Pain in the Arsenal
Fansided

Arsenal 2020/21 Team of the Season

By Ross Kennerley

LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal celebrates with teammates Rob Holding, Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny, Hector Bellerin, Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andrew Boyers - Pool/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 26: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal celebrates with teammates Rob Holding, Emile Smith Rowe, Mohamed Elneny, Hector Bellerin, Gabriel Martinelli, Alexandre Lacazette and Bukayo Saka after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium on December 26, 2020 in London, England. The match will be played without fans, behind closed doors as a Covid-19 precaution. (Photo by Andrew Boyers - Pool/Getty Images) /
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Arsenal, Emile Smith Rowe
LONDON, ENGLAND – MAY 06: Emile Smith Rowe (L) of Arsenal is helped up by team mate Thomas Partey as they both look dejected following the UEFA Europa League Semi-final Second Leg match between Arsenal and Villarreal. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /

Midfielders

Thomas Partey (CM) – From that first match against Rapid Vienna where within seconds he oozed his quality and stood head and shoulders above his teammates to present day, Partey has been a disappointment.

Injuries have played a huge role in that, so too the state of his arrival mid-pandemic and the quality around him, but he will know as well as anyone that he hasn’t lived up to his billing. Improvements are needed. Yet, despite that, he is still legions ahead of the other options at the club. Next season will be his time to shine.

Granit Xhaka (CM) – Remove the obvious two from the equation and there is a strong case for Xhaka being the Player of the Season at Arsenal. Erasing that pre-Christmas run (which we shouldn’t do) and he’s been one of the most consistent operators in the side.

He shouldn’t get the gong and it’s more a testament to the overall quality within the side that he’s in and around the top, but nobody can deny Arsenal are a better team without him in the engine room. Even his most staunch critics.

Emile Smith Rowe (AM) – Without any shadow of a doubt. And what more testament to his transformative impact on Arsenal than some calls for him to even be chosen for Player of the Season? We all point to the role he’s had in the side since his inclusion against Chelsea, with Arsenal’s winning percentage with Smith Rowe starting in the 60’s with the same figure down at 30% without him.

He’s just brilliant. Nobody attacks space with the vision he has for the next phase and his runs with and without the ball are both instinctive and ingenious. Such a glorious talent.

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