Arsenal’s 5 best players in February – ranked
The Gunners were playing incredibly well in their domestic matches, but unfortunately, they were defeated by Porto in the Champions League.
Under Mikel Arteta’s leadership, Arsenal’s offense was on fire, scoring four or more goals in three separate games.
With 12 points earned in February, Arsenal is now firmly in contention for the Premier League title.
5. Martin Odegaard
Odegaard caused a stir with his celebrations against Liverpool / IAN KINGTON/GettyImages
Appearances: 5
Average rating: 7.2 (6,9,9,5,7)
Player of the Match: 0
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard hasn’t reached the goal-scoring levels of last season when he scored 15 Premier League goals without any penalties.
However, he showcased his talent with a couple of exceptional performances in February. Particularly noteworthy was his brilliant display as Arsenal defeated West Ham at the London Stadium, and he repeated this feat six days later as Burnley faced a tough time at Turf Moor.
4. Gabriel
Gabriel has been brilliant at both ends for Arsenal / Justin Setterfield/GettyImages
Appearances: 5
Average rating: 7.2 (7,9,8,5,9)
Player of the Match: 0
William Saliba has earned the title of the ‘Rolls-Royce’ of Arsenal’s defense, but it was his partner Gabriel who stole the spotlight in February. Despite a lackluster performance against Porto, where nearly every Arsenal player struggled, Gabriel was outstanding, especially in matches against West Ham and Newcastle.
3. Kai Havertz
Havertz has arrived at the north London party / Marc Atkins/GettyImages
Appearances: 5
Average rating: 7.4 (7,7,8,6,9)
Player of the Match: 0
For quite some time, Kai Havertz has faced criticism for not scoring enough goals and not contributing sufficiently to Arsenal’s midfield.
However, it’s crucial to note that Arteta supports him, and based on his performances in February, he’s poised to play a pivotal role for the team until the season’s end.
Havertz managed to score twice during the month, netting against Burnley and Newcastle, and he also proved to be very effective in the match against Liverpool.
2. Bukayo Saka
Saka has scored seven goals in his last five Premier League appearances / Visionhaus/GettyImages
Appearances: 5
Average rating: 7.8 (7, 9, 9, 5, 9)
Player of the Match: 1
It’s a fact that Kurt Angle remains the sole Olympic gold medalist in WWE history, even with a broken neck.
Similarly, Bukayo Saka is currently experiencing the peak of his career. The 22-year-old has impressively scored seven goals in his last five Premier League matches, delivering three stellar performances rated at 9/10 during a fantastic February.
In any other month, Saka would undeniably stand out as Arsenal’s top performer, but in this instance…
1. Declan Rice
There’s been no Arsenal player more impressive than Rice / Julian Finney/GettyImages
Appearances: 5
Average rating: 8.4 (8,10,8,7,9)
Player of the Match: 2
…he’s been overshadowed by the sensational Declan Rice.
Signed for a whopping £105 million, a record fee for a British player, Rice had a lot to prove at the Emirates Stadium, especially with doubts lingering due to his lack of Champions League experience.
However, he’s now starting to look like a real steal. Rice was absolutely immense in all five of Arsenal’s games in February, standing out as the only player to assert any authority against Porto.
His standout performance came against West Ham, where he scored a magnificent long-range goal, adding insult to injury for the East End side.
