Well, there you have it… Wenger’s final game. Years from now, the Burnley game will certainly be a brighter memory and more often referred to when discussing the boss’s final days in charge. Despite a 1-0 win (Arsenal’s first away victory of 2018), the lackadaisical atmosphere and performances on the pitch made the game feel more like a midsummer friendly than the final chapter in a legend’s career. Anyway, let’s get on with the final ratings of the season…
David Ospina – 8
Two great saves book-ended his performance today, resulting in a clean sheet for the Colombian, and Wenger’s final game. His 2nd of 3 saves was possibly the best as he tipped a low shot past the post. That’s 1-nil to the Arsenal thanks to Ospina.
Hector Bellerin – 6.5
A so-so performance from Bellerin to end the season. He couldn’t produce anywhere near the amount he did against Burnley in the final third, but he took care of his defensive duties fairly well, winning the ball back 6 times.
Sead Kolasinac – 6
He pushed Huddersfield’s defence throughout the game, looking for that final ball on the left side of the box. Defensively though, he was still too often positioned like a wing-back than an essential part of a four-man defence.
Shkodran Mustafi – 8
He was challenged by Mounie’s aerial ability and a long-ball or two from Huddersfield, but he did everything necessary to maintain Arsenal’s clean sheet. The German recorded 1 tackle, 14 clearances, 2 interceptions, and 5 aerial duels.
Rob Holding – 6
In the coming summer, I hope he beefs up because he’s never been too convincing in the air. That was certainly the case today as he was only able to win 1 of his 6 attempted aerial duels. His decision making came into question too as Huddersfield’s press caused him to give away possession in dangerous areas. Still, he has a lot of potential going into next season.
Alex Iwobi – 5.5
Despite 59 touches of the ball and 47/52 passes completed (90%), he felt absent during the game. He seemed a lot more cautious than usual, only attempting 1 dribble and taking 0 shots. Huddersfield forced him and the rest of the midfield to play a lot deeper and he couldn’t get anything going from that position.
Granit Xhaka – 6.5
Another stable performance from Xhaka to end the season on a high note. It’s commonplace now to see him fill in for the centre-backs when they get out of position or move up the field for a tackle. He had a very tidy 95% pass success rate and tried his best to get things moving from deep. However, just like Iwobi, he had trouble beating the press, and his teammates weren’t helping all too much with little movement off the ball.
Aaron Ramsey – 6.5
After a cold streak for a couple of games, Ramsey ended his season on high note with his 9th assist. He also made 3 clearances and 3 tackles, helping ease the pressure from the opposition. However, his desire to play so far forward resulted in a disjointed midfield as the likes of Xhaka and Iwobi were positioned further back and had trouble reaching him.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – 5.5
He’s always trying to make something happen and this was just one of those days where he couldn’t make a breakthrough. A game-high 24 losses of possession is okay when you can contribute towards the score, but he only managed 1 key passes and 2 blocked shots.
Alexandre Lacazette – 6.5
He’s done well in his role up top despite Aubameyang coming into the team. He was able to drop down, receive the ball, and dictate play from there. The defence was just too strong on the day for him to find much space.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 7.5
In just 14 Arsenal appearances the goal today gives him 10 goals and 4 assists to end the season. The goal today was a signature of his, getting just a slight touch on a whipped in lowball across the face of the goal. His ability to get behind defenders and create space for himself is impeccable, I just wished his teammates noticed it more.
Danny Welbeck – 6.5
Welbeck came on late and provided a great burst of energy to a struggling team. He completed 3 dribbles in a short amount of time and almost sunk the dagger in Huddersfield but he just couldn’t get it around Lossl.
Nacho Monreal – 6
Came on for Kolasinac and did his best to keep the clean sheet. He didn’t have time to do a whole lot.
Ainsley Maitland-Niles – 5.5
The youngster couldn’t handle the Terriers’ pressure and coughed up the ball 5 times on just 13 passes (62%) and committed an error that almost led to a late equaliser. One of his worst performances coming off the bench.
