Arsenal: Top 3 Players That Deserve Coal on Christmas

Arsenal have had a miserable year. One that reflects on supporters.

Which is why Christmas comes around at the perfect time. It’s a far cry from a ‘normal’ Christmas, but it arrives to provide us all welcome respite from the weekly agony that is Arsenal Football Club.

Just as us fans and regular folk buckle down for the holidays, so too do many of the professionals who – sometimes – bring us joy on a whole new level. Watching your team secure three points (whatever that feels like) or even just score (whatever that also feels like) is a pleasurable side-note to the rest of what we do with ourselves.

Likewise, when none of that is forthcoming, it can ruin our weekend. We’ve had plenty of those this season.

Without delving deep into the reasons behind that, a lot of it comes down to the players. Too many of this Arsenal squad have either underwhelmed or completely nonwhelmed(?) this season, whether that is performance-related or otherwise.

Picking out three in particular who aren’t deserving of Christmas presents this year is no easy task, although this trio, it’s fair to say, deserve coal this year.

Nicolas Pepe & Granit Xhaka

These two come as a package.

Arsenal have received a foolish number of red cards under Mikel Arteta‘s tenure, the like of which has prompted discussion over the the disciplinary issues within this squad.

Are they overworked? Are their attitudes not in line with the festive spirit?

While a few of the red cards had no malicious intent, two of them – four Premier League matches apart – were totally un-Christmas-like responses that can’t be excused.

While we don’t know what was said to Nicolas Pepe at Elland Road, no amount of winding up or dirty tactics from opponents can justify headbutting someone. Yes, it was more like a headprod, but the outcome is the same. Pop off for an early shower and hamstring your team.

Granit Xhaka was no better. He reacted aggressively having given away a foul, opting to put his hands around Ashley Westwood‘s neck out of the view of the referee. Needless, pointless and stupid. Of course VAR picked it up on the cameras, and off he went.

It’s coal for these two this year.

Dani Ceballos

Fight – also referred to as desire or passion in football – is something every supporter wants to see in their team as a whole, but also individually.

Do they fight for the badge?

Do they look like they care?

Say what you want of Dani Ceballos, but he can’t be classed as someone who doesn’t embody these traits. In his first spell at the club on loan, it was the fist-pumping, elaborate celebrations that helped endear him to supporters. Although, oftentimes, that drive didn’t quite transfer into performances full of quality.

This season he’s back. However, said fight is occurring in the wrong places.

He’s managed to get himself involved in two scraps this season (that we know of) with Eddie Nketiah and David Luiz. The former was on the opening day during the warm-up, where he showed too much tenacity in an unnecessary tackle, while the latter ended with him punching his Brazilian teammate on the nose.

While you can’t look into player scuffles all too much (they happen all the time), we’d have preferred that aggression he be channeled in a different way. I’m sure Santa would agree.

Coal it is.

Willian

This one is straight down to performance level: Willian has been exceedingly poor since making the move north of the capital. Really, really bad.

Don’t even bother reading into the fact he has three assists to his name in the Premier League, which is more than any other Arsenal player, because they don’t tell the whole story. Not even close.

If this is a sign of what he’s capable (or bothered) of producing just a few months into a deal that will last three years, then the upcoming seasons are set to be painful. A lack of work-rate, hunger or impact is not what fans were promised, or indeed hoped for, upon his signing.

The defeat to Everton was the lowest of the low, a display indicative of someone who couldn’t give a flying toss about the club who employ him and the fans that follow.

Add to all that a decision to fly to Dubai on holiday, one that was made for apparent image rights reasons but included various photos of him not being very socially distanced, was strongly ill-advised.

There is a time and a place for such ventures and, spoiler, it’s not when the team are dire form and you’re playing dreadfully. Just saying.

Coal x100.