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Arsenal: End of season player rankings

By Andrew Dowdeswell

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 6, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 06: Arsene Wenger, Manager of Arsenal shows appreciation to the fans after the Premier League match between Arsenal and Burnley at Emirates Stadium on May 6, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Granit Xhaka
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – APRIL 29: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal celebrates his sides second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on April 29, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

3. Granit Xhaka

The much-maligned, oft-criticised, forever-vilified Granit Xhaka. More than any other ranking in this whole list, having Xhaka as the third best player in the squad is a damning indictment on the quality of many of the individual performances. Xhaka was perfectly adequate and improved significantly as the season progressed, but he would not be in the top-ten of any other top-six squad.

That said, there were some very real and substantial positives from Xhaka last season. His passing improved drastically, his defensive acumen increased, he was more aware of danger, and from February onwards, he limited the lapses in concentration that had many screaming at him for much of his first 18 months in north London.

There is still much work to be done, but with legs around him, as he had with Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey in the team that ended the season as Arsene Wenger’s preferred starting XI, Xhaka has the quality to flourish. People won’t like it but he actually played well, especially in the latter months.

Andrew: 4th; Josh: 2nd

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