Arsenal have reached the international break top of the Premier League, so who have been their key men – and where do they still need to improve?
Seven games, six wins, 17 goals – Arsenal have gone into the first international break of the season as the Premier League’s top dogs.
Mikel Arteta’s side have been hugely impressive during the opening stages of the 2021-22 campaign, with several players standing out and making a difference.
But who has been the star of the show so far, what has been the biggest positive and where is there room for improvement?
GOAL takes a look below…
GettyBest player
This is a tough one because there have been plenty of star performers during the early stages of Arsenal’s season, with Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka two notable contenders.
But given his performances in the heart of the defence and the fact he has also chipped in with two goals at the other end, the impressive William Saliba just edges this one.
One has to remember that there was a huge amount of pressure on Saliba at the start of this season. It felt almost impossible that the 21-year-old would be able to live up to the hype when he finally made his first competitive appearance for Arsenal.
Yet he has actually managed to surpass those lofty expectations with a series of superb performances alongside Gabriel Magalhaes at centre-back.
The youngster has taken to the Premier League with ease and is playing with the confidence of a player who has been operating on these shores for years.
He’s quick, strong, calm on the ball and he reads the game as well as anyone. In addition, he has already proved to be a big threat in the opposition box, as his goals against Bournemouth and Brentford have shown.
AdvertisementGettyBest performance
Again, there have been plenty. The attacking display against Leicester was thrilling and the first half an hour away at Crystal Palace was exceptional. Even the performance during the defeat at Old Trafford was excellent at times.
But in terms of a complete 90-minute performance, the 3-0 victory away at Brentford has probably been the pick of the bunch to date.
Mikel Arteta’s side went to a very difficult ground to get a result at and dominated from start to finish, scoring three times while keeping a clean sheet.
Defensively, they were excellent, with Aaron Ramsdale only having to make one save, while going forward they caused the home side so many problems.
The only negative really was that they only scored three goals. With better finishing, the scoreline could – and probably should – have been far higher, which only hammers home just how impressively they performed against a side that had thrashed Manchester United the month before.
Best goal
Another one for Saliba.
There were a fair few contenders, with Gabriel Jesus scoring a stunner against Leicester with next-to-no back-lift to open his Premier League account for Arsenal.
Martin Odegaard’s second in the 3-0 success at Bournemouth was a wonderful team goal and Fabio Vieira announced himself in style with his fabulous strike in the victory at Brentford.
But Saliba’s curling effort against Bournemouth was the type of goal that a world-class striker would have been proud of: first time, with his wrong foot, right into the top corner.
Just magnificent!
GettyBest new signing
Only one winner here.
While Oleksandr Zinchenko has been excellent and both Vieira and Marquinhos have looked exciting in their fleeting appearances, Jesus has been nothing short of sensational.
The impact he has made has been dramatic and instantaneous, the former Manchester City forward completely transforming the way Arsenal attack.
Jesus already has four goals in his first seven league games and could easily have added far more to that tally.
The Brazilian has been a breath of fresh air and already looks like at a bargain at £45 million ($51m).