Arsenal: Grading The Squad For 2017/18

Grade C

Arsenal went down to Atletico in the Europa League semi-final

Hector Bellerin: The right-back burst onto the scene three seasons ago and has slowly made a name as one of the most consistent right-backs in the game at the moment. This lead to talk of Barcelona wanting to resign the Spaniard last summer.

Bellerin stayed but failed to cement his position as the best right-back in the country. Far from it, the right-back has gone missing too often and has looked out of place in so many big games, resembling a headless chicken rather than the rampaging fullback like his former self.

Laurent Koscielny: The captain is among the lowest rated players in his side, which should never really be the case. But this is sadly the case.

The Frenchman is one of the most loved players at the Emirates and epitomises all the values that the club endorses. However, he has failed terribly to provide either the leadership or the defensive stability, like he has in seasons gone by, and was stretchered off in his last appearance and is set to miss action for the next 6 months.

Arsenal have failed to pick up a single point on the road this calendar year and the defence has to take the bulk of the blame for that.

Jack Wilshere: The Englishman has been surplus to requirement in the league for the manager but has been a prominent figure in their run to the semi-final of the Europa League.

Wilshere has failed to cement his place in the side.

While Wilshere deserves credit, along with Giroud, for stewarding relatively inexperienced side in the group stages of the Europa League, he failed to come up with the goods when the big boys came to town. He was also terribly ineffective against Atletico in both legs and therefore deserves a C grade.

Calum Chambers: The first thing on the to-do list for anyone who comes into the job, soon to be vacated by Arsene Wenger, undoubtedly has to be addressing their defensive frailties. Arsenal have become a team that lacks defensive cohesiveness and purpose. The back-line seems out of its depth anytime it is asked to do its job.

Calum Chambers is also party to that particular crime. He has failed to make any sort of impression since moving from the Saints and doesn't possess the quality to be the focal point of any Premier League defence, let alone at Arsenal.

Granit Xhaka: The Swiss international has been in the eye of the storm for Arsenal for some time no. He has been terribly inconsistent for the Gunners ever since his move, and he seemed to take that into the latest campaign as well.

We've become accustomed to seeing the Swiss get a card in most of the matches he is a part of, so we reckon he should get used to receiving such abysmal grades for his performances.

Peter Cech: When the Czech Republic international made the switch from West to North London, the Arsenal fans hoped that he would continue his superlative form of the years gone by. Unfortunately though, nothing could be further from the truth.

Cech has been culpable for numerous individual mistakes this season and has, in the process, leaked 52 goals in the Premier League this season. He has also failed to keep a clean sheet in an away game in 2018. Far from the reassuring Petr Cech that Arsenal needed.