In the absence of any substantial news or goings-on this morning, I thought I’d take stock and do some mid-season player ratings.
These are based on the way we do them after each game over on Arseblog News, where 6 is seen as a kind-of baseline to up and down from based on performance etc. As ever, please remember ratings are subjective, and relevant to each player and our expectations of them, rather than pitting one versus the other. It’s also just a bit of fun, but please feel free to weigh in with your ratings in the Arses.
Arsenal mid-season player ratings 2023
Goalkeepers
Aaron Ramsdale: Really hasn’t played very much after the arrival of David Raya, but when he did he was basically fine. 6
David Raya: Like Ramsdale, I think he’s been basically fine. He had some moments on the ball which were a bit iffy, but bar one or two goals which looked a bit more iffy than they were, he’s done all right. Has he been a significant upgrade on Ramsdale? Not in my opinion. 6
Defenders
Ben White: I think his form has fluctuated this season, and the fact he’s been playing with an ongoing issue for the most of the campaign goes some way to explaining that. He’s had good games and not so good games, but he never has a real stinker. 6.5
William Saliba: For me the best centre-half in the Premier League so far this season, he is maturing into an outstanding player. 8.5
Gabriel: Alongside Saliba has formed an outstanding partnership, an aggressive defender whose front-footedness sometimes sees him caught out, but in terms of that right-left balance we had, he is the perfect partner for Saliba. 8
Oleksandr Zinchenko: The last few weeks have cost him some points. As we saw against Fulham, what he does in that role is hard to replicate, but at the same time he’s made too many mistakes for a player of his technical quality and experience, and playing the game at his own tempo too often has frustrated me. 6.5
Takehiro Tomiyasu: When fit he’s been very good, the fitness concerns are ongoing though. 7
Jakub Kiwior: A passing grade because we rarely see him in his natural position. Did well there against Sheffield United, but it was Sheffield United. His best performance of the season came at left-back in the EFL Cup against Brentford, but lack of rhythm due to occasional playing time must make it hard to find your best level. 6
No ratings for Jurrien Timber (injured) and Cedric (has barely played).
Midfielders
Declan Rice: Just consistently excellent since day one, the last couple of games haven’t been at his usual high standards, but has raised the level of the team. 8
Jorginho: More or less fine when needed, just four Premier League starts, has just about played more minutes in the league than Ramsdale. 6
Martin Odegaard: You could probably break his season into two parts, the first was ok but not quite at his usual level, the second – after coming back from injury – a bit more like the influential player we saw last season. 7
Fabio Vieira: Had one good cameo against Fulham, and does have a goal and three Premier League assists to his name, but beyond that doesn’t really seem to have made the kind of progress you’d like to see. 5
Kai Havertz: It took him some time to settle in, and we’ve seen some good contributions in the second part of the first half of the season (!), but questions still remain over his suitability for the left 8 position, and what he brings to the team overall (especially for the price). 6.5
No ratings for Thomas Partey (been injured all season after playing 3 games at right-back), Emile Smith Rowe (has barely featured) and Mohamed Elneny (just 71 minutes). Perhaps for all the discussion of our forward line, the fact we’ve played with basically four midfielders all season (Rice, Jorg, Ode, Havertz), and one bit-part player (Vieira) who is now injured, might well be an issue too.
Forwards
Gabriel Jesus: Very good in the Champions League with 4 goals and 2 assists in five games, but in the Premier League, 3 goals and 1 assist from 15 appearances isn’t brilliant – 11 of those were starts. 6.5
Bukayo Saka: A recent goal drought has raised some concerns, and there’s no question he’s not quite been at his scintillating best – often because teams double up on him – but in 26 appearances in all competitions this season, he has 21 goal involvements (12 goals, 9 assists). 7.5
Gabriel Martinelli: He’s still a threat down the left hand side, but hasn’t been able to produce the end-product so far this season. Based on what he did last season, and what was expected of him this time around, he’s fallen short, although I feel like a goal or two will get him going again. 6
Eddie Nketiah: 6 goals and 4 assists in all competitions, but 3 of his 5 in the league came against the worst team in the division. Which isn’t to take anything away from his fine hat-trick, but for me the biggest issue with Eddie is that having a second choice striker who rarely makes any kind of contribution off the bench is a kind of hamstring. 6
Leandro Trossard: Has 6 goals and 2 assists to his name in all competitions, but for me he’s been a bit disappointing. His appearances at left 8 have been underwhelming, and he’s been best when played up front. His inability to take a decent corner is both weird and annoying. 6
Reiss Nelson: 17 appearances in all competitions, and his contribution has been a couple of assists in the games at home and away against PSV. Not trusted to start, not effective off the bench. In my admittedly made-up dream world, use him as a makeweight to prise Michael Olise away from Crystal Palace this month (sorry Dan!). 5
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So, there you go. No doubt plenty of discussion points there. These are obviously not an exact science or anything, but if your glass is half-full you might see how a team which hasn’t had too many outstanding performers could do a lot better in the second half of the season if we get a few more up to their best level. If your glass is half-empty, there’s not much I can say that will change that anyway!
Have a good one folks.
