Who is Arsenal’s Player of the Season so far?
Martin Macdonald
- 24 Dec 2021 10:38 GMT
- 3 min read
In the first couple of months of the season, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was the bookies' favourite to face the sack in the Premier League.
But, the Spaniard has successfully overseen an upturn in form which has seen Arsenal reach the top four at Christmas for the first time in years.
The Gunners were the biggest spenders in the summer window, bringing in Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White Martin Odegaard, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Albert Sambi Lokonga and Nuno Tavares.
It has certainly taken a while for the new-look squad to generate some cohesion, but things are looking decent at the Emirates at the moment.
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Here are Arsenal's top three performers of the season so far.
3. Takehiro Tomiyasu
Sometimes, a transfer just works, with the incoming player taking to a league like they have been playing in it their whole career.
That is the case with Tomiyasu as he has been excellent since his transfer from Bologna in the summer, solving Arsenal's trouble right-back position.
In recent seasons, Hector Bellerin disappointed in that area, while Cedric Soares and Ben Chambers were never more than backup options.
Tomiyasu has come in and provided not only much-needed stability on the right-hand side of the backline, but he gives them a good outlet on the flank going forward.
He may not be as marauding as Kieran Tierney, but he is calm and composed on the ball.
Since his arrival at the club, he has played every single minute of Premier League football.
2. Emile Smith Rowe
Emile Smith Rowe is unlucky not to take the top spot here, but the fact is that he has actually dropped out of the starting XI recently.
And, although that is not a cause of concern and actually promising for Arsenal as it shows they have options in the final third now, Smith Rowe's status as a truly key player has declined every so slightly.
Even still, he has been great in 2021/22, scoring seven goals and recording two assists in 14 starts in the Premier League so far.
His youthful exuberance is representative of what this Arsenal team is - he just needs to keep fighting to win his place back, and he will, eventually.
1. Aaron Ramsdale
Many, many eyebrows were raised when Arsenal decided to spend big on a goalkeeper who had been relegated in consecutive seasons with Bournemouth and Sheffield United respectively.
But, Ramsdale has proved all his doubters wrong to become the club's best performer in the top flight so far.
The England international is developing a world class reputation as a shot-stopper, and although he can be accused of doing saves for the cameras on occasion, who cares if he keeps the ball out the back of the net?
He has made 53 saves so far this campaign which puts him sixth on the list for the most in the league, but he is also the first goalkeeper from the top four to feature.
Ramsdale has the fourth-best clean sheet record, and the sixth-best record for High Claims also.
