Arsenal: End of season player rankings

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LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 03: Mesut Ozil of Arsenal runs with the ball as Cesar Azpilicueta of Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on January 3, 2018 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

2. Mesut Ozil

Like many of the players on this list, Mesut Ozil suffered through periods of poor form, or at least poor availability. His strange injuries in the latter half of the season have led many to greatly question the commitment of the German, a question that is only intensified because of his languid, sometimes a little lazy, style.

But look beyond his questionable injury record and you will see another excellent season, though not quite as impressive as his remarkable 2015/16 campaign. Four goals and eight assists in 2164 league minutes may not sound that impressive, but he ranked ninth in regards assist per 90 minutes and second in key passes per 90 minutes behind Cesc Fabregas with 3.5 key passes per 90 minutes. The only other players to top three key passes per 90 minutes were Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard, with 3.1.

There were moments when Ozil what at his very best. During November, December and January, there were few players that were as creative and influential as the German, including several staggering performances, the most incredible one being an utter dismantling of Huddersfield Town on a Wednesday night. Ozil wasn’t quite at his best, but he was close, and, in this underwhelming season, it is enough to see him rank very close to the top indeed.

Andrew: 1st; Josh 3rd

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