Arsenal Mid-Season Awards
OPINION
Introduction
The World Cup has caused a break in the Premier League season and has forced clubs to put a wrench in their plans until Christmas. Arsenal went into the break with a hard fought 2-nil win over Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Emirates with a Martin Odegaard double, which leaves them top of the pile with 37 points. So we have decided to give out mid season awards to 3 players who have had an especially outstanding season up to this point.
Best Defender
Every single one of Arsenal's back 5 have had fantastic season's so far but you really cannot ignore William Saliba's effect on this defence. He has brought incredible composure and calmness to an Arsenal team which people have become accustomed to seeing the most erratic players in the Premier League. Cough, cough: Mustafi and Kolasinac.
Saliba's ability on the ball is incredulous of a player his age and watching him can sometimes make you forget that he is only 21 years old. His incredible passing accuracy and involvement in the build-up have been crucial components in Arsenal's challenge for the title this season but also his spatial awareness and off the ball movement is fantastic. He attempts 76 passes per 90 and completes 92% which is in the top 3% of centre backs this season. He also makes 4.26 passes into the final third per 90 and 3.14 progressive passes per 90 which is in the 82nd and 75th percentile respectively.
Saliba’s ability to read and anticipate where the ball is going to go next is crucial to Arsenal’s capacity to win the ball back. His pace and anticipation helps him get to the ball before the opposition does and he puts attackers off forcing them to make mistakes.
He may not make the highest volume of tackles averaging 1.6 per 90 but this is because of his defensive movement and his ability to make interceptions but also force attackers to make mistakes and lose possession.
Best Midfielder
Arsenal's midfield trio have been outstanding this season and Odegaard(top scorer), Xhaka and Partey have contributed immensely to Arsenal success. But one name hasn't been given the same hype compared to the other two: Thomas Partey.
Thomas Partey has been a force this season and has been crucial to Arsenal ascension to the top of the table but he hasn't often been given the credit he deserves from major pundits and football news stations. Partey is often described as a big man and an imposing figure in the midfield and at 6 '1 he is but there are so many more facets to his game than his size.
Partey personifies elegance when he is on the ball and is commonly seen striding up the pitch with ball at his feet or he extends his long legs out to intercept/tackle the ball from the opponent. Partey is arguably the best No.6 in the league at evading the press and progressing in transition, he carries the ball forward with such ease and mops up any messes in the middle of the park.
The 2x Ghanaian player of the year is a very progressive player who averages 4.83 progressive passes per 90 and 6.22 passes into the final third per 90 which puts them in the 80th and 85th percentile respectively. He also averages 2.73 shot-creating actions per 90. He is also a good defensive player who averages 3.4 tackles and interceptions per 90. Partey’s ability to balance his attacking and defensive ability, this makes him an integral piece of the Arsenal jigsaw.
Best Attacker
Arsenal's forward line of Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka have each scored 5 goals this season in all competitions. They have all been fantastic individually but have been even better as a trio, their hunger and technical ability have made them one of the best attacking units in England this season.
But only one person can win this reward and that person is Gabriel Jesus. He has been brilliant since his arrival in North London and is now seen as the talisman of this Arsenal team. The Brazilian's movement and directness have been lethal this season, his ball carrying has been integral to Arsenal's ability to move the ball from back to front.
Still, Jesus has one big problem:his 10 game streak without a goal. For a striker, this has to be seen as an underperformance, but is it as bad as pundits have been making out? Jesus has only scored 5 goals with a 7.7 XG garnered over 14 games, elite strikers almost always outscore the XG and Jesus has almost 3 goals behind his XG total. This shows his inability to put the ball in the back of the net and his recent lack of finishing ability.
Gabi has averaged 2.79 big chances per 90 but only converted 15% of them per 90 which is in the bottom 24% of premier league strikers. These underlying numbers show more than just Jesus's lack of finishing ability; it also shows that he has been a little unlucky, meaning that eventually he will score more goals.
However, Jesus's chance creating ability is on a different level for a striker, he creates 2.9 big chances per 90 which is the 3rd best in the Premier League. He also has 0.44 expected assists per 90 and 15.43 passes into the final third which is in the 98% and 96% percentile. Additionally, he is fantastic at pressing and winning the ball back, he wins 2.58 tackles per 90 and 1.96 interceptions per 90 which is in the 99% and 90.1% percentile.
Most Improved
A lot of Arsenal players have improved since last season, players like Gabriel Martinelli and Benjamin White. But only one player deserves this award and that is Granit Xhaka. Xhaka has come leaps and bounds from where he was last season. He has become a more attacking player who can help dictate play from an advanced position.
Arteta has changed the way Xhaka fits in the system, making him play higher up and in the half-space. Xhaka is now combining with Martinelli on a more regular bases and works interchangeably with Zinchenko and Nelli.
The Swiss captain has also become more productive with 4 goals and 3 assists, while throughout the entirety of the 21/22 season he only has 1 goal and 2 assists. He is also more progressive averaging 5 progressive passes per 90 and 6.8 passes into the final third which puts him in the 83rd and 90th percentile respectively. Averaging 3.71 shot creating actions per 90 shows how creative he is becoming and the way in which he is becoming more of a threat in the opposition’s half.
