Nov 30, 20174 min read

Blog | Arsenal Power Rankings | 30th November 2017

Mesut Ozil celebrates scoring against Huddersfield

Reminder: these scores are based on end product and what a player actually does to help their team win a game. Individual contributions do count, but players only receive the highest marks if the efforts help the team.

This features a list of the top 11 players who have appeared in at least half of the team’s games this season. The minimum number of games played will slowly be increased over the course of the season, but with so much rotation due to the Europa League and Carabao Cup, there are very few players who have played in more than 50% of the matches played.

To begin, a 5-0 win is always a good thing and a lot of players have had their average rating for the season boosted significantly by being involved in such a heavy win that also came with a clean sheet. And it should also be obvious that there is a new entry in the top 3 best performances for the season.

Best Team Performances

Arsenal celebrate scoring one of the five against Huddersfield

1. Huddersfield / home / 5-0 / performance rating: 9.3

2. Bournemouth / home / 3-0 / 8.3

3. Tottenham / home / 2-0 / 7.8

It’s fun to still see the North London Derby in there, but it really shouldn’t be a surprise that a big, big win jumps straight in to the top spot, with a wide margin back to second place. There may be some who will argue that Arsenal did look wobbly until the late spell of three goals in almost as many minutes to seal the game, but I will just repeat that the performance is irrelevant for these rankings – the end result is all that matters. Is that a little Mourinho-like in thought? Maybe – he is supremely annoying but he does keep winning.

Player Rankings

As usual, the players are listed in reverse order counting down to the best player so far this season.

11. Jack Wilshere (new entry) – 11 games – average rating: 6.6

A surprise for me when putting this list together, but I’m also a little bit glad that he’s been able to feature so often even if the performances haven’t been too great.

10. Hector Bellerin (-2) – 15 games – average rating: 6.7

The Spanish wing-back slips a little despite the clean sheet, but his performances are steadily improving along with the team, so no real concern at the slight dip in ranking.

9. Granit Xhaka (-2) – 14 games – average rating: 6.9

Much like Bellerin, slipping down the rankings a little but still improving in performance level. Needs to use the ball better going forward to really climb the ladder.

8. Mesut Ozil (re-entry) – 11 games – average rating: 6.9

Two assists and a goal are three of the reasons why he’s jumped straight back into the list and knocked Bellerin and Xhaka down. Really looking in good form right now.

7. Petr Cech (-1) – 15 games – average rating: 6.9

Yet another clean sheet and even more important saves – especially at 1-0 – proving exactly why’s where he is on this list.

6. Nacho Monreal (-1) – 15 games – average rating: 7.0

Much like Cech, another clean sheet is always good and the Spaniard continues to go from strength to strength on the left side of that back three.

5. Laurent Koscielny (new entry) – 11 games – average rating: 7.0

The vice-captain leaps straight into the top five having finally played enough games to justify a place on this list – it’s no surprise Arsenal’s defence does better when he’s playing.

4. Alexandre Lacazette (-1) – 14 games – average rating: 7.2

Slipping further down the ladder despite scoring, the injury he picked up that forced him off for Giroud (who disappeared from the list completely despite two goals) might prove costly.

3. Sead Kolasinac (+1) – 14 games – average rating: 7.3

The free signing continues to prove his true value answers my question about having possible peaked by barrelling through the Huddersfield defence and allowing Giroud to score. More please.

2. Alexis Sanchez (no change) – 13 games – average rating: 7.5

Another goal in another win – he just seems to love proving any possible critics of him wrong. Surely there can’t be anyone left who doubts his attitude?

1. Aaron Ramsey (no change) – 14 games – average rating: 7.6

Ramsey roars after scoring in the first game of the season against Leicester

Holding on to top spot after creating goals for Lacazette and Ozil, the Welshman continues to prove how vital he is for the team this season.

In closing

It may have only been Huddersfield, but they beat Man Utd and pushed Man City all the way, so the result and its effect on the player ratings shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand. Over half of the top eleven now have a rating of 7.0 or higher, reflecting the team’s good run of form, although Ramsey should beware Mustafi, now averaging an astonishing 8.1 and only missing out due to having played too few games.

Here’s hoping this run of form continues and the Emirates sees yet another home victory on Saturday night against Manchester United.