Top 5 Best Arsenal Players Under Mikel Arteta
Since joining the club in December 2019, Mikel Arteta is one of the longest-tenured head coaches still working and thriving in the English Premier League. The Spaniard has signed and improved several players who joined the club that he inherited or brought in through the transfer windows over the years. While big-money signings like Kai Havertz, Eberechi Eze, Ben White, and Noni Madueke are part of one of the most impressive Arsenal teams in recent history, some players have reached new, unprecedented heights under Arteta’s oversight as club manager.
Let us look at the top 5 best Arsenal players right now who have stepped up and delivered on the football pitch while taking home plaudits for their match-winning performances in recent seasons. While the Gunners’ squad consists of many talented players, only these five players have stepped up for Arteta to clinch crucial wins while playing across domestic and European competitions in recent seasons. The criteria for picking the top 5 best players under Mikel Arteta involved how much overall impact they had on the game, the number of games they played, and how consistently they contributed to team success based on football analysis.
Best Players under Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta has coached some big names in his current tenure as Arsenal head coach. The five players mentioned below have been a crucial reason why the club has finished second in three consecutive seasons in the Premier League table, which can be accessed on Sportsdunia, the go-to source for the fastest football live scores.
5. Martin Ødegaard (Age – 27)
The Norwegian joined the Gunners in 2021 on loan from Real Madrid, but he has quickly turned into one of the first names on the team sheet under Arteta. The departure of high-profile players like Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also led to the Spanish head coach handing the captaincy duties to Odegaard. He has made 227 appearances for the club while scoring 42 goals and creating 45 assists.
4. William Saliba (Age – 25)
The Frenchman has been one of the most inspirational players in the Arsenal squad and someone who turned around his doubters into believers while operating under Arteta’s guidance. While forging one of the most dominant center-back partnerships with Brazilian defender Gabriel Magalhães, Saliba has made 176 appearances, scoring 8 goals and creating 3 assists en route to helping the club win two Community Shield titles.
3. David Raya (Age – 30)
The Spaniard is one of the best Arsenal players and goalkeepers to play for the club in recent history since being recruited by Arteta to join the club on loan during the 2023-24 EPL season from Brentford. Raya has managed 139 appearances for the North London side while helping his team record 61 clean sheets since his debut for the Gunners. During the ongoing season, the Spanish goalkeeper has kept 15 clean sheets in 32 league appearances.
2. Bukayo Saka (Age – 24)
The English winger turned from a youth prospect to genuinely being one of the most exciting and best right-wingers in the EPL under Mikel Arteta’s tutelage. While Emery gave the 24-year-old his first break into the team, the Spaniard extracted the best out of Saka as an attacking winger. He has made 305 appearances for the Gunners while scoring 79 goals and dishing out 79 assists to his teammates.
1. Declan Rice (Age – 27)
Apart from being one of the most expensive players signed by Mikel Arteta, Declan Rice has transformed into one of the best midfielders in the world at Arsenal. While the former West Ham midfielder had proved his qualities in a struggling Hammers side, his skillset was amplified to the next level under the Spaniard. Since joining the Gunners in July 2023, Rice has made 150 appearances while scoring 21 goals and creating 31 assists from the deep-lying midfield position and has become an expert at set-piece delivery.