Arsenal Player Ratings from the 2023/24 Season

Another season of Premier League football goes into the history books, and despite a valiant effort at winning a first title in two decades, it ultimately ends in disappointment for Arsenal. A 28-win 89-point season would’ve seen the club finish top of the table in 20 of the 31 total Premier League campaigns, but sadly, it doesn’t in this one. Let’s take a look at the player ratings from another more than respectable season from an ever-improving Gunners side. 

David Raya – 8

The Spaniard had a great debut campaign overall, and bounced back well from a couple of major errors that he made against the likes of Lens and Chelsea in the first half of the season. He kept 16 clean sheets in 32 Premier League apps to join Petr Cech (2015/16) and Wojciech Szczesny (2013/14) as the only Arsenal goalkeepers to win a Golden Glove award. He has now nailed down the first choice goalkeeper spot at the club. It is a testament to him that once fan-favourite Aaron Ramsdale’s absence from the side is no longer being felt or spoken about.

Ben White – 9

Arsenal’s 26-year-old right-back had another campaign to remember, doubling his goal tally from last season and consistently performing at a high level defensively. He was a key part of the best backline in the country, and continues to pester opposition players with some creative dark arts tricks of his own. Benny Blanco is the sort of player that doesn’t get spoken about enough. His brace in our 5-0 demolition of Chelsea will be remembered for years to come, and the £50M that we paid Brighton for him back in 2021 looks like more and more of a bargain as each season goes by. Commendably, he also finishes the season as the highest scoring defender in FPL!

William Saliba – 9.5

The reason that Arsenal were involved in the title race until the final day of the season was due to William Saliba staying injury free and becoming the first player in our rich history to play every single minute of a PL campaign. Rival fans labelled it as ‘excuses’ when us Arsenal fans told them that last year’s title race would’ve been different had we had had Saliba defending Erling Haaland at The Etihad instead of Rob Holding. Arsenal’s French Rolls Royce won the MOTM award in several crucial games this season, including away days at Anfield, Old Trafford and The Etihad. He also kept 18 clean sheets in the Premier League this season – more than any other player in the country. It was a world class campaign from the centre half and the only thing that was missing from it was some much deserved silverware.

Gabriel – 9.5

Big Gabi has really come into his own in the last couple of seasons, and was near flawless from his left centre half position throughout the whole season. While Saliba may take the majority of the praise for being the slicker and smoother defender, Gabriel adds the sort of no-nonsense, physical, aggressive side of defending to compliment his French partner so brilliantly. They have together formed a formidable central defensive pairing and have by far been the best centre back duo in Europe this year. The Brazilian’s season was almost summed up in a single moment that came against United at home. As Garnacho raced through to meet Casemiro’s through-ball played at around the half-way line, Gabi swiftly stopped and narrowed his body vertically to marginally play the Argentinian offside and have his goal ruled offside at a crucial moment in the game. He is a world class defender and it’s great to see him finally getting his flowers from fans and pundits alike. I can’t rate him or Saliba above one another, so both get 9.5 ratings for their amazing seasons. 

Jakub Kiwior – 7.5

Jakub came into the side and began seeing consistent minutes at around the start of the 2024 calendar year, which uncoincidentally came during Arsenal’s remarkable 10 wins in 11 PL games. The Polish defender managed to lock down the left-back position in the team for a string of around 8-10 games in all competitions and overall was a dependable performer. His best football came around February-March where he scored against Newcastle, recorded assists against Liverpool, Burnley and Sheffield United, and kept clean sheets in 4 of his 6 starts. Despite a very solid campaign, this is one of the few areas of the team that you still feel like Arteta believes he can upgrade.

