Arsenal's 2024 awards: Best player, most improved & more

[ad_1] 2024 was an odd yr for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta's aspect boasted the very best report of any Premier League staff throughout the 12 months, but completed final season as runners-up to Manchester Metropolis and trailed Liverpool (in addition to Nottingham Forest) by the top of December 2024.

The Gunners earned their first Champions League knockout spherical win in 14 years however collected as many trophies as Erik ten Hag's Manchester United (one Group Defend in comparison with an FA Cup victory).

The highs could not have been as excessive because the lows have been low, however there have been nonetheless loads of moments to savour alongside the circuitous route by 2024.

William Saliba has been an unflinching pillar on the again for Arsenal / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Whereas Bukayo Saka's unerring consistency, Martin Odegaard's magical bursts and Gabriel's set-piece prowess are all worthy of recognition, William Saliba needs to be thought of the standout performer for the Gunners.

For all of the attacking expertise at Arteta's disposal, his aspect are unashamedly constructed on the again of a concrete defensive resolve, with Saliba at its epicentre. The silk-lined Frenchman not solely gives the kind of imperious presence which results in common acclaim from his friends, however makes these round him - mainly Gabriel - much better.

David Raya has grown into the position of Arsenal's primary / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

David Raya's begin to life between the posts for Arsenal was made infinitely harder by his supervisor. It has lengthy since been forgotten, with Aaron Ramsdale and his Hagrid costume shipped off to Southampton in the summertime, however Arteta initially claimed that he would rotate his goalkeepers.

That useless misdirection by no means actually took maintain, and Raya initially struggled to make a assured begin in entrance of a fanbase nonetheless eager for his likeable predecessor. One memorable Champions League evening in March swung the tide.

Raya had already grown in confidence earlier than saving a pair of penalties as Arsenal knocked Porto out of the spherical of 16 in entrance of a boiling Emirates environment. The spectre of Ramsdale - who watched the motion unfold from the bench - had been purged.

Since then, the Spain worldwide has gone from strength-to-strength, pulling out a string of more and more acrobatic saves in the beginning of the present marketing campaign to make sure that Arsenal's season did not utterly derail.

Ethan Nwaneri scored 4 objectives for Arsenal in 2024 / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Ethan Nwaneri's first Premier League begin could have arrived in 2025, however the 17-year-old prodigy made a big affect all through 2024. Throughout 17 appearances - most of which have been cameo roles in England's prime flight - the deft left-footer managed to attain 4 objectives.

Such is Nwaneri's plain expertise - an appreciation of time and house which his teammate Riccardo Calafiori has described as "pure" - that Arteta has needed to exert excessive self-restraint to keep away from overplaying the teenager.

Kai Havertz has been within the objectives for Arsenal this season / Marc Atkins/GettyImages

"60 million down the drain," or so the mantra goes, "Kai Havertz scores once more!" Arsenal's usually ungainly German, a participant whose legs look just a little too lengthy and his arms marginally too quick for his angular body, racked up a powerful 21 objectives for the Gunners.

Whereas not amongst Europe's prime scorers in 2024, Havertz did narrowly pip Bukayo Saka, who mustered 20. Following shut behind on 19 within the league alone is Arsenal's collective set-piece haul.

Riccardo Calafiori joined Arsenal over the summer time / Alex Pantling/GettyImages

2024 has not be an astounding yr of recruitment for Arsenal. The Gunners did not usher in a single senior participant throughout the earlier January window and - except for making David Raya's mortgage deal everlasting - solely furnished Arteta's squad with three new recruits final summer time.

Raheem Sterling's dire six months are barely worthy of consideration, leaving a straight shootout between Riccardo Calafiori and Mikel Merino.

The 2 towering figures, snapped up from European sides punching above their weight barely beneath the higher echelons of elite continental soccer, have each had their highs and lows.

Merino notably broke his shoulder throughout his first coaching session with the Gunners, but he solely performed three fewer minutes than his Italian counterpart, who has struggled with much less dramatic accidents throughout his opening six months in north London. Calafiori simply will get the sting. That recognition is sort of purely due to his spectacular equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Manchester Metropolis again in September, earlier than the defending champions had unravelled.

Bukayo Saka was on course for Arsenal of their finest victory of 2024 / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages

Arsenal hosted Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool for the ultimate time in the beginning of February. Trailing the league-leading Reds by 5 factors on the time, the Gunners had all of it to do on the Emirates. They usually did.

Arteta's aspect outplayed, out-thought and out-worked the guests. A false-nine tandem of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz pulled the lavender shirts aside, leaving the usually imperious pairing of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate racked with uncertainty and indecision.

Bukayo Saka's opener was cancelled out on the cusp of half-time by an objectively hilarious handball from Gabriel, who someway conspired to punch Liverpool degree, however the Gunners roared again to win 3-1.

The Emirates was euphoric on the last whistle and Odegaard captured the event by stealing Stuart MacFarlane's digicam to take an image of the pitch-side photographer. The questionable high quality of these pictures was the only real unfavourable from an evening to recollect. "To be trustworthy," Odegaard admitted, "I do not know, it was a bit blurry!"