Arsenal: Analysing the Gunners' start to the season and rating players' performances

Unai Emery has unquestionably taken the reins at Arsenal and immediately implemented his own direct style on the club after Arsene Wenger's tenure came to an end at the close of the 2017/18 season.

However, the Spaniard's introduction to the league was not the happiest. A crippling 3-0 defeat to Manchester City at home on the opening day crushed hopes of a new and revitalised team as the same mistakes and gremlins were noticeable and there appeared to be no change whatsoever.

The Gunners then went to Stamford Bridge, where they had not won since October 2011. Whilst it wouldn't be fair to say most fans expected a win here, very few expected to be 2-0 down after 20 minutes. Again the same feelings of despair and frustration started to echo around the away area.

However, out of nowhere, Arsenal managed to pull two goals back before halftime and looked to be leaving the Bridge with a point. That was until Marcos Alonso crippled any chances with an 81st-minute winner.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Alvaro Morata battle for the ball in Chelsea's 3-2 victory this season.

This game highlighted two major points. Arsenal can score under Emery, however, there are still major defensive issues that need addressing. Goalkeeping wise, there is still debate as to why Leno had to wait until Cech's injury to get a stint in goal for a Premier League match when all season so far Cech has looked clumsy and rusty, a shadow of the legend he was at Chelsea.

Defensively too there are issues. The signings of Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Stephan Lichtsteiner hardly spread optimism and Arsenal's defence has remained a weakness. An inability to keep a clean sheet against what could be considered weaker opposition highlights this.

However, what they are lacking in defensive quality they are more than making up for up front and in the midfield. Lucas Torreira looks like a fantastic acquisition so much so that the 22-year-old already looks comfortable playing in arguably Europe's hardest league in terms of adaptation.

This signing has also changed the playing styles and strengthened the ability of a number of Arsenal's players, none more so than Granit Xhaka. He may still be naive defensively, however, Torreira has allowed him to adopt a more attacking role and his searching long balls and powering runs have seen him create a number of assists. This season alone he has created more chances than the whole of the previous season.

Granit Xhaka, Mesut Ozil and Shkodran Mustafi express worried looks.

Another player who has started to shine under Emery is Mesut Ozil. Love him or hate him there are times when he is absolutely unplayable, when he wants to play that is. There seems to be a new confidence and passion for both the game and the club, something that was lacking towards the end of the Wenger Era. Whilst there are times where he may appear to sulk and behave in a petulant manner he has shown promising signs of his best and this should hopefully fuel his and the Gunners' revival.

A recent run of 13 games unbeaten has really fuelled confidence and the Emirates Stadium now has an atmosphere of a team who can take on anyone and fans can be realistic in hoping for a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League.

The 1-1 draw with Liverpool showed that they can create chances and that they have both the team spirit and the backing of the fans and the manager. Up front there is a potent strike force with Aubameyang and Lacazette both finding the goal and assisting, forming one of the most efficient and lethal pairings in the league and one that Arsenal have not seen for a while.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alex Lacazette smile after a goal.

I will now go through the key players in Arsenal's squad and analyse their season so far.

Petr Cech - 6 - A sloppy start for the veteran keeper has continued to throw doubt over his ability as a top Premier League goalkeeper and people were curious as to why it took so long for the younger Leno to have a shot in goal. Poor distribution, clumsy mistakes and the signs of age creeping in are making a few wonder how much longer he has left as a top keeper.

Bernd Leno - 7 - Again not the greatest start to life in the league however Arsenal have been indebted to the German more than once. A few great saves against Leicester turned heads and echoes of a great in the making have been growing louder. However, he is not without fault. A poor push against Liverpool paved way for their goal and occasional moments of sloppiness have tarnished an otherwise convincing start.

Hector Bellerin - 6 - One of the hardest players to rate as his lethal pace and crossing is often hard to match however there are concerns about his defensive ability. He may be fast but he is often caught out on the halfway line as the opposition are nearing the penalty area and has a poor sense of positioning. However, it looks like Emery's tactics are starting to work on him and around the defence so by the end of the season he may well have mastered the position.

