11 Gunners went to the Euros, 3 remain.
With the Final in sight, here are ranking the Arsenal players at the European Championship and how they performed ranked from worst to best.
Aaron Ramsdale (England)
Logically is bottom of this list because is the only Gunner at Euro 2024 to not kick a ball.
Not that the 26-year-old has let it impact on his time in Germany.
Anyone who’s watched the FA YouTube videos will know the keeper remains a popular member of the squad as one of its biggest characters.
Gooners will miss him when he leaves but he’s too good not to be a number 1.
Trossard (Belgium)
You sense the 29 didn’t enjoy a moment of this Euros?
He was dropped after Belgium’s defeat to Slovakia and became one his nations main scapegoats.
Confidence wasn’t helped as a substitute when Keven De Bruyne’s body language made it clear he wasn’t impressed our Gunner taking an extra touch and not playing the ball first time.
Dad made things worse by publicly saying he thought the manager wasn’t very good and comparing his son to KDB!
Kieran Tierney (Scotland)
Was hard enough for our left back with Scotland conceding 5 in the opening game .3-0 down and a man disadvantage after half an hour it was apparent that Steve Clarke’s men lacked any game plan.
The defender would have already been low on this list because of that result, but then he was taken off injured after just an hour against Switzerland.
In that one moment it summed up why Arteta wants to offload the 27-year-old. He just can’t be trusted to stay healthy.
Raya (Spain)
Having already won their group, Spain made wholesale changes for their fixture with Albania meaning their number 2 Keeper got a game.
David Raya got a clean sheet but the closest he came from conceding was himself.
An attempted clearance hit his own defender and only luck stopped the ball bouncing into his own net.
As Jermaine Jenas said on commentary, ‘He’s a weird one. He just seems to have one of them in him every now and then ‘.
Which is how I would sum up the 28 years olds first season in North London.
Yes, he won the Golden Glove, but he makes too many individual errors.
Zinchenko (Ukraine)
A lot of outlets have started to publish their worse team of the tournament with our player included at left back.
Maybe harsh considering a 3-0 defeat to Romania was due to 2 keeper mistakes, while he assisted Ukraine’s equaliser against Slovakia.
When they needed to beat Belgium though he wasn’t trusted to start. A position he found himself in for his club in the title run in.
Kiwior (Poland)
Playing in part of a back three Poland were the first team officially eliminated from the tournament.
While there was no disgrace to struggle in the ‘Group of Death’ some Gooners will be concerned how our defender was targeted by wingers.
This was mostly apparent when the 24-year-old was isolated by Dembele and conceded a penalty.
5- Jorginho (Italy)
The nature of Italy’s elimination from the tournament has seen Luciano Spalletti be questioned on quite a few things including his treatment of Jorginho. Especially dropping a midfielder renowned for keeping possession in a last 16 tie where they couldn’t keep the ball.
His international manager was critical of the 32-year-olds performance against Spain.
Harsh?
4- Kai Havertz (Germany)
Both of his goals at the Euros were penalties. Like at Arsenal, link up play gets the best out of others, with Germany’s movement off the ball some of the best in the competition.
Judging the 25-year-old at the highest level though he remains not a natural enough finisher to be number one striker for club or country.
Certain touches and skills he makes though are world class.
3-Declan Rice (England)
The one English player with the most to sacrifice because of Southgate’s tactics and system.
In Group stages his country sat deep (maybe too deep) meaning our midfielder’s starting position was at times on the edge of his own penalty area. Passing poor at times (especially against Denmark), but is one of the best in the world at putting out fires.
2-Bukayo Saka (England)
Was part of an underwhelming England attack in the Three Lions first 4 fixtures. Although it remains a debate how much that is down to the tactics from his manager?
It showed the faith in him that Gareth Southgate resisted calls to drop him for Palmer from a reactionary media.
Ironically the 22-year-old produced his nations best individual display of the tournament after being dropped back to a slightly not unfamiliar position of right wing back.
Penalty against Switzerland and post-match hug with Southgate is one of the highlights of the Euros.
1-Saliba (France)
A lot was made before the Semi Finals of France’s inability to score a goal in open play and not enough of the fact that they hadn’t conceded one in open play.
It took two World class goals from Spain to change that.
Olmo’s three quality touches were the only time Saliba found himself wrong footed.
The 23-year-old is one of the few plus points to come out of the French camp.
Given that pre-tournament Deschamps felt the defender, ‘does things I don’t like’ the last month was quite a turn around.
The centreback communicated with his peers, started attacks with his passing and physically wouldn’t be bullied.
In a position where you don’t hit your peak past the age of 30, he’s only going to get better.
If Arsenal don’t win the League soon, we lose him.
Dan
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