Bleacher Report's Alternative Arsenal Awards for 16/17 Premier League Season
Arsenal's season is just one game away from its conclusion, and with that it's time to reflect on what has been a gruelling campaign.
The Gunners will soon name an official Player of the Season, but given that everyone already knows it is bound to be Alexis Sanchez, we at Bleacher Report thought we would give out our own alternative awards to highlight the weird and wonderful aspects of Arsenal's 2016/17 season.
Read on to discover the winners.
The Best Player Who Isn't Alexis Sanchez: Laurent Koscielny
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There's no real debate over who should be Arsenal's Player of the Season: Alexis Sanchez has been head and shoulders above his team-mates.
However, who's been the next best thing at Arsenal in 2016/17?
That honour should go to Laurent Koscielny. It might seem strange to pick a defender given Arsenal's problems at the back, but at times the France international has been the only thing preventing the Gunners from going into total meltdown.
He'll be hugely missed come the FA Cup final on Saturday.
Worst Haircut: Hector Bellerin
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Arsenal players are generally renowned for looking pretty sharp.
Mikel Arteta and his impeccable hair may have moved on, but the likes of Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey have ensured that the Gunners still look good on the pitch.
The one man ruining it for everyone is Hector Bellerin, who seems to have been on a one-man mission to ruin Arsenal's reputation as a well-groomed team.
As Bellerin's haircuts became worse, so did his form, like some kind of anti-Samson. By far the worst of his looks was the ill-advised corn-rows. Fortunately, he appears to have realised the error of his ways—and his performances have subsequently improved too.
Young Player of the Year: Rob Holding
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With Arsenal's squad arguably deeper than ever before, they have not had to rely on youngsters as frequently as in previous years.
Alex Iwobi started the season as a regular part of the first team, but he faded from contention as his confidence dipped. Hector Bellerin, meanwhile, has endured a mixed campaign.
Rob Holding's rise makes him the obvious winner of this award. He has taken to Premier League football like the proverbial duck to water, and the 21-year-old is surely set to be an important part of the Arsenal squad for years to come.
Worst Miss (and Strangest Assist): Danny Welbeck
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Danny Welbeck is an immensely popular player at the Emirates Stadium, but he lacks the predatory instinct to truly establish himself as Arsenal's first-choice striker.
That much was evident in the final Premier League match of the season against Everton, when he somehow conspired to scuff the ball when presented with an open goal from just a few yards out.
Fortunately for Welbeck, Hector Bellerin was on hand to pick up the pieces and fire into an empty net. Welbeck's miscue went down as an assist—the strangest of the season.
The 'Odd Man Out' Award: Lucas Perez
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Sometimes a player just doesn't quite fit in at a club.
Lucas Perez is a tremendous example: Whenever he's been called upon, he's acquitted himself well. However, he's struggled to become a regular part of manager Arsene Wenger's plans, making just two Premier League starts over the course of the season.
Competition is the main issue. Wenger seems to prefer fielding Olivier Giroud or Danny Welbeck through the middle, and in their absence he would even turn to Alexis Sanchez before Lucas.
Best Signing: Rob Holding
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There remain question marks over most of Arsenal's signings from last summer.
Shkodran Mustafi and Granit Xhaka have struggled to live up to their enormous price tags, while Lucas Perez has become increasingly marginalised as the season has worn on.
Rob Holding, by contrast, goes from strength to strength. Few expected him to make a significant impression on the first team when he signed from Bolton Wanderers last summer, but the young centre-half has played a key role in helping Arsenal to stabilise their defence in their run-in towards the FA Cup final.
He appears to have been an absolute bargain.
Best Loan Gunner: Wojciech Szczesny
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At the start of the season, Jack Wilshere was probably the favourite to win this award. However, his spell with Bournemouth was generally unspectacular, and it ended in an unsurprising injury.
Calum Chambers will feel he deserves to be in the mix. Despite relegation with Middlesbrough, he grew in stature over the course of the campaign and will hope to compete for a place with Arsenal next term.
However, the winner in this category is Wojciech Szczecny. The Polish goalkeeper enjoyed a strong second season on loan with AS Roma, helping the club to a second-place finish in Serie A.
Only champions Juventus conceded fewer goals in the Italian top flight, and Szczesny may now be in line for a timely return to north London.
The Super-Sub Award: Olivier Giroud
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It's been a strange season for Olivier Giroud. Despite losing his automatic place as the spearhead of the Arsenal attack, he has proved himself a highly valuable squad player, largely due to his ability to come off the bench and make a telling contribution.
He started just 11 games in the Premier League, yet he finished the season with 12 goals.
It's a remarkable record for a player who has developed into a menacing penalty box presence—particularly in the latter stages of games.
Most Acrobatic Defending: Francis Coquelin
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This is a special award dedicated to Francis Coquelin's bizarre attempt to block Wayne Rooney's shot in the 2-0 win over Manchester United.
Coquelin has had a disappointing campaign, but it's impossible to question this commitment.
On this occasion he threw his body through the air in a star shape, landing flat on his back—and, it should be added, failing to get anywhere near the ball.
The Houdini Award: Mohamed Elneny
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This is a special award to mark the disappearing act performed by Mohamed Elneny this season.
In the latter part of 2015/16, Elneny was a regular in the side. His ability to pass and move brought much needed balance to the Arsenal midfield.
However, he has struggled for game time this season—particularly since returning from the Africa Cup of Nations in February.
Elneny has figured in just three Premier League matches since New Year's Day, and his long-term future with Arsenal must now be in considerable doubt.
Best Goal Celebration: Olivier Giroud
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Shortly after scoring his remarkable "scorpion" goal against Crystal Palace, Olivier Giroud celebrated his late equaliser against Bournemouth with a cheeky celebration imitating his remarkable strike.
It gets plenty of marks for aesthetics, but perhaps the France international should have got back to the centre circle quickly and got on with the game—had Arsenal managed to grab a winner in that game, they would now be in the Champions League.
The Stupidest Slide Tackle: Laurent Koscielny
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There's some stiff competition in this category.
Granit Xhaka could probably hold an intriguing contest all on his own, while Gabriel Paulista's unnecessary slide towards Harry Kane in the north London derby also stands out.
However, the winner here must be Laurent Koscielny's outrageous red card on the last day of the Premier League season that rules him out of the FA Cup final.
Best Alexis Sanchez Tantrum: 'Under the Duvet' at Swansea City
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Alexis Sanchez struggles to contain his passion, and he has blown his fuse several times over the course of the season.
The most memorable occasion must be when was substituted against Swansea City and then sat on the bench with his hood pulled down over his head.
He's a fantastic player but a terrible sulk.
