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Unai Emery will soon complete his first season as the new in-charge of Arsenal. After taking over Arsene Wenger last summer, Emery proceeded to spend in the transfer window. Although he did not recruit many big-name players, his new signings did play an influential role in how Arsenal's season has panned out so far.
Throughout Wenger's 22 years with the North London club, not every signing has gone well. Some have been loaned throughout their careers and never played a single match for the Gunners. In the case of Emery, there are already some signs which point to who the successful signings are.
Emery bought a total of five players last summer. In the January transfer window, he signed Denis Suarez on loan from Barcelona. Overall, the majority of the newcomers have adapted considerably well in the EPL and have the potential to remain in the starting eleven next season. Here is a look at how each player's season has gone.
#6 Hit: Bernd Leno
It took Leno a couple of games to deputise Petr Cech as the first choice keeper for the Gunners. Even though he endured a shaky start to his career in the EPL, Leno has also shown glimpses of what he can do in the future. His quick reflex saves against Tottenham and Manchester United justified his price tag and proved that he was indeed a correct signing last summer.
With David Ospina's future with the Gunners looking bleak and Cech retiring at the end of this season, Leno will become the undisputable number one between the posts. In the last few matches, he has started to become more comfortable and commanding at the back. For years, Arsenal had been conceding too many soft goals. If Emery can improve the defence in this upcoming transfer window, Leno will surely have an easier task next season and he could become one of the best keepers in the EPL.
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#5 Hit: Sokratis
Sokratis seems to be a natural leader at the back. He partners well with Laurent Koscielny at the heart of the defence and tolerates absolutely no nonsense. Perhaps, the Greek defender could be a little more disciplined and avoid the many bookings that he has received. As compared to Shkodran Mustafi, Sokratis stands out in terms of his performance and contribution this season.
A season-ending injury to Rob Holding last December meant that there were huge boots to fill at the back. Holding has been superb since joining the Gunners and he certainly has a great potential to be one of the best at the back when he returns from injury. Sokratis stepped up despite it being his first season playing in England and showcased the leadership in him.
Sokratis signed a three year deal with the Gunners last year. Being a 30-year-old, he is beginning to show signs of ageing and becoming injury prone. Even if he does not play every week next season, Emery will know that he has a centre-back that he can rely upon when needed. Surely in contrast with Stephan Lichtsteiner, this centre-back is the leader that Arsenal fans have been calling for.
#4 Flop: Stephan Lichtsteiner
The Switzerland captain signed for the Gunners on a free transfer following the end of his contract with Juventus. When he first joined the North London club, Emery praised him for his leadership that he would bring to the club. Unfortunately, that has not worked out as well as expected.
The 35-year-old veteran defender has been miles off his best as seen while he played in Turin. Coming over to Arsenal, Lichtsteiner took on a backup role and played in a couple of positions including centre-back and left back. When Hector Bellerin and Ainsley Maitland-Niles were both out with injuries, the right-back was named in the starting eleven ahead of Carl Jenkinson but failed to impress.
The last time the full-back played for the club was back in late February in a 2-0 home victory over Southampton. Given that he signed just a one-year contract with the Gunners and fails to contribute much, Emery could let him leave at the end of this season.
#3 Hit: Lucas Torreira
Lucas Torreira is truly Arsenal's bargain signing of the season. It took some time before Emery started to name him in the starting eleven, but in almost every match, he has displayed what he is capable of.
There is hardly anything to nitpick about the Uruguayan. In his role as a defensive midfielder, he has made crucial blocks and interceptions. In addition to that, he also scored two extremely vital goals for the club thus far. His first for the club came in the North London derby and was instrumental in the crucial home match against Napoli.
The former Serie A player has to be credited for all the hard work he has put in for the Gunners and he ought to be thanked for adapting so well within such a short period of time. Torreira has played extremely well alongside Aaron Ramsey and Granit Xhaka, empowering the two of them to take on more attacking roles when the game calls for such.
From a player who has been criticised heavily over the last few seasons, Xhaka has now become a player the team cannot do without and Torreira certainly has a role to play in that mindset change.
#2 Hit: Matteo Guendouzi
Guendouzi just turned 20 over the weekend and for a player who is still so young, he has certainly racked up alot of experience in his first season. The French youngster has made 39 appearances in all competitions thus far. More often than not, he has played the full 90 minutes of the match.
The central midfielder might not be as good as Torreira in terms of tackling or as wise as Ramsey in picking up passes, but Guendouzi surely knows how to link up the defence with the attack. Having in him a huge amount of energy, the 20-year-old remains energetic even towards the final moments of the game. It is with this sort of energy the players will be motivated to get forward and not lose hope when on the losing end.
Formerly from Ligue 2, Guendouzi has a bright future ahead of him. But as things stand, he still has lots to learn from Xhaka and Torreira.
#1 Flop: Denis Suarez
Not many had expected Arsenal to sign a player on loan, but Emery went on to do so in January. Despite the initial hype about Suarez, the midfielder is still unable to prove his value to the club. His playing time is significantly limited given how consistent everyone on the team is playing. With every match now a must win for Emery, the manager cannot afford to make a wrong move and regret at the end of the match.
Since joining at the start of the year, the 25-year-old has only played 67 minutes in the EPL and 28 minutes of football in the Europa League. Perhaps, with the presence of Ramsey, Suarez is currently deemed surplus to the squad. When Ramsey departs at the end of this season, then there could be a need to search for a player capable of replacing him. However, regardless of how many minutes Suarez has been in action, the player just does not seem to have the attributes to play in the EPL.
In his limited appearances for the club, the loanee made just 34 passes. He has gotten overpowered by his opponents far too easily and can hardly fight for the ball. Unless Suarez pulls off a miracle in the remaining few matches of the season, it is hard to foresee him staying on at Arsenal.
