5 Arsenal youngsters who have excelled this season

Arsenal have a long tradition of drafting young talent into the first-team squad, building players’ experience and getting them ready for the big time.

Arsene Wenger has always favoured youth development over big signings and has seen some truly talented players come through the ranks in North London.

While several players are approaching 30 (or have already surpassed it) in the Gunners squad, Wenger has yet another talented bunch of 23-and-unders at his disposal this season, with some of them already established as indispensable Arsenal assets.

But who are the Gunners’ top young players this season? It may not come as a huge shock that midfielders dominate the list of Arsenal’s best performers aged 23 or under.

5) Serge Gnabry – Total Squawka Performance Score: 126

Serge Gnabry

The only player under 20 in the Arsenal squad, Gnabry has been with the Londoners since 2011 but had to wait until October 2012 to make his senior debut. It wasn’t until the current season, though, that the youngster made himself a more imposing presence in the squad.

The now 18-year-old has electrifying pace, having been a promising sprinter when he was younger, and his versatility means he can play out wide or in an advanced central midfield role, using both his speed and vision to threaten the opposing defence.

Usually deployed on the right, though, the majority of his nine performances in the Premier League this season have been solid and his passing reliable. The Germany Under-19 international netted his first Gunners goal back in September in the win over Swansea and will be keen to add to that tally before the end of the campaign.

4) Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Total Squawka Performance Score: 130

A product of Southampton’s superb youth system, Oxlade-Chamberlain moved to Arsenal under the weight of high expectations, with Theo Walcott having made the same move five years earlier.

Oxlade-Chamberlain’s debut may not live long in the memory for Arsenal fans as it came during the 8-2 drubbing at Old Trafford in 2011, but since then he has turned out some big performances and warrants the 13 England caps to his name.

This season has been blighted by injury for the 20-year-old, who went off during the opening-day defeat at home to Aston Villa with a cruciate ligament problem. He made a welcome return in the reverse fixture in January, but it wasn’t until the win over Crystal Palace on 2 February that he showed signs of being back to his best as he bagged both goals in a 2-0 win.

3) Jack Wilshere – Total Squawka Performance Score: 356

It’s quite easy to forget Jack Wilshere is only 22 as it feels like he’s been a part of Arsenal’s midfield forever, and that’s a testament to how quickly the England international has established himself as one of the Gunners’ key players.

His terrier-like attitude has earned him both praise and criticism, as he constantly makes life difficult for the other team in midfield but can often be prone to rash challenges and verbal spats with both opponents and officials.

Wilshere’s game isn’t about goals – he has just three strikes in 23 Premier League appearances – be he is a vital part of Arsenal’s midfield, overseeing things from a deeper role like an army general marshalling his troops. There’s no doubt he will be the fulcrum of the Arsenal team for some time.

2) Aaron Ramsey – Total Squawka Performance Score: 643

Aaron Ramsey

This season was very much looking like the one in which Aaron Ramsey became a true Arsenal star. The Welsh midfielder added goals to his portfolio, scoring eight times in the first 13 league games of the season as he helped the Gunners win 10 of those matches.

Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, injury struck at Christmas and he hasn’t played since Boxing Day thanks to a niggling thigh problem which refuses to go away. It looks like the Gunners will still be without him for some time.

If and when he does return, though, he could be a vital boost to Wenger’s side as they look to finish their title charge with a flourish. Things have dropped off in recent weeks, with only two wins from their last six Premier League outings. The Welshman boasts an impressive shot accuracy of 73 per cent, which would explain his superb scoring record, and how the Gunners could do with that now.

1) Wojciech Szczesny – Total Squawka Performance Score: 683

Like Wilshere, it’s hard to believe how young Szczesny is, not just because of the length of time he’s been in the side, but also because of the maturity of his performances in between the posts for Arsenal.

His Performance Score of 683 this season is only bettered in the Arsenal squad by Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny, the two centre-backs directly in front of him, and these three are forming a more and more impressive understanding as time goes on.

The 23-year-old has the joint-most clean sheets this season alongside Chelsea’s Petr Cech, with 12 shut-outs in 28 Premier League appearances, and the Polish number one has learned to command his penalty area, boasting a claim success of 95 per cent for the season.

He is also able to produce some truly spectacular moments, though. His vital late save to deny Robin van Persie in February was nothing short of world class and earned Arsenal an important point against Manchester United, showing exactly why he is not only the Gunners’ top stopper but also one of the best in the Premier League.