Arsenal have had a manager change, deep cup runs domestically and in Europe and have used a heck of a lot of players across four competitions so far during the 2019-20 season, so why don’t we reveal a ranking of how they’ve performed?
Below we give each Arsenal player a grade, ranking and group them together based on their season(s) so far.
If an Arsenal player is listed in this ranking it is because they’ve played in more than five games in all competitions.
A-GRADE
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Another 20-goal season, Auba is the reason Arsenal are still within relative touching distance of the top four. Will he stay at Arsenal beyond the 2019-20 campaign?
Bernd Leno: A very solid season for the German goalkeeper. One high-profile error against Chelsea but has been one of the bright spots.
Eddie Nketiah: Youngster has taken his chance since Mikel Arteta arrived as he returned from his loan at Leeds. Is keeping Lacazette out of the team.
Gabriel Martinelli: Another young forward who has shone. If Aubameyang leaves, teenager Martinelli could fill the void. A proper poacher.
Bukayo Saka: Yet another young player who took his chance. Just 18 years old, Saka has been a revelation at left back. He’s usually a winger and his runs from defense and composure on the ball means he will be a star.
B-GRADE
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Hector Bellerin: After his return from a lengthy injury he’s has to shake off a lot of rust. That has obviously led to some inconsistency.
Calum Chambers: A very decent campaign at center back before his serious knee injury. He just cannot catch a break with injuries.
Dani Ceballos: A good start to the season and last few week for Ceballos who was unlucky with injuries. Has been really good in deeper central midfield role but may still return to Real Madrid when his loan ends.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles: Solid enough season, mostly at right back, and many would argue he should start ahead of Bellerin.
Joe Willock Rob Holding
C-GRADE
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Alexandre Lacazette: Hasn’t been happy with being a bit-part player but keeps scoring goals. His future seems uncertain.
Shkodran Mustafi: So often the scapegoat, Mustafi has improved in recent months. However, there have been plenty of sloppy defensive displays over the years to suggest he is not a long-term option at center back.
David Luiz: His first season at Arsenal hasn’t gone too well. A few big errors but like Mustafi, he’s improved in recent months. Could he keep his place alongside Pablo Mari?
Emiliano Martinez Reiss Nelson Sead Kolasinac
D-GRADE
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Nicolas Pepe: Talk about blowing hot and cold. Pepe had a slow start to the season but has produced some great displays in the PL and Europe to show glimpses of what he can do. Overall, pretty poor.
Sokratis: Injuries have hampered him but it seems like one of Arsenal’s best defenders from last season has regressed.
Mesut Ozil: Back in the team under Arteta, he’s shown moments of his pure class. Still, it’s hard to forget he was surplus to requirements under Emery and just isn’t playing to his full potential.
Matteo Guendouzi: Can we call this a Sophomore slump? Guendouzi showed so much promise but he seems so combative and ill-disciplined and Arteta doesn’t seem to be a fan with Ceballos and Xhaka the two first-choice starting midfielders.
Granit Xhaka: Look, he’s recovered really well after being stripped of the captaincy as he reacted angrily to fans booing him. But we can’t just brush that to one side. There has always been a question mark against Xhaka’s attitude and even though Arteta likes him, will he stay at Arsenal beyond the next transfer window? Who knows. His play on the pitch is fine but is he worth the risk?
Lucas Torreira Emile Smith Rowe (injured for most of season)
Kieran Tierney (injured for most of season)
The Argentina star has a goal and six assists in 22 matches across all competitions, but his skills as an elite ball progressor are what most attracts the Blues.
Fernandez ranks in the 99th percentile of midfielders in progressive passes per 90 at 9.47 and in the 95th percentile in shot-creating actions per 90 (FBref.com).
Chelsea’s revolutionized its squad since the club was purchased by Todd Boehly’s consortium last year, with Wesley Fofana, Mykhaylo Mudryk, Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Marc Cucurella, and many more.
The January transfer window has again seen big-name imports into the Premier League, and the final hours of the window we saw a flurry of deals take place.
Chelsea spent big, once again, as a British record $130 million deal for Enzo Fernandez nears completion, while Liverpool signed Cody Gakpo and Arsenal added Trossard, Jorginho and Jakub Kiwior to strengthen their title hopes.
Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur made additions to deepen their squads’ top-four pushes late in the window too and there were plenty of late deals for clubs in the relegation battle.
Below we list the confirmed deals from January in terms of ins and outs at Premier League clubs.
Weston McKennie to Leeds United was a done deal on Jan. 30, as the American midfielder has joined on loan until the end of the season, with Leeds having an option to buy him for $36 million.
As for deadline day itself Jorginho has joined Arsenal from Chelsea in a big move across London, while Manchester United are chasing the singing of Marcel Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Munich after they lost Christian Eriksen to injury.
Chelsea are pushing hard to sign Enzo Fernandez and it looks like it could happen right around the deadline, while Bournemouth, Southampton, Fulham and Tottenham are all busy on deadline day too and pushing deals through late on.
AFC Bournemouth
In
Dango Ouattara (Lorient)
Darren Randolph (West Ham)
Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City)
Matias Vina (Roma) Loan
Illia Zabarnyi (Dynamo Kiev)
Out
Ferdinand Okoh (Dorchester) Loan
James Hill (Hearts) Loan
Will Dennis (Slough) Loan
Noa Boutin (Gosport) Loan
Gavin Kilkenny (Charlton Athletic) Loan
Arsenal
In
Leandro Trossard (Brighton)
Jakub Kiwior (Spezia Calcio)
Jorginho (Chelsea)
Out
Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry) Loan
Miguel Azeez (Wigan) Loan
Arthur Okonkwo (Sturm Graz) Loan
Ovie Ejeheri (SJK Seinajoki) Loan
Harry Clarke (Ipswich Town)
Marquinhos (Norwich) Loan
Omar Rekik (Wigan) Loan
Albert Sambi Lokonga (Crystal Palace) Loan
Aston Villa
In Aaron Ramsey (loan recall)
Tyreik Wright (loan recall)
Alex Moreno (Real Betis)
Jhon Duran (Chicago Fire)
Bertrand Traore (loan recall)
Out Cameron Archer (Middlesbrough) Loan
Tyreik Wright (Plymouth Argyle)
Frederic Guilbert (RC Strasbourg)
Indiana Vassilev (St. Louis City SC)
Danny Ings (West Ham)
Jan Bednarek (loan recall)
Morgan Sanson (Strasbourg) Loan
Ludwig Augustinsson (loan recall)
Marvelous Nakamba (Luton Town) Loan
Aaron Ramsey (Middlesbrough) Loan
Brentford
In Byron Wilson (Coventry)
Conor McManus (Bray Wanderers)
Fin Stevens (loan recall)
Mads Bech (loan recall)
Beaux Booth (Dorking)
Kevin Schade (Freiburg) Loan
Paris Maghoma (loan recall)
Romeo Beckham (Inter Miami) Loan
Nathan Young-Coombes (loan recall)
Vincent Angelini (Watford)
Out
Salomon Rondon (released)
Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich)
Tom Cannon (Preston) Loan
Niels Nkounkou (Saint-Etienne) Loan
Sebastian Quirk (Accrington Stanley)
Tyler Onyango (Forest Green) Loan
Anthony Gordon (Newcastle)
Joe Anderson (Sunderland)
Fulham
In Anthony Knockaert (loan recall)
Sasa Lukic (Torino)
Out
Idris Odutayo (Maidenhead) Loan extension
Anthony Knockaert (Huddersfield) Loan
Ibane Bowat (Den Bosch) Loan
Connor McAvoy (Partick Thistle) Loan
Josh Onomah (mutual termination)
Nathaniel Chalobah (West Brom)
Leeds United
In Max Wober (RB Salzburg)
Georginio Rutter (Hoffenheim)
Weston McKennie (Juventus) Loan
Diogo Monteiro (Servette)
Out Mateusz Klich (MLS pending)
Alfie McCalmont (Carlisle) Loan
Leo Hjelde (Rotherham) Loan
Max Dean (MK Dons)
Cody Drameh (Luton) Loan
Joe Gelhardt (Sunderland) Loan
Diego Llorente (Roma) Loan
Leicester City
In
George Hirst (loan recall)
Victor Kristiansen (Copenhagen)
Tete (Lyon)
Nathan Opoku (Field Masters Sporting Club)
Out
George Hirst (Ipswich) Loan
Ben Nelson (Doncaster) Loan
Jakub Stolarczyk (Hartlepool) Loan
Ayoze Perez (Real Betis) Loan
Nathan Opoku (OH Leuven) Loan
Liverpool
In
Cody Gakpo (PSV)
Billy Koumetio (Austria Vienna) Loan recall
Max Woltman (loan recall)
Jakub Ojrzynski (loan recall)
James Balagizi (loan recall)
Fidel O’Rourke (loan recall)
Rhys Williams (loan recall)
Out
Jake Cain (Swindon Town)
Jarell Quansah (Bristol Rovers) Loan
Luke Chambers (Kilmarnock) Loan
Cody Gakpo photo vis twitter.com/LFC
Manchester City
In Liam Delap (loan recall)
Maximo Perrone (Velez Sarsfield)
In Jack Butland (Crystal Palace) Loan
Wout Weghorst (Burnley) Loan
Marcel Sabitzer (Bayern Munich) Loan
Out
Martin Dubravka (loan recall)
Shola Shoretire Loan (Bolton Wanderers)
Charlie Savage (Forest Green) Loan
Ondrej Mastny (Portadown) Loan
Di’Shon Bernard (Portsmouth) Loan
Charlie McNeill (Newport) Loan
Newcastle United
In Amadou Diallo (free) Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners)
Martin Dubravka (loan recall)
Anthony Gordon (Everton)
Harrison Ashby (West Ham)
✍️ We are delighted to announce the signing on Anthony Gordon on a long-term deal!
In Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb)
Carlos Alcaraz (Racing Club)
Jan Bednarek (loan recall)
James Bree (Luton)
Kamaldeen Sulemana (Stade Rennes)
Paul Onuachu (Genk)
Out
Dynel Simeu (Morecambe) Loan
Dan Nlundulu (Bolton) Loan
Nico Lawrence (Torquay) Loan
Kazeem Olaigbe (Harrogate Town) Loan
Lewis Payne (Eastleigh) Loan
Thierry Small (St Mirren) Loan
Jack Turner (Braintree Town) Loan
In
Arnaut Danjuma (Villarreal) Loan
Jude Soonsup-Bell (Chelsea)
Out
Bryan Gil (Sevilla) Loan
Djed Spence (Stade Rennais) Loan
Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid)
West Ham United
In
Luizao (Sao Paulo)
Armstrong Okoflex (loan recall)
Danny Ings (Aston Villa)
Out
Thierry Nevers (Bradford) Loan
Craig Dawson (Wolves)
Pierre Ekwah (Sunderland)
Darren Randolph (AFC Bournemouth)
Will Greenidge (Colchester) Loan
Harrison Ashby (Newcastle)
Wolverhampton Wanderers
In Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid) Loan
Joe Young (loan recall)
Louie Moulden (loan recall)
Theo Corbeanu (loan recall)
Christian Marques (loan recall)
Lewis Richards (loan recall)
Mario Lemina (Nice)
Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain)
Craig Dawson (West Ham)
Dan Bentley (Bristol City)
Ki-Jana Hoever (loan recall)
Joao Gomes (Flamengo)
Out Leo Bonatini (released)
Joe Young (Telford) Loan
Goncalo Guedes (Benfica) Loan
Theo Corbeanu (Arminia Bielefeld) Loan
Leonardo Campana (Inter Miami)
Connor Ronan (Colorado Rapids)
Fabio Silva (PSV) Loan
Matija Sarkic (Stoke) Loan
Ki-Jana Hoever (Stoke) Loan
Jackson Smith (Walsall) Loan
Chem Campbell (Wycombe Wanderers) Loan
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Matheus Cunha (Photo by David Davies/PA Images via Getty Images)
From clicking on the links above to read the latest reports and analysis, having Sky Sports News live on Peacock all day long and to our own Pro Soccer Talk live deadline day show which starts at 5:30pm ET on Jan. 31, you won’t miss a thing.
Click on the video below to send in your questions for the PST crew for our deadline day chat where we will round up all of the deals happening late in the window, dish out grades to Premier League teams based on their business and give our analysis on the best signings of the January window.
Sean Longstaff scored twice and Newcastle United navigated a concession to reach its first domestic cup final since 1999 by outlasting Southampton in the League Cup semifinal.
The Magpies entered the second leg up 1-0 on a Joelinton goal and moved their aggregate advantage to 3-0 in the first half before Che Adams scored a pretty goal to bring Saints within two at St. James’ Park.
But it wasn’t all good news as Bruno Guimaraes was sent off after Video Assistant Referee reviewed a hard, studs-first tackle outside the 18 with about 10 minutes to play and will miss Newcastle’s next three matches.
Newcastle seems likely to meet Manchester United in the final, which will be played at London’s Wembley Stadium on Feb. 26, as the Red Devils lead Nottingham Forest 3-0 after one leg and return home to Old Trafford for Wednesday’s semifinal second leg.
Newcastle is off to a final for the first time since the 1998-99 FA Cup, when the Magpies were beaten by the famed, treble-winning Manchester United side.
Newcastle can dream of silverware earlier than expected
Newcastle suffered a precipitous decline under former owner Mike Ashley, and it’s been a decade since the Toon Army’s experienced European football via quarterfinal run in the 2012-13 Europa League.
It may surprise younger fans to note that the Northeast side qualified for the UEFA Champions League on either side of turn of the century, and the city’s been ready to erupt for their boys for some time. The vibes at St.James’ Park on Tuesday were terrific.
The Magpies not having Bruno Guimaraes — assuming the red card isn’t overturned — is a huge miss for the next three games, but they will have Bruno for the final against Manchester United’s mighty and experienced midfield assuming it holds onto its first-leg advantage over Nottingham Forest.
For Saints, they’ll turn their attention to the FA Cup and keep their attention on the relegation fight, which should be very, very tricky as Premier League sides are fortifying on this Deadline Day.
Stars of the Show
Sean Longstaff
Sven Botman
Nick Pope
Mohammed Salisu
Che Adams
What’s next?
Newcastle hosts West Ham at 12:30pm ET Saturday in Premier League play, while Saints are off to Brentford for a 10am ET kickoff on the same day.
Eddie Howe’s side has performed well above expectations this season, mounting a serious top-four challenge one or two years ahead of reasonable expectations. Getting to — and winning — a final in the same season would merely be icing on the cake for Howe, who took over the Premier League’s 19th-place side (5 points from 11 games) from Steve Bruce in November 2021.
Saints reached the League Cup final in 2017, but were somewhat controversially beaten by Manchester United at Wembley Stadium. Southampton have won more cup ties (6 of 7) than PL fixtures (4 of 20), which goes a long way toward explaining why Nathan Jones’ side sits rock-bottom of the PL table with just 15 points.
Newcastle team news, injuries, lineup options
OUT: Jonjo Shelvey (calf), Matt Targett (foot), Emil Krafth (knee)
