Top 10 Arsenal Players 2012/13
7. Kieran Gibbs
Kieran Gibbs has always shown potential – even from a young age, playing as a winger, it was clear that Gibbs could make a name for himself. Injuries got in the way of that somewhat, affecting both his match fitness and his confidence. It's to his credit then, that he hasn't allowed injuries to derail his career, and he now finds himself able to hold down a first team slot at left back. Quick and always willing to go forwards, one could argue that he's the closest we've come to replacing Cashley. He added defensive steel to his game, and this aggressive nature has helped him. It's also clear that the signing of Nacho Monreal from Malaga has motivated him to work harder, and one can only hope that the competition for places is healthy and can lead both on to greater things.
Best moment – Whilst it's tempting to say his volley against Swansea in the F.A. Cup, it seems to obvious. For me, it would be his performance against Southampton, early in the season where he looked set to claim two assists...but he didn't, because they were both for own goals.
6. Aaron Ramsey
I don't think I've ever seen a player divide opinion so much as Aaron Ramsey. You only have to look at where I've placed him in this ranking to see what I think of him (although reading what's to come would also be nice!). He continued the 2012/13 season where he left off – either on the wing, or on the bench. Wenger always maintained that he wanted Ramsey to play out wide to learn something new, but with a view to move him back into the middle...once again (in my eyes), Wenger was proven right. Tasked with filling in for the injured Arteta as a deep lying midfielder, Ramsey excelled, and even managed to keep Wilshere out of the side. Whilst his attacking shortcomings may lead to criticism, there are others who can score and create. Very few can run as hard as Ramsey, or tackle as well, etc. He added stability to the team, and looks as though he could become the player he could have been before the injury.
Best moment – his partnership with Arteta towards the end of the season meant that Arsenal became more balanced, but also meant that we could keep possession more easily. I'm going to say that this really came into fruition during the 2nd leg of the Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
5. Laurent Koscielny
This is another controversial one; not because Koscielny doesn't deserve to be in the Top 10. It's just that many others would have put him higher up on their list. Yes, he came 2nd in the official Arsenal poll, but let's just rewind a little bit. He was awful for the first few months of the season. He was the leader in a defence that conceded 4 against Reading – he even got one of their goals! Our defensive solidity was praised at the beginning of the season, when he wasn't there. But maybe I'm being harsh, and maybe TV5 was at fault for some of Koscielny's shortcomings? Either way, his return to form saw Arsenal clinch 4th spot, and his watertight partnership with Mertesacker was arguably the main reason for that. Let's hope that Wenger sticks with it for the start of next season.
Best moment – his match-winning performance and a well taken goal against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena. He grew in confidence from there, and it started an unbeaten run that saw us secure Champions League football.
