man looks at how Arsene Wenger’s side have done so far this season.
Season so far?
A real mixed bag. On December 10 Arsenal went top of the Premier League after coming from behind to beat Stoke 3-1. But just eight days later and Arsenal’s title hopes are in tatters, following back-to-back defeats away to Everton and Manchester City, with Arsene Wenger’s men now sitting in fourth.
November is traditionally a poor month for Arsenal but this year they avoided defeat, raising hopes for a genuine title challenge. But unfortunately December has turned into a nightmare - they are nine points behind leaders Chelsea.
Highlight
Perhaps that victory over Stoke to go top of the table. Or maybe beating Basle 4-1 away to top their Champions League group for the first time since the 2011/12 season (only to draw Bayern Munich again in the knockout rounds). Or their 5-1 win away at West Ham where Alexis Sanchez scoring a stunning 15-minute hat-trick. Or comfortably dispatching Chelsea 3-0 back in September.
In short there’s been plenty of positive moments for Arsenal this season but the manner in which they crumbled to successive 2-1 defeats at Goodison Park and the Etihad mean it will not be the most joyous Christmas ever seen in the Wenger household.
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Lowlight
All four of Arsenal’s defeats have been particularly chastening this season. The loss at City felt significant, but at Everton days before was arguably worse as they aren’t a title contender. Losing 2-0 at home to Southampton to give up a trophy shout in the EFL Cup was also embarrassing.
But going down 4-3 on the opening day of the season at home to Liverpool was shockingly bad. Arsenal went ahead and were 1-1 at half-time, before falling apart to go 3-1 down when Sadio Mane went round two Gunners defenders and fired home a la Thierry Henry.
Best player
Alexis Sanchez. Alexis Sanchez. Alexis Sanchez. The Chile star is undeniably Arsenal’s best player and arguably the stand-out star of the Premier League.
Having been moved from the wing to Arsenal’s lone striker this season by Wenger, Sanchez has shone scoring 12 Premier League goals and providing six assists.
Also worth mentioning how impresive Skhodran Mustafi has been this season, since his £35m move in the summer. Hugely missed recently through injury and still hasn’t lost in a red and white shirt.
Worst player
On the basis of the last two games, Mesut Ozil. He really disappears when it matters. But lets not get too negative, Ozil is great the majority of the time.
Olivier Giroud has done little, but has been kept out the team by Sanchez. Aaron Ramsey has disappointed, as has Kieran Gibbs.
But Arsenal’s worst player is Carl Jenkinson. After toiling in the EFL Cup defeat to Southampton, Wenger made the rare admission that the right-back was struggling. Wanted for a third spell at West Ham and surely doesn’t have a long-term future at the Emirates because he simply is not good enough.
New Year hopes
It has to be getting Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil to sign new contracts. Sanchez and Ozil are both yet to agree extensions with their current deals expiring in 18 months and both players demanding over £200,000-a-week deals to stay.
The nature of Arsenal’s last two defeats has put their contract situations under a huge spotlight and Wenger will be desperate to see them sign in the New Year. Although he is out of contract in the summer so really it is a major club concern.
Arsenal fans can still dream about the title (and the Champions League) but would probably settle for the FA Cup (again) and a top-four spot. Sad but true.
Transfer plans
Wenger has basically ruled out making any signings in January, citing the likes of Olivier Giroud and Lucas Perez who are not getting games and the returning from injury Danny Welbeck to prove he is well-stocked up front.
The Frenchman recently described Aaron Ramsey as “like a new signing” as he comes back from injury troubles this season, while Per Mertesacker’s comeback from a long-term knee injury bolsters his defensive options.
Arsenal do have money to spend, they have millions of cash reserves. But their priority to to tie down Sanchez and Ozil to new contracts, not to mention the likes of Santi Cazorla, Ramsey, Giroud and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Arsenal have been linked with a surprise move for Sunderland goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, 22, and any January signings are likely to be ones for the future.
Wenger is thought to be keen on Borussia Dortmund forward Marco Reus and West Ham playmaker Dimitri Payet as potential replacements for Sanchez and/or Ozil, but deals for players like that rarely ever happen in January.
Julian Draxler certainly won’t be joining after he completed a £38m move to Paris Saint-Germain.