Oleksandr Zinchenko – 6

Zinny this year sadly didn’t manage to hit the heights that he reached when he first came into the side last season, and played a much less crucial role in a more stable Arsenal title challenge. The Ukrainian struggled with form and injuries and never managed to make the left-back position his own. Despite an overall underwhelming campaign, the inverted full-back still showed glimpses of brilliance to help Arsenal through wins in games such as Everton (A), Burnley (H) and most importantly, Man City (H).  Last season, he was one of the first names on the team sheet. However, heading into the 2024/25 season where the club will be looking to improve on the 89 points amassed in the league, again, this may be an area of the squad that Arteta chooses to improve on in the summer. 

Takehiro Tomiyasu – 7

Tomi only started and finished 7 Premier League games this season, and also struggled largely with injuries. When fit though, he was a solid performer, and reminds me of Nacho Monreal in that you know what you’re getting from him at full-back – hard work, energy, dependability and a base level of consistency. The Japanese defender spared our blushes on the final day of the season when he scored an excellent equaliser against Everton to get us back into the must-win game just before half-time.

Declan Rice – 9.5

In my opinion, Declan was Arsenal’s player of the season. He came into the side with a 9 figure price tag on his head, and has ended the campaign with it looking like a (half-price!) bargain. 7 goals, 9 assists, countless MOTM awards, several big-game performances and late winners, the Englishman had a near-perfect season in North London. His leadership skills, his line-breaking ball-carrying, his tenacity, his combativeness, his strength, his engine.. I could go on for so long about how talented this guy is. I genuinely don’t think we’ve had a midfielder this well-rounded, effective or consistent since Patrick Vieira. Declan has a chance to become an Arsenal legend, and took next to no time to bed into this Arsenal side and become one of our most important players. He deserved a Premier League Winners medal for his campaign. Let’s hope he can get one next season.

Thomas Partey – 6.5

Due to injury, Partey only managed to start 9 PL games this season, 6 of which coming towards the end of the campaign. Sadly, the Ghanaian powerhouse never managed to have a consistent run of games in the side when we needed him most, and we definitely missed his strength and steel, particularly in those tough away day losses to Villa, Newcastle and Fulham. When he’s in full flow, he is a top midfielder, and the trio of him, Rice and Ødegaard is one of the best in Europe. I hope we decide to keep hold of him this summer and that he manages to stay injury free next season in what is going to hopefully be a big year for the club. 

Martin Ødegaard – 9

The Arsenal captain had another stellar season, and cemented himself as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world. Although his goalscoring output severely reduced from 15 in the league to 8, his overall play most definitely did not, with the Norwegian so often being the creative heartbeat of an Arsenal side that scored over 100 goals in all competitions. The 25-year-old also got himself into double figures in assists, and provided some unbelievable performances that will have no doubt seen him earn a consecutive appearance in the PL team of the season. Importantly, he combines his creative mastery with a work ethic second-to-none, and is the leader of Arsenal’s press, which is so integral to the way that Arteta has his team play. He is a beloved captain and is somehow seemingly getting better each year. Another top season.

Jorginho – 7

The Italian midfielder only started 10 Premier League games this season, but when he did play, provided the side with a level of control in the middle of the park that contributed massively to key wins against the likes of Man City, Liverpool and Newcastle. However, one moment I just can’t get out of my head is his mistake at The Emirates to gift Spurs the equaliser when Rice had to go off with an injury back in September. It pains me to think that we only lost the league by two points, the same amount that that avoidable moment could’ve kept us. His good performances did earn him a contract extension though, and his experience and availability are an asset to this young squad going forward. 

Gabriel Martinelli – 6

Gabi’s best moment of the season was by far coming off the bench to score a memorable winner against City at The Emirates back in October. It was our first PL win against the current Champions since 2015, and was so important psychologically for this team to record a W against Pep Guardiola’s men. However, that was one of the only few moments that we truly saw the Martinelli of last season. Admittedly, his campaign was hampered by injuries, but when he was fit, I have to be honest and say he had too many blunt, peripheral performances, especially in the big games such as Liverpool and Bayern away. He also seemed more wasteful in possession and seemed to needlessly overplay more often this season. Unfortunately, when Gabi’s output is reduced, it means that we are even more reliant on Saka’s goals from the wing, which is unfair considering he recorded his first 20+ goal season (you can’t ask for much more from him). Maybe I’m being harsh, but I am a massive Martinelli fan, and know the heights that he can reach. I believe he can get back to his best and record another 15+ Premier League campaign next season if he can regain his spot in the starting eleven and stay fit.

