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4. Ainsley Maitland-Niles (22)
Even though Ainsley Maitland-Niles has dropped down the pecking order lately under Mikel Arteta, he has been at his best form for Arsenal this season, after getting promoted to the first team a couple of years ago.
A midfielder from the Hale End, the 22-year-old burst onto the scene in Arsene Wenger's later years in London. His best performance in Arsenal colours came against Manchester United at Old Trafford in the year 2017, where he won the Man of the Match award and was played as a midfielder, even though his team ended up on the losing side.
However, Unai Emery saw the 22-year-old's future at right-back, as he played second fiddle to Hector Bellerin. Even though the youngster openly stated his willingness to play in midfield, Unai Emery was not keen at the prospect of seeing him play ahead of the likes of Granit Xhaka, Lucas Torreira and Matteo Guendouzi in the middle of the pitch.
But since Mikel Arteta took over, Ainsley Maitland-Niles has been one of the most improved players for the Gunners as he leads the way in most tackles and interceptions won, with 2.3 and 1.8 respectively. He is also one of the top five dribblers at Arsenal, with an average of 1.3 dribbles completed every game.
Albeit he has improved under his new manager, Arteta has claimed that he expects more from Maitland-Niles. He went on to say this about the midfielder:
Ainsley needs to put his head down, work hard and show me every day in training he wants it more than anybody else and that he wants to play for this club and fight for his place.
It is possible that the player also has a few off-field issues. He might have shown his dissatisfaction of playing as a right-back, but it still does not take away the fact that Maitland-Niles has rejuvenated himself, after failing to impress his former manager. The 22-year-old is likely to come back into the team as he is, without doubt, a superior option to Hector Bellerin and Sokratis right now.
