It’s always good to get deserved recognition for performances and despite the fact that Arsenal has failed in their pursuit of the Premier League title from the juggernaut that is Manchester City, there have been players from the team that have been standouts in recent seasons.
Arsenal has the best defense for two campaigns in a row and a lot of this has to do with the amazing performances of the telepathic duo of Gabriel and William Saliba. I remember when Saliba was signed for £30m at such a tender age and spent all those seasons out on loan, honing his craft to be the man we see today. However, since his introduction to the team two seasons ago, he has grown to become one of the most elite center backs in all of Europe. Gabriel didn’t come with much fanfare from Lille but he has also been a colossus at both ends of the pitch and if my memory serves me right, he has scored the most goals as a center back since his arrival at Arsenal.
Both players rightfully made it to the PFA Team of the Year and there was space for a certain Golden Glove winner, David Raya, to complete the Arsenal sweep at the back. Raya already had monster numbers in Brentford, and he proved last season that he could be very dependable, making vital saves and rightfully earning the Golden Glove after the campaign ended, much to the detriment of the much-loved Aaron Ramsdale.
Further up the pitch, the British transfer record signing, Declan Rice, put up consistent phenomenal performances last season and Arsenal’s leader, Martin Odegaard, was at his consistent best as well, making the team. Arsenal’s dominance was on show with the club having five out of the 11. Manchester City had four of its contingent, Player of the Year, Phil Foden Kyle Walker, Rodrigo and the mercurial cyborg, Erling Haaland. Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk completed the list.
These awards are based on the performances of these players and they continue to maintain high standards as all eyes will be on them to see if they will retain their places at the end of the campaign. The only notable omission from this list was Bukayo Saka, as he was in the top five for overall goal contributions, just behind Cole Palmer, Erling Haaland and Heung-Min Son.
Moving over to transfer news, Arsenal fans have waited quite a while for the Mikel Merino deal to be sorted, but it seems talks have stalled as Arsenal and Real Sociedad can’t seem to agree on an acceptable fee for their man. However, it has been reported that Real Sociedad’s president, Jokin Aperribay, has flown to London to meet with Edu Gaspar and the negotiations chums to align on a deal. The last time a club president arrived in London for a deal was when Sturm Graz officials flew in from Austria regarding a move for Mika Biererh, and an agreement was reached for his services.
With 10 days left in the transfer window, Arsenal fans can only hope that this deal will be sorted out soon, so that Merino can potentially play a part in the Brighton game before the international window. If that game is too soon for him, then he should prepare for a baptism of fire at the North London Derby.
Sayonara.