Bukayo Saka – 9

The starboy statistically had his best season to date in an Arsenal shirt, hitting 20+ goals for the first time at just 22 years of age. He once again was a staple in Arteta’s side and started 35 of the 38 league games, even playing through injury on several occasions towards the backend of the season, and provided 14 assists in the process. Reliable, direct, selfless, skilful, effective, his game continues to improve year in, year out. The sky really is the limit for this kid, and he’s already well on his way to becoming an Arsenal legend. My only criticism of Bukayo is in a few of the big games away from home, he failed to impact them. I’m thinking of Bayern away when we need a goal to get through to the semi-finals, City away when a winner would be invaluable in the title race, Liverpool away when we can win our first game at Anfield since 2012/13… However, the burden is so often on him, other attacking players also have to step up and provide us with the big moments. It can’t be just him. But the best players can always improve, and knowing the sort of mentality that Bukayo has, he’ll be looking to hit his first 25+ goal season next year and hopefully lead the club to some silverware to go with it. 

Leandro Trossard – 8.5

Leandro started the season as he meant to go on, coming off the bench to score a late equaliser against City at Wembley, helping his side win the Community Shield. The Belgian began the season as a sub, but through repeatedly effective performances off the bench, and injuries to his position-competitors, he managed to start the most games he has in a season for the club and end the campaign as our second top scorer with an impressive 17 goals. What is perhaps more impressive than the sheer number of goals that he scored, was the importance of the goals that he did score, many of which came off the bench (take notes, Nketiah!). Among his 17 strikes were: a late winner away to Everton, a late equaliser away to Chelsea, a late goal at home to Liverpool, a UCL knockout winner vs Porto, a UCL knockout equaliser vs Bayern, a winner away to Man United. Rumour has it, if you look up the word ‘clutch’ in the dictionary, a picture of Leandro Trossard’s face shows up next to it. This guy was terrific for us all season, and showed what an important member of the team he is. It’s a fight between him and Gabriel as to who is the most underappreciated and underrated player on this team. 

Kai Havertz – 8.5

A small section of the fanbase were down on Havertz before he had even kicked a ball for Arsenal, due to the large fee and the transfer PTSD from past failed signings who made the move from West to North London. Frustratingly, it seemed like they were almost vindicated in the first-half of the season, where the German seemed to be really struggling to make an impact from the left side of midfield. However, Kai was an absolutely transformed player once he started playing down the middle, and completely turned his season around in the second half of the campaign where he nailed down the striker role. His height, duel-winning ability, energy, eye for an assist, and most importantly goal scoring, were invaluable to the club’s title challenge and were a massive part of the 31 points that Arsenal took from the 33 on offer between Jan-April 2024. Kai scored crucial goals against Spurs, Chelsea, Newcastle, Brighton, Brentford and more in the run-in, proving that he could be Arsenal’s main man when he was needed. If it wasn’t for his tough first few months, he would be getting a rating higher than 8.5. The 24-year-old has come a long way from that pity penalty at Bournemouth, and has become a big player and vital member of this exciting Arsenal side. Once again, Mikel Arteta got it right. 

