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It has not been an easy start for Arsenal this season, as they find themselves in 10th position in the league table, 14 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. The coaching staff seems to have lost the plot completely, while the players have lost the will to win.
Amidst all the crisis, there certainly are some positives to take forward this season. This has been the Gunners' worst start to the season in the last 43 years, and the board has to be blamed as much as the players and the coaching staff. However, right now, there is a need for a positive environment amongst Arsenal fans.
The club is in shambles, but some players have stood out despite the mess they are being thrown into. On that note, here are 4 of Arsenal's best players this season.
4. Bernd Leno
The keeper with the most saves in the Premier League this season, Bernd Leno has been a class apart for the Gunners since he joined. Saving Arsenal time and time again, the German does not get the credit he deserves, and it is high time the defenders realize where the team would be if not for Leno.
Leno has made the highest number of saves (66) in the Premier League this season, followed by Mat Ryan, Martin Dubravka, Aaron Ramsdale and Tim Krul. The German shot-stopper is the only keeper from the top 10 teams to be on this list, which just goes to show how poor Arsenal's defence has been.
Leno has faced an average of 6 shots a game, more than any other keeper in the top six. The former Bayer Leverkusen man is being asked to do way too much, and it is time for the coaching staff as well as the defenders to bring back some structure in defence, which would eventually reduce the number of shots on target.
The 27-year-old is one of the best goalkeepers in the league, if not the best, but he does not have enough clean sheets to showcase his ability, courtesy of his incredibly inconsistent defence.
Also check out:EPL fixtures EPL table Champions League table
3. Kieran Tierney
Summer signing Kieran Tierney did not have the best of starts at Arsenal after completing his £25 million transfer move from Celtic, because the he was suffering from a back injury. Tierney probably knew he was joining a team which did not boast a great defence, and therefore, he would have to work twice as hard as he did in Scotland.
Although he has not managed to hit top form yet, the left-back has 3 assists and 2 clean sheets already this season. Unai Emery did not feel right to drop Sead Kolasinac from the starting XI, which is why chances in the Premier League were hard to come by for the new signing. However, it looks more and more likely that Tierney will be picked ahead of Kolasinac in the upcoming games, for a few major reasons.
Tierney is an old-school defender, who loves to tackle and win the ball back. Arsenal have had some amazing fullbacks in their ranks in the last decade, but defensively, the Gunners were always deficient. However, despite the fact that Tierney's crosses and offensive abilities are second to none, the former Celtic man rarely gets caught high up on the pitch. He does his defensive duties without fail, a factor Kolasinac is heavily criticised for.
Tierney is a better fullback when compared to Kolasinac and he has proved it on several occasions this season. His crosses into the box are a treat to watch and the likes of Aubameyang and Lacazette would thrive under a system where Tierney can play to his strengths.
Although the Scottish international has not been at his best, whenever he has been given a chance to play, he's made his presence felt and is sure to have a bright future with the club.
2. Gabriel Martinelli
Arsenal's first summer signing was Gabriel Martinelli. A €7 million signing from Ituano, Martinelli has hit the ground running in style, scoring a total of 7 goals and bagging an assist in 6 games played. Arsenal's second-highest scorer is yet to start in the Premier League, but he has made sure he deserves to be an efficient back up to Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in cup competitions.
Not a single soul expected Martinelli to be this good, as rumours suggested that he would be played with the AFC Under 23s in his first season. But the Brazilian has proved himself to be a quality signing, good enough to be in the first team, and maybe even start ahead of Alexandre Lacazette in the games to come.
The reason to include him in this article is pretty simple. The Brazilian capitalises on the chances he gets. The hunger he shows and the consistency he has showcased whenever he has been given the opportunity to play in the starting XI is immense.
When the transfer news broke out in the summer, not many fans were convinced with what Arsenal were buying. Whereas now, the same fans are dying to see him get appearances in the Premier League. A serial poacher, Martinelli is well and truly a star in the making.
1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
With every day passing by, the £56 million Arsene Wenger paid to bring Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Arsenal seems to be a bargain, to say the least. Only six players in the Gunners' history have hit a half-century in goals faster than the Gabon international, who has reached the milestone in 78 games. And the club is not doing enough to secure his future at the club.
Aubameyang is the third-highest scorer in the league right now, after Unai Emery and Ljungberg have played him everywhere but as a centre-forward. The 31-year-old is a proven goalscorer and won the PL Golden Boot in his first full season at Arsenal, scoring 22 goals. Yet again this term, the Gabonese has not failed to deliver for his team, despite not having any proper service for him and feeding on scraps in every game.
If Arsenal fails to secure Champions League football for next season, they face the prospect of having to sell their club captain to balance their books, and the 31-year-old has buyers waiting to pounce, even on the slightest of chances.
Aubameyang has been Arsenal's most consistent player by far in the last two years, scoring goals for fun, and losing him would be a nightmare for the club.
