An assessment of Arsenal’s season with player ratings for each member of their squad in 2014/15…
SEE ALSO:
Liverpool 2014/15 player ratings: Gerrard gets a 7/10 in his final season, youngster earns 8.5
Man Utd 2014/15 player ratings: De Gea star player with 9/10, new signing gets 8/10
Ten most undeserving Premier League winners ever, featuring Arsenal & Man United flops
Wojciech Szczesny – Despite a solid performance in the FA Cup final, the Polish goalkeeper lost his place in the Premier League and for good reason, with some error-prone displays showing he still needs to mature to fulfill his potential. 6/10.
David Ospina – Perhaps not ideal as the long-term number one, but the Colombian shot-stopper had some solid games for the Gunners since replacing Szczesny in the league for the second half of the season. 6.5/10.
Mathieu Debuchy – A promising signing, but the French right-back missed much of the season through injury, which affected his game even when he did feature. 5.5/10.
Hector Bellerin – An exciting youngster, Hector Bellerin is one of the success stories of the season after making his first-team breakthrough, looking a superb attack-minded right-back. 7.5/10.
Calum Chambers – Some early performances showed real promise, though he gradually lost his place in the Arsenal team and needs to improve. Still, the England international showed that he has the potential to do so. 6/10.
Kieran Gibbs – Another player who started well but lost his place, Kieran Gibbs had an acceptable season but without ever hitting his usual heights for the Gunners. 6.5/10.
Nacho Monreal – Now ahead of Gibbs in the pecking order at left-back, the Spaniard proved a surprise performer and did really well for the club in some big games. 7/10.
Laurent Koscielny – Solid as ever for Arsenal, the French centre-back continued to be a reliable performer and even contributed three goals from the back. 7.5/10.
Per Mertesacker – Criticised for some notable bad games, the German still had a strong campaign overall, and capped it off with a goal against Aston Villa in the FA Cup final. 7/10.
Gabriel – A decent January signing, the Brazilian has not yet become a regular for Arsene Wenger’s side, but looked perfectly capable whenever called upon. 6/10.
Mathieu Flamini – A smart signing on a free last year, Mathieu Flamini did not feature as much this time around, looking slightly off the pace and perhaps past his best. 5.5/10.
Mikel Arteta – Missing for most of the season due to injury, Mikel Arteta is another whose future must be in doubt after failing to really assert himself in the games he did play. 5.5/10.
Francis Coquelin – A revelation in defensive midfield, this young Frenchman looks exactly what Arsenal have needed in that role for some time, and became undroppable by the end of the campaign. 8/10.
Jack Wilshere – A popular player among Arsenal fans, but it was another disappointing season for Jack Wilshere, who spent most of his time on the treatment table and didn’t make much of an impression when he did play. 6/10.
Aaron Ramsey – Not as good as last season, but Aaron Ramsey still continued his development as a fine goalscoring midfielder and a key part of this Arsenal team. 7/10.
Tomas Rosicky – A decent squad player who rarely lets Arsenal down, but Tomas Rosicky played even fewer games this season and looks a less important part of the side now. 6/10.
Santi Cazorla – One of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season, Santi Cazorla was awesome in a new deeper role, and picked up the Man of the Match award in the FA Cup final. Blessed with skill, intelligence and a broad range of passing, the Spaniard bossed many big games for the Gunners and stood out for most of the campaign. 9/10.
Mesut Ozil – Better from the club’s record signing this season, the German playmaker had some injury problems but came back looking stronger and more confident on the ball. 7.5/10.
Theo Walcott – Unfortunate to miss so many games through injury again, Theo Walcott was still a good impact player when he did make it onto the pitch, and really shone with his goal in the FA Cup final. 7/10.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – Some bright moments, but the youngster certainly isn’t fulfilling his potential for Arsenal so far, though he is another who has struggled with niggling injury problems. 6/10.
Lukas Podolski – Only at the club for the first half of the season, Lukas Podolski was shipped out on loan to Inter Milan after struggling to impress, though he did manage a few goals. 6/10.
Alexis Sanchez – A world class player and one of the signings of the season, Alexis Sanchez finished as Arsenal’s top scorer and his wondergoal all but sealed the FA Cup final win for the Gunners. A player blessed with amazing skill and adored by fans for his work rate, the Chilean has everything in his locker to become a legend at the Emirates Stadium. 9/10.
Danny Welbeck – A disappointment since joining from Manchester United, Danny Welbeck only managed eight goals and really has to improve, even if he was used out wide a little too often. 6/10.
Olivier Giroud – Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s hard to argue that the French forward had a lot of really good games this season, scoring 18 goals, his best tally in an Arsenal shirt, including a deft finish to make it 4-0 in the cup final. 8/10.
Arsene Wenger – Onto the manager, the Arsenal boss made a brilliant signing in Alexis Sanchez, even if the others didn’t really work out. Still, in unearthing young talents like Bellerin and Coquelin, the Frenchman has shown he can still get the best out of players who aren’t necessarily big names. The club could have done much better in the Premier League and Champions League, but a second FA Cup in a row has the fans happy again after a rough spell. 7.5/10.