Eddie Nketiah – 4

By far the highlight of Eddie’s season was his brilliant hat-trick at home to Sheffield United in what was, on paper, our easiest game of the season. However, what Nketiah’s always struggled with, is providing the big moments in the big games. We know he can score against relegation fodder, but what can he do off the bench when Arsenal need him at Villa Park? At The Etihad? At Anfield? I think the penny dropped with Arteta this season and he has finally realised that Eddie just isn’t good enough to play a key role in a title challenging side. When he is subbed on and we’re in need of a goal in a big moment, he repeatedly fails to make a positive impact, and his link-up play is severely limited. Manchester City’s back-up striker is Julian Alvarez. Arsenal’s is Eddie Nketiah. We should’ve cashed in on the soon-to-be 25 year old last season when his stock was a lot higher. Arsenal simply need better options in the striker position, and must be ruthless in the summer to address this glaring weakness in the squad.

Reiss Nelson – 3

Sadly for Reiss, he just doesn’t offer Arsenal enough, and for as long as he stays at the club, will always be nothing more than a squad player. When Arsenal need a goal, similar to when you see Eddie coming on, seeing the number 24 being held up in green by the assistant referee never fills you with optimism when you’re in need of a big moment of quality off the bench. The 24-year-old started just 1 of 38 games and didn’t score a single Premier League goal or register a single assist, despite his limited minutes. We’re at a point as a club now where we shouldn’t hold on to players who are just happy to be here; every player we have in a matchday squad should be ready to make a difference and offer a real threat. In order for Arsenal to bridge the gap with title rivals City, the club must strengthen their bench options, particularly in the deputy winger spots. Sadly, I think his time at Arsenal has come to a disappointing end. 

Emile Smith Rowe – 5

It’s hard to rate a player that only played 343 Premier League minutes this season due to injuries and the manager’s decision not to play him when he was fit. ESR hasn’t managed to kick on from his impressive 2021/22 season that saw him earn the famous #10 jersey. It seems like Mikel doesn’t fully trust him, which is slightly concerning. The reality is, he will never be able to displace Ødegaard as the main creative midfielder in this side, so should that mean we move him on in the summer? There is not much point in keeping him around if he isn’t going to get regular gametime. One thing that Smith Rowe has always been able to improve on, and still can, is his ability to influence a game and/or impose himself on it. He hasn’t scored a goal for the club in the last two seasons, which just isn’t right for a player who does have real quality. Whether it’s injury problems, a lack of trust, or both, it will be interesting to see what Arteta decides to do this summer with the 23-year-old. 

Fabio Vieira – 5

Again, it’s hard to grade a player who isn’t a regular starter and doesn’t see much gametime, but in my opinion, Vieira just hasn’t done enough this season. One word that I associate with Fabio is ‘soft’, which is ironic, considering which one word I would associate with the last Vieira to play for the club. His one goal this season was a bit of a pity penalty at home to Sheffield United, which isn’t really good enough. Admittedly, he did influence a couple of consecutive games at the start of the season off the bench – providing two assists against Fulham and one against Man United. However, he didn’t kick on from then and his minutes continued to be extremely limited. You would’ve thought that a £35M signing would be a more important member of a quite thin squad and fairly weak bench. Maybe Vieira just hasn’t impressed Arteta enough since he signed for the club. Again, it will be interesting to see if anything materialises with the Portuguese midfielder in the summer. 

Aaron Ramsdale – 5.5

Rambo came into this Arsenal team at the start of the 2021/22 season and injected some much needed life, positivity and charisma to a struggling, flat side at the time. He quickly became a fan favourite, and was part of transitioning the club from top four contenders to title challengers. Ironically, this season he has been displaced by David Raya, in almost identical fashion to how he displaced former #1 Bernd Leno two years ago. Keeping his concentration is self-admittedly a big weakness for him, and one that almost cost us two vital points in a big home game against Brentford when Raya was ineligible to play against his parent-side. He can thank Kai Havertz for bailing him out with the late headed winner in that one. It’s a sad end to his Arsenal career, with many fans believing that he could have been our first choice goalie for the next decade. I’m sure he will do well wherever he goes. Good luck to you, Rambo.