Marouane Chamakh

Rated in: 36 game(s)

vs Liverpool: 6
vs Blackpool: 7.5
vs Blackburn: 7
vs Bolton: 7
vs S.C. Braga: 8
vs Sunderland: 7
vs Tottenham: 6.5
vs West Brom: 5
vs Partizan: 7
vs Chelsea: 5.5
vs Birmingham: 6.5
vs Shakhtar: 7.5
vs Manchester City: 7
vs West Ham: 5.5
vs Newcastle: 3
vs Wolves: 7.5
vs Everton: 6.5
vs Tottenham: 6
vs Sporting Braga: 6
vs Aston Villa: 8
vs Fulham: 6
vs Partizan Belgrade: 4.5
vs Manchester United: 4.5
vs Wigan: 5
vs Leeds United: 4.5
vs Leeds United: 6.5
vs Huddersfield Town: 4
vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: 6
vs Leyton Orient: 4
vs Leyton Orient: 7.5
vs Sunderland: 6
vs West Brom: 6
vs Blackburn Rovers: 6
vs Aston Villa: 6.5
vs Fulham: 6.5
vs Bolton Wanderers: 4

Average Rating: 6.04

It is not hard to recap Marouane’s season, if I am to split it in half I would end up with an average rating of 6.5 for the first part but a very disappointing 5.6 in the second. As I said months ago, I will always be grateful to Marouane for leading the attack when the rest were absent but I’m afraid he will go down as a very poor signing by Arsene and his scouts as they should have known that he would run out of gas after six months.

Theo Walcott

Rated in: 35 game(s)

vs Liverpool: 5
vs Blackpool: 10
vs Blackburn: 8
vs Shakhtar: 6
vs Manchester City: 6
vs Newcastle: 8
vs West Ham: 7
vs Newcastle: 5.5
vs Tottenham: 5
vs Sporting Braga: 4.5
vs Wigan: 6
vs Fulham: 4.5
vs Partizan Belgrade: 6.5
vs Manchester United: 6
vs Chelsea: 7.5
vs Birmingham City: 6.5
vs Manchester City: 6.5
vs Leeds United: 7
vs Ipswich Town: 6.5
vs West Ham: 7.5
vs Wigan Athletic: 7
vs Everton: 6
vs Newcastle United: 7
vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: 7.5
vs Barcelona: 7.5
vs Stoke City: 5
vs Blackburn Rovers: 6.5
vs Blackpool: 6.5
vs Liverpool: 7
vs Tottenham Hotspur: 7.5
vs Bolton Wanderers: 5.5
vs Manchester United: 6.5
vs Stoke City: 4.5
vs Aston Villa: 4
vs Fulham: 6.5

Average Rating: 6.4

He said it, and I agree, this is Theo Walcott’s best season since he joined Arsenal. It seems that from this season he started to be more adventurous in front of goal, running and shooting instead of doing the former and then getting caught in two minds when having to deliver the final ball.

However, the number of poor games by the Englishman is still very high as I rated him 5.5 or less is nine games, including four 4.5 or less. In a way, inconsistency has been a problem of almost every element of our squad and it has to be rectified.

Robin van Persie

Rated in: 33 game(s)

vs Liverpool: 5
vs Blackpool: 6
vs Blackburn: 6
vs Newcastle: 5
vs Tottenham: 5
vs Wigan: 7
vs Fulham: 6
vs Partizan Belgrade: 6
vs Manchester United: 4
vs Chelsea: 6.5
vs Birmingham City: 5.5
vs Manchester City: 8
vs West Ham: 8.5
vs Leeds United: 7
vs Wigan Athletic: 9.5
vs Ipswich Town: 6.5
vs Everton: 7
vs Newcastle United: 7
vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: 8.5
vs Barcelona: 7
vs Birmingham City: 6.5
vs Barcelona: 4
vs Manchester United: 6
vs West Brom: 6.5
vs Blackburn Rovers: 6
vs Blackpool: 7
vs Liverpool: 6.5
vs Tottenham Hotspur: 6.5
vs Bolton Wanderers: 7.5
vs Manchester United: 6.5
vs Stoke City: 6.5
vs Aston Villa: 7.5
vs Fulham: 7

Average Rating: 6.52

After a below-par start to his season, Robin was by far our best player in the last part of the campaign and needless to say, if he can stay injury-free next season then maybe, maybe, we will finally end our six-year trophyless crisis.

Nicklas Bendtner

Rated in: 23 game(s)

vs Manchester City: 6
vs Newcastle: 7.5
vs Sporting Braga: 3
vs Wigan: 6.5
vs Wigan: 6
vs Leeds United: 5.5
vs Ipswich Town: 4
vs Leeds United: 6.5
vs Ipswich Town: 8
vs Huddersfield Town: 6.5
vs Everton: 6.5
vs Wolverhampton Wanderers: 6
vs Barcelona: 6
vs Leyton Orient: 6
vs Stoke City: 7
vs Birmingham City: 6
vs Leyton Orient: 9
vs Sunderland: 6.5
vs West Brom: 6
vs Blackburn Rovers: 6
vs Liverpool: 6
vs Stoke City: 6
vs Aston Villa: 6.5

Average Rating: 6.22

I will miss Nicklas. I don’t think it would be fair if I take in consideration his average rating for this season and that’s because Arsene Wenger had the bright idea to utilise the Dane where he doesn’t belong – the right wing.

Personally, if I had to choose between Marouane and Nicklas, I would struggle to pick one of the two but it seems that the choice is easy since his father first and then the player himself confirmed that his future is no longer at Arsenal.

Good luck Nicklas, wherever you go.

Carlos Vela

Rated in: 8 game(s)

vs Blackpool: 6.5
vs S.C. Braga: 8
vs Tottenham: 5.5
vs West Brom: 4
vs Partizan: 6
vs Newcastle: 4.5
vs Sporting Braga: 6
vs Wigan: 7

Average Rating: 5.94

As with Aaron Ramsey, not easy to rate a player who featured very little this season. First at Arsenal and then at West Brom, Carlos spent more time on the bench than on the pitch yet he still managed to score goals and produce assists for this team-mates.

In a way, it’s easier to recap his season at West Brom, place where he only featured for 321 minutes – the equivalent of 3.5 full games if my maths is not rusty – yet he scored two vital goals and produced at least three assists for his team-mates with Peter Odemwingie successfully taking advantage of the one against Spurs.

Needs more time on the pitch Carlos, that’s for sure, and if not at Arsenal, then let it be somewhere else, just like Nicklas Bendtner.

Looking Forward

No, there will be no 2.5 part about the manager, the third and last part of the season review will include – as usual – the areas where I believe we are to strengthen as well as the players I believe should be shipped out and those who should join us during the summer transfer window.

Until then, take care.