Shkodran Mustafi - 5 - A very difficult and disappointing start for the German. Moments of poor discipline and clumsy challenges have made him a player strikers love to run against along with his poor positioning and weakness in the air. However, when partnered with Rob Holding he looks like a completely different player but whether this is a reflection on his ability or Holding's covering is yet to be seen.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos - 6 - Strong and committed. Two words that sum up the veteran Greek defender. He may not possess much technical ability but provided that the player doesn't turn him he is a strong and imposing figure, surprisingly quick and not afraid to put his foot in. Similar to Mustafi, there have been some mistakes which have caused concern but he will adapt to life in the Premier League.

Rob Holding - 7 - A much better and promising start for the young Englishman. He looks very composed on the ball, strong in the air and a natural leader. Any mistakes he makes will form part of the learning curve that will one day make him a great defender. It would be very interesting to see him partnered with a world class defender to see his full potential.

Lucas Torreira - 7 - As stated earlier, Torreira has adapted beautifully to the league and is one of the first names on the team sheet. A maturity beyond his age and a strong graceful nature make him one of the best signings in a long time. One criticism would be that he goes down far too easily but that can be knocked out and once he focuses completely on protecting the defence he has every chance of becoming a world class midfielder.

Granit Xhaka - 7 - One of the most infuriating players in the Arsenal squad. He will hit a 40-yard pass with incredible accuracy and then minutes later either give the ball straight to the opposition or get himself carded. One of Arsenal's slowest players, he finds it hard to track back often fouling the player to get into position. However, under Emery and thanks to Torreira he has been allowed to play further up the field and this suits both him and the squad. Arsenal's best free kick taker with two beautiful goals. Potential Arsenal captain if he can learn to control his tackles. Truly loves Arsenal.

Mesut Ozil - 7 - A complete transformation with occasional glimpses of his very best. Ozil always divides opinion but you can see that he now wants to play for the club and is so much more committed than before. He has been given the arm band for a number of games and has shown real quality in terms of leadership and his passing game has dramatically improved.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 5 - Technically poor and often lazy, many are still puzzled as to why he has been allowed to play so many matches. He never lived up to the promise when he was first signed and looks a shadow of the player who left Dortmund. He's a decent enough player for Europa League but I do not think he is good enough for this Arsenal squad.

Aaron Ramsey - 6/1 - Performances 6 and attitude 1. A player who has been in the team for years but who never completely lived up to expectations aside from one season it may not come as a shock that he is on the bench, however, this is largely due to his failure to commit to the club.

Reports saying that Arsenal refused to offer him a new contract have been proven to be false as it turns out Ramsey and his agent weren't happy with the wages being offered. A shame to see a player like him go but there is no point having a player in the squad who is not committed to the game.

Alex Iwobi - 7 - A great start to the season for one of Arsenal's most promising youngsters. Doubts had emerged regarding his playing style and whether or not he was ready to be a top flight player but this season he has shown that he has developed his game and become stronger and more skillful over the summer. His confidence has also improved and has shown true potential that he could become a great player. There are still occasional moments of immaturity but that will improve with age.

Alexandre Lacazette - 7 - Another good start for the Frenchman who makes up for his lack of height with pace and skill and an amazing eye for goal. His goal against Liverpool summarised his season and showed how confident he has become. Committed to the club and always gives his all. The only pity is that he wasn't signed earlier in his career but he is still firing and will be a fantastic player in the years to come.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - 7 - A very good start to the season for the striker with 7 league goals so far, the majority of which have come from the bench. Many Arsenal fans are puzzled by Emery's reluctance to play him for a full 90 minutes but so far the results have said that whatever the plan is, it's working. All fans can hope is that he continues his fine form.

Unai Emery - 8 - What pressure being Arsene Wenger's successor? People weren't too sure what to expect and after the first 2 games it looked like the same old frailties remained but within 3 months Emery has brought belief and confidence and already started to implement his own way of doing things in the club.