Ranking every Arsenal player by how much they deserve the Premier League title | OneFootball

Arsenal can’t not win the Premier League title from here, right? They’re as good as champions, right? Wrong. Because this is Arsenal Football Club we are talking about. They are their own worst enemies and will shoot themselves in the foot, giving Manchester City a way back in.

There is a flat-out refusal here to say it is done. City have a game in hand and still play Arsenal. Sure, it’s in their hands, but Mikel Arteta’s side aren’t quite in champions-elect territory yet.

While external factors and recent history are both relevant, so is the fact that Arsenal aren’t actually that good.

There has been a lot of narrative about how this is an awful Premier League season, how everyone else is absolutely hopeless, and if Arsenal don’t win the title, they are a disgrace. And while everyone has been pretty hopeless, so have Arsenal. They just happen to have led the league for the vast majority of the campaign.

This was a perfect opportunity for Aston Villa to do the unthinkable, but they ‘bottled’ it, badly. They have bottled it so badly that they are now bottling top five.

Manchester City are not the winning machine of yesteryear. They are no longer capable of ‘one of those runs,’ but if Arsenal ‘bottling’ it would be a disgrace to humanity, then City not taking advantage of everyone else being w*nk is just that.

The overriding point is that Arsenal have not been that good, and their players have not been that good. In our Premier League Power Rankings, Declan Rice and Gabriel Magalhaes are the only Arsenal players in the top 13. Between 14th and 30th, you have Bukayo Saka, Martin Zubimendi, and David Raya. City have players in fourth, fifth, sixth, eighth, twelfth, and twenty-sixth.

With that overriding point in mind, we thought it would be a good idea to rank every Arsenal player, who has played in the league this season, by how much they deserve to be a Premier League champion, from least deserved (not undeniably undeserved) to most deserved.

24) Ethan Nwaneri

Loaned out to Marseille in January, Nwaneri has not started in the Premier League this season.

23) Max Dowman

This kid has plenty more trophies ahead of him.

22) Myles Lewis-Skelly

Lewis-Skelly was a big player for Arsenal last season, but he can’t get a sniff now.

21) Christian Norgaard

Arteta has only recently realised Norgaard is an effective ‘finisher.’ He might help see out one or two wins between now and the end of the season.

20) Kai Havertz

Havertz has been injured for most of 2025/26. Right now, he is a lowly 20th. If we revisit this in May, he should be much higher.

19) Ben White

In only five starts, White has one Player of the Match award. That’s more than Saliba, Calafiori, Hincapie, Lewis-Skelly, Merino, Havertz, Martinelli, Jesus, Nwaneri, and Mosquera.

18) Gabriel Jesus

Jesus has done very little, but he did make a difference in the unconvincing home win over Wolves.

17) Noni Madueke

Two goals and one assist for a £50m forward is a pretty shoddy return. He did at least score in a draw, so it was an important one.

16) Cristhian Mosquera

Mosquera has looked brilliant at times, but is clearly still quite raw. The potential is clear to see, and he has contributed when called upon.

15) Gabriel Martinelli

Martinelli has one league goal all season. That’s rubbish, but it came against City to earn a draw in the last minute. That could end up being gargantuan.

14) Martin Odegaard

He’s not been great, has he? And he’s had a few injuries. Still, the Arsenal captain has assisted twice and scored once in three one-goal victories in the 2025/26 Premier League.

13) Riccardo Calafiori

Calafiori has been fine. Far from amazing, far from rubbish.

12) Piero Hincapie

The left-back duties have been shared between Hincapie and Calafiori. Neither have been particularly impressive. Hincapie has been playing more recently.

11) Eberechi Eze

Eze’s contributions against Tottenham alone have made him an instant hero, whilst making his lack of contributions across the board rather irrelevant. He also made a huge assist for Martinelli’s goal versus City.

The fact he is 11th speaks volumes about how Arsenal have been this year.

10) Leandro Trossard

Trossard is a frustrating figure, but he is a clutch player for Arsenal. He scored a winner at Fulham and a belter in the draw at Sunderland. Five goals and five assists is a decent return.

9) Viktor Gyokeres

Only one of Gyokeres’ goal involvements has won Arsenal any points, and it was a penalty.

He has looked stiff and poor technically, and doesn’t have the goal record to make up for it with 10 in 28 so far, but he has been a presence. Gyokeres has given defenders something different to worry about, and his size, strength, and speed have occupied opposition players unlike any Arsenal forward has for years.

We kind of feel sorry for the big Swede. He has defenders all over him all game and barely gets a sniff off the referees, yet players can bounce off him through no fault of his own, only because he is a unit, and concede fouls. It’s remarkable.

8) Mikel Merino

Merino might not play a single match for the Gunners from January 25 to next season, but his contributions have been vitally important. He scored a crucial equaliser in the late 2-1 win at Newcastle, an equaliser at Chelsea, a goal and assist in a 2-0 home win over Brentford, and an assist in a 2-2 draw at Sunderland. That’s six points. That’s big.

7) Bukayo Saka

Saka’s performances on the right for Arsenal have not been befitting of a Premier League winner, but if anyone deserves to win the biggest prizes for the club, it’s this guy.

6) Jurrien Timber

Timber epitomises the word consistency. He is probably Arsenal’s most reliable defender. He has been very good this year. He is the first player here we can confidently say that about.

5) Martin Zubimendi

People thought Gyokeres would be the final piece of the puzzle, but it was Zubimendi. He has added calm and composure to Arteta’s midfield, and helped elevate Declan Rice’s game to another level.

4) William Saliba

Arsenal’s foundation is built around their rock-solid defence. Saliba probably makes fewer errors than Gabriel Magalhaes, but his influence is not quite as high.

3) David Raya

There is an error in Raya, but there is an error in every top goalkeeper. It’s difficult to explain just how crucial his cross-claiming is for Arsenal. It takes so much pressure off when under the cosh. And he’s a pretty handy shot-stopper as well. A top goalkeeper. And definitely better than Andre Onana, Edwin…

2) Gabriel Magalhaes

Not just his goals from corners, but Gabriel’s defending has been colossal for the Gunners, not just this season, but since 2022/23. He is top class, and has shown as much this season.