Join Goal.com’s Peter Staunton to see who was the stand-out performer for the Gunners in 2008-09…
It can be safely assumed that Arsenal’s potential has not still not been reached when looking back on another ultimately underwhelming season.
The Gunners went out of the League Cup to Burnley, they were never a contender for the Premier League and came up short in the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Champions League, meaning that Arsene Wenger’s team have now gone four seasons since lifting a cup.
Despite their shortfalls, there have been a number of signs of life from the north London side this season and some stand-alone results of which the club can be proud.
The humbling of Manchester United at the Emirates, the win away to a previously impregnable Chelsea and the trouncing of Villarreal in the Champions League all provided temporary bright spots in what became a dull campaign.
Personnel-wise, the Gunners have not been able to count on their star men; Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor,William Gallas and more all spent considerable time injured on the sidelines as the crucial stages of the season came and went.
However, with the likes of Kieran Gibbs and Andrey Arshavin excelling in the latter stages of the term, there may be enough to suggest that Arsenal, another year older and wiser, may go a step further next season.
So who has been the stand-out?
Below is a list of five nominees in no particular order. I then cast my vote at the bottom before leaving it up to you, the readers, to have your say
1) Samir Nasri: The young Frenchman hasn’t exactly banged in the goals for the Gunners, but he’s been at the fore of some crucial results; his brace in the win over Manchester United in November being one of the season’s high points. More than goals or assists, though, Nasri’s raw work-rate, endeavour and class were evident throughout even the most barren of runs this season, particularly towards the closing stages. It’s been a very promising introduction for the attacking midfielder, whose first season since arriving from Marseille has given hope for the future.
2) Manuel Almunia: The goalkeeper has a tendency to be maligned by critics who feel that Arsene Wenger would do well to jettison the Spaniard in favour of another shot-stopper. However, this season more than any other, Almunia has provided the Gunners with a solid last line, experience and leadership. His heroics against Manchester United in the Champions League semi-final first-leg kept his side in a game they had no right to win. Also, his absence was keenly felt in the FA Cup semi-final defeat to Chelsea, when Lukasz Fabianski was at fault for the crucial match-winner. In league competition, the 31-year-old has also managed a personal best 14 clean sheets.
3) Cesc Fabregas: When William Gallas was stripped of his captaincy for blabbing about behind-the-scenes turmoil at the Emirates, there wasn’t an immediate replacement within a young squad. Thus, still-developing Fabregas was given the nod – a massive gamble. However, things seemed to stabilise under the watch of the understated Spaniard, even if he was leading from the sidelines due to injury troubles. It hasn’t been easy, but it could have been so much worse. Towards the end of the season, he shrugged off allegations of spitting at a Hull City coach to storm back, sparking the Gunners to life with a series of inspired displays. Although his side’s challenge fizzled out, few would dispute that the armband belongs to Cesc now.
4) Bacary Sagna: That the French full-back is contracted at the Emirates until 2014 will bring comfort to even the most underwhelmed of Gunners fans, for few can doubt his quality after a second solid season in English football. His appearance may be flamboyant, but his playing style at right-back is grounded in the fundamentals. Furthermore, at 26-years-old he perhaps has that extra touch of composure needed to compete at the highest level. Although his season has been hampered by injuries, particularly ankle complaints, from Christmas onwards he’s been a first-name-on-the-team-sheet type of performer.
5) Robin van Persie: The Dutchman was struck by the injury bug this season, and has only managed 22 Premier League starts. However, he has made considerable impact in terms of his goalscoring this season, with a total of 18 strikes in all competitions. Combined with that, Van Persie has also prompted a further 10, making for some decent attacking statistics. More than ever, Van Persie proved himself to be a man for the big occasion, netting vital winners against Roma and Chelsea and also earning Arsenal important draws against Liverpool and Everton in the league. There is a palpable sense that if only Arsenal could maintain the former Feyenoord man’s fitness, then they would possess one of the world’s best front men.
My vote: Robin van Persie
When his striking colleague, Adebayor, tended to go missing, Van Persie was usually there to pick up the attacking pieces. Arsenal’s season can be defined against a backdrop of who was fit and who wasn’t at key times, and Van Persie’s absence was felt more keenly than most. Although Arsenal ultimately failed to plunder rewards, Van Persie ensured that they were there or thereabouts for as long as they could be. No doubt, some would feel that the Dutchman was actually underwhelming in this campaign. If that’s the case, what could he do in a full season’s worth of football?
From : goal.com
