2024 has been a strange year for Arsenal.
Mikel Arteta's side boasted Best record of any team in the Premier League over the course of 12 months, but finished second behind Manchester City last season and trailed Liverpool (plus Nottingham Forest) by the end of December 2024.
The Gunners achieved their first Champions League knockout win in 14 years, but have collected as many trophies as Erik Ten Hag's Manchester United (the Community Shield is one compared to the FA Cup triumph).
The highs may not have been as high as the lows, but there are still plenty of moments to enjoy along the circuitous road to 2024.
While Bukayo Saka's unerring consistency, Martin Odegaard's magical bursts and Gabriel's prowess from set-pieces are all worthy of appreciation. William Saliba He should be considered the standout player for the Gunners.
For all the attacking talent at Arteta's disposal, his team is shamelessly built on the back of a palpable defensive resolve, with Saliba at his centre. Not only does the silk-lined Frenchie offer the kind of strong presence that leads to this Universal acclaim from his peersBut he makes those around him – led by Gabriel – much better.
David RayaThe start of life between the goal posts for Arsenal has been made more difficult by its manager. That has long been forgotten, as Aaron Ramsdale and his Hagrid outfit were shipped to Southampton in the summer, but Arteta originally claimed he would rotate in goalkeeping.
This needless misdirection never took hold and Raya initially struggled to make a confident start in front of a fanbase that still longed for his beloved predecessor. one An unforgettable night in the Champions League In March the tide swung.
Raya's confidence had already grown before he saved two penalty kicks as Arsenal knocked out Porto in the round of 16 against a boiling UAE atmosphere. The ghