Grading Arsenal's Players on Champions League Performances so Far
In what might have been a turning point in their season, Arsenal got a tremendous lift after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 at home.
The German side has had an awful season in the Bundesliga but had been immaculate in the Champions League. Now the Gunners have a chance to finish first in Group D after handing Dortmund their first CL loss of the current campaign.
Following a vastly different performance from the dreadful 3-3 collapse against Anderlecht a few weeks ago, let's look back and rate every Arsenal player that has appeared in at least four of the team's five Champions League games based on their performances so far.
Kieran Gibbs: A
1 of 10
Kieran Gibbs has shined in the Champions League this season. He has been excellent in the Premier League as well, but he continues to excel on the European stage.
The highlight of Gibbs' European campaign thus far will no doubt be scoring the late equalizer against Anderlecht, setting the stage for Lukas Podolski to go on and win the game.
He turned in another stellar performance against Borussia Dortmund in both defense and attack, making a number of crucial clearances to help Arsenal keep a clean sheet.
Per Mertesacker: C+
2 of 10
Per Mertesacker was the rock at the heart of Arsenal's defense last season, playing more games than any other player at the club.
He has not been the same this year, partly because he has been paired with a variety of non-center backs rather than Laurent Koscielny.
However, the Frenchman is on his way back, and Mertesacker appeared to regain a bit of his mojo against Borussia Dortmund.
Perhaps the quality of his performances is slipping because he is being forced to play in a more forward, proactive role. Koscielny's return will fix that.
Calum Chambers: B
3 of 10
No one could have expected Calum Chambers to be that good right off the bat, but the Englishman is doing much better than any 19-year-old rightfully should.
Not only that, he has excelled both at right-back and in the center of the defense, where he has been forced to deputize.
Chambers has not been as badly beaten in Europe as he has been in some Premier League games, despite his inexperience.
I maintain he is better in central defense than he is at full-back, but he has generally acquitted himself quite well.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain: B+
4 of 10
Much like Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has shone in the Champions League more than the Premier League, and consequently has appeared in every one of Arsenal's European fixtures this season.
Excluding Alexis Sanchez, he has been Arsenal's best forward.
In a tepid team that has struggled to produce much of anything in attack, Oxlade-Chamberlain has showed that he is capable of producing something out of nothing.
Aaron Ramsey: C
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Though he has not hit the heights he did last season, Ramsey has still been a good workhorse in the center of the pitch.
Part of his problem is that he is being deployed in a very clogged 4-1-4-1 formation that restricts his space and movement.
The bigger issue is that he is once again trying to do too much, though. He needs to get back to basics, which allowed him to become one of the best midfielders in Europe last season in the first place.
Santi Cazorla: C
6 of 10
Santi Cazorla had been having a torrid time in the Champions League but really redeemed himself against Borussia Dortmund.
Part of Cazorla's problem is that he initially set an incredibly high bar for himself, and he has been unable to reach it on a consistent basis over the last season or so.
Cazorla is one of Wenger's most trusted servants, and he generally does his duty well on the left wing despite the fact that he is a natural midfielder. He gets a C because of his prior showings, but he is upgraded from his previous D because of his brilliant maneuvering and passing against Dortmund.
Mathieu Flamini: C-
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Arsenal are much better off with Mikel Arteta on the pitch.
The Spaniard has been unfit for most of the Gunners' Champions League campaign, though he played against Anderlecht and Dortmund, and he has been dutifully replaced by Mathieu Flamini.
Flamini provides extra grit and is a better protector of the back four, but Arteta is so much better at distributing the ball that the entire team plays better when he is in it.
Arteta's relentlessness in defense and astute distribution played no small part in the Gunners' 2-0 victory, though Flamini did provide good defensive cover when he came on for the last 23 minutes or so.
Lukas Podolski: B-
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Lukas Podolski has not appeared much for Arsenal this season, but as always, he makes the most of his time on the pitch.
There isn't much about his performances to discuss other than the last-gasp winner against Anderlecht a few weeks ago. The goal was indicative of the type of player he is—a pure goalscorer without many other skills.
Podolski is somewhat justified in complaining that he spends far too much time on the bench.
He does not clearly fit into Arsenal's system, but he is not able to display his talents when he only gets 11 minutes of playing time, as he did against Borussia Dortmund.
Alexis Sanchez: A+
9 of 10
What other rating could the Chilean superstar possibly get?
He has undoubtedly been Arsenal's best player this season, scoring three goals in five Champions League appearances thus far.
His latest was this absolutely magnificent curler against Dortmund that gave the Gunners a more comfortable 2-0 lead.
Alexis has been absolutely world class. Hopefully the rest of the team catches up with him soon.
Danny Welbeck: B+
10 of 10
Danny Welbeck's coming-out party was Arsenal's 4-1 thumping of Galatasaray, in which the Englishman scored the first hat-trick of his career.
He moved and finished excellently that day and lifted off his shoulders all the pressure concomitant with being a new striker at a club.
Welbeck needs to start scoring again, though. He has gone several games without a goal now, and Olivier Giroud's strike against Manchester United gives the Englishman additional impetus.
He did not feature against Borussia Dortmund due to a hamstring injury, but hopefully he will return soon.
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