It’s that time of year again when we reflect on the best and worst of Arsenal. And let’s face it, the ‘worst’ column is the longest.
2017 wasn’t the best year to be a Gooner.
Although we did beat Chelsea to win the FA Cup, we finished fifth in the Premier League, missed out on the Champions League as a result and Spurs came above us for the first time under Arsene Wenger.
The boss extended his current contract until 2019, despite fan unrest reaching an all-time high.
We lost Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Liverpool, which in hindsight was a brilliant bit of business, until we also sold Wojciech Szczesny to Juventus.
The beginning of 2018 could see us lose two of our best players – Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez. And while we allow our best players – bar the Ox – to leave, some of our worst are still at the club, picking up a paycheck they scarcely deserve.
Here, in my opinion, are Arsenal’s three worst players from 2017.
David Ospina
The Colombian goalkeeper is somehow hanging in there by the skin of his teeth, despite being adamant he was off in the summer. What’s worse is that it actually seems Wenger convinced him to stay and got rid of Woj, which is pretty perplexing.
Luckily, the second-choice shot-stopper has been limited to Europa League and domestic cup games. From his lack of height, to his inability to hold onto a ball once he’s caught it, hopefully we see the back of Ospina in the not-too-distant future.
Theo Walcott
I feel for Theo because I do feel he can make a difference without playing particularly well, but he’s 28 now and is still struggling to get a start in any competition.
Last term, he made just 23 league starts. This season he’ll be lucky if he reaches half that. Probably time he’s moved on.
Francis Coquelin
What can I say about Coquelin? The midfielder has problems passing the ball, especially forward, which is pretty worrying considering where he plays. He breaks down most attacks, but hasn’t really got a creative bone in his body.
There are few players Gooners audibly groan at when they’re brought on, and Coq is definitely one of them. No one really knows why he’s still at the club, but at least he’s not getting started ahead of Granit Xhaka and Aaron Ramsey.