Arsenal’s 2022/23 midseason awards: Best player, best performance & more

Kenneth Daly

Best Player: Ben White – There is a long list of contenders for this honour, but White has been a stalwart in his adapted defensive role all season (even benching the excellent Takehiro Tomiyasu) and deserves great acclaim.

Best Performance: Brentford 0-3 Arsenal – From a collective viewpoint, the resounding 3-0 win at Brentford stands out due to the immense quality and professionalism shown in a tricky encounter. On an individual level, Gabriel Jesus’ two-goal haul on a brilliant Emirates debut against Leicester takes the prize.

Biggest Surprise: Top of the League – While it might not be a huge surprise given the strength of our first team and Arteta’s expertise, a title challenge still seemed some way off when the season began and most considered third/fourth spot to be a realistic target. I’m not sure anyone expected us to have a five-point lead by Christmas though!

Biggest Disappointment: Draw at Southampton – Not much has disappointed Arsenal fans this term, but the 1-1 draw away to Southampton was hard to accept. The dropped points owed to some poor finishing and saw us hand Manchester City an immediate reprieve after their defeat at Anfield two weeks beforehand.

Overall grade: A – Top of the Premier League and top of our Europa League group. Can’t ask for more than that.

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