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The Arsenal faithful were infused with new hope when the Gunners leapfrogged their bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspurs in the league table days ago. Unai Emery surely deserves to take some credit for making Arsenal into genuine top 4 contenders again.
However, some of the Arsenal players have cost the Spanish manager time and time again in the league due to their inconsistencies. Another massive disappointment has recently hit the Gunners as they succumbed to a narrow defeat to 9th-placed Everton. The loss ultimately has taken them a step back outside the top 4.
Now let's take a look at 3 flops who have been too costly for Emery in the league this season.
#1 Stephan Lichtsteiner
Arsenal had high hopes for the Swiss defender when they decided to take him from Juventus for free just a year ago. He had still performed excellently for Juventus and the Swiss national team at the World Cup although he has long past the age of 30.
He also caught the public's attention for his impactful performance for Juventus against Tottenham in last season's Champions League. Hence, it was a no brainer bringing him to Arsenal to provide a boost for their shambolic defense.
However, he has now become a liability for Arsenal due to his costly errors on several occasions. His defending stats have massively dipped compared to his outstanding World Cup run. He has registered an average of just 1 tackle and 0.5 interceptions for Arsenal in the league, down from 3 and 1.7 respectively at the World Cup.
His offensive contribution for Arsenal is also next to nothing as he is yet to find a goal or an assist in the league. He is clearly not up to the required standard for Arsenal at his current state and would most likely not stay beyond this season.
#2 Shkodran Mustafi
Everybody knows that the German has been the main culprit behind the Gunners's shambolic backline. Many of the Arsenal faithful had high hopes for the former Valencia star to significantly strengthen their defense when the club decided to buy him for a record fee.
However, his too frequent schoolboy mistakes have led Arsenal to more trouble. His misplaced passes and fatal dispossessions have made scoring look easy for his opponents. He has been fortunate enough to have a large chunk of game time due to Laurent Koscielny's fitness problems this season.
#3 Mesut Ozil
The German playmaker has arguably been the biggest disappointment for Arsenal this season. The former Real Madrid playmaker might have successfully convinced his club to give him a massive pay packet due to his excellent form in the previous seasons.
However, he has been nowhere near his best since he signed an eye-watering £350,000 a week contract. He gradually lost his starting place in the league due to inconsistencies. His productivity has even plummeted as he has just scored and assisted once since November. He is now no longer the King of assists who the Gunners once knew.
Emery decided to start the German again in Arsenal's last 5 matches at different positions without finding much luck. Hence, it could be just about time before the manager decides to bench him again. He will not even stay beyond this summer at the club if this miserable situation continues.
