Arsenal have started the 2022/23 season in flying fashion, and with the international break here, a time of reflection in the form of Power Rankings seems like a good way to summarise the campaign so far.
The Gunners have been in sensational form, with Mikel Arteta’s side top of the Premier League after seven games as the north London side won six and lost just once of their opening fixtures, with Arsenal also claiming a win in their only UEFA Europa League fixture this campaign.
Arteta and Edu Gaspar recruited well once again this summer to strengthen the Arsenal team into that is beginning to look like title-challengers, and for many supporters, the squad is more than ready to contest for the biggest prize in English football as well as qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
The team have been nothing short of spectacular this season, and without further ado, here are Arsenal’s Power Rankings for the 2022/23 season so far, with many players in with a shot of making this list.
Arsenal Power Rankings
1. Granit Xhaka
What a redemption story Granit Xhaka has enjoyed for Arsenal. The Swiss international has spent the majority of his career in north London dividing the fanbase and causing a stir with pundits, yet this season has seen the midfielder at his absolute best, and it’s providing incredible results.
Xhaka’s new role as an advanced midfielder has got the best out of the former Bundesliga superstar, and the 29-year-old taking over the role of vice-captain has essentially seen the Swiss star complete his comeback with Arsenal as a club and with the fans, who are now singing his name from the stands at every possible chance.
2. William Saliba
Speaking of chants, one of the most viral anthems to occur in the Premier League so far this season is the William Saliba song, and for good reason, with the 21-year-old defender completely changing the Arsenal backline and establishing himself as one of the most exciting talents in all of Europe.
A titan in central defence who already has two goals this season, Saliba is on the road to becoming a mainstay for Arsenal for the next 10 years, and with reports of a new contract on their way, the youngster could end the season as one of the club’s best players if he continues this form.
3. Gabriel Jesus
Arsenal headed into the summer desperate for a new starting striker, and Gabriel Jesus was eventually signed to be the man for the job, and wow, what an impact the £45m signing from Manchester City has had on the Gunners this campaign.
Four goals and three assists is quite the record in the Brazilian’s first seven Premier League games for Arsenal, with Jesus’ physicality and relentless pressing making the striker perfect for what Arteta wants from a leading attacker, with the 25-year-old’s impact already having a huge influence on the north London side.
4. Martin Odegaard
With Arsenal losing two captains in 2022, Martin Odegaard was named the new skipper of the club at just 23-years-old, and the former Real Madrid star has taken to his new role effortlessly, with the midfielder already bagging three goals this season and playing a huge role in the Gunners’ form in the league.
The star of the show in Arsenal’s 2-1 win against Fulham and showing more attacking intent than in his last two seasons with the club, Odegaard’s new role seems to fit the Norweigian superstar to a tee, and the midfielder will be key for the north London side if they’re to maintain this incredible form in the Premier League.
5. Gabriel Martinelli
Gabriel Martinelli is rated by many Arsenal fans as the youngster in the squad with the potential to become one of, if not the, best attacker in world football, and form this season seems to suggest that the Brazilian international is well on his way to becoming one of the deadliest wingers in the game.
Having the second-most open-play attacking sequence involvements in the Premier League this season, Martinelli is unlucky to not be Arsenal’s leading goalscorer this campaign, yet the 21-year-old is showing signs of having his best year yet for the Gunners, with his frightening potential becoming more clearer with each new game.
6. Oleksandr Zinchenko
Another signing from Manchester City this summer, Oleksandr Zinchenko was viewed by many Arsenal fans as quite the coup given how much the versatile fullback cost compared to the Gunners’ previous left-back target Lisandro Martinez, and the Ukrainian international has arguably had a bigger impact at his new club than his Argentine rival.
Zinchenko has offered Arteta a new option at left-back as well as a player who can give Keiran Tierney the perfect competition on the training pitch, with the Scotsman, who was brilliant against Brentford on the weekend, set to benefit hugely with the arrival of the 25-year-old from Manchester.
7. Bukayo Saka
It wouldn’t be an Arsenal Power Ranking’s without Bukayo Saka, who could perhaps have been placed higher if you’re to go straight from the winger’s individual numbers this season, with the England international only bested by Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne when it comes to assists in the Premier League this campaign.
The 21-year-old has been instrumental to Arteta’s new system this season, with Saka’s role allowing Odegaard to have a more attacking role, and whilst it means we see less of the winger doing what he does best, there’s no denying that the results Arsenal have seen from the change speak for themselves.
8. Fabio Vieira
The third and final new signing to feature on this Power Rankings list, Fabio Vieira was quite the surprise signing for Arsenal this summer, yet early signs suggest that the Portuguese youngster could become a superstar for the north London side in the years to come.
The midfielder stole the show against Brentford last weekend as the 22-year-old’s incredible strike from distance caught everyone by surprise, and cameos off the bench have got many Arsenal fans excited about how Vieira will develop at the club, with the first few performances very encouraging, to say the least.
9. Ben White
Saliba’s return and incredible form in the Premier League has seen Ben White pushed out to right-back, yet just like many challenges the England international has faced in his career, the 24-year-old has taken to the task perfectly, with the defender excelling in his new role.
White’s ball-playing abilities make the former Brighton & Hove Albion star ideal for sparking counter-attacks and feeding the ball up the pitch down the right to Saka, and the defender’s surprising pace makes the centre-back a great option for Arsenal to have in the right-back spot.
10. Eddie Nketiah
It might seem odd to include a player who has not even started a Premier League game on this list, but Eddie Nketiah’s form has been something different this season, with the striker quickly becoming a fan-favourite off the bench and an attacking force for Arsenal in the latter stages of games.
Inheriting the famous no. 14 shirt for this season, Nketiah looks like a man looking to emulate the great Thierry Henry this season based on his new style of play, which prioritises bursting through space with speed and power and looking to cause mayhem, with the striker no doubt set for a big year with Arsenal.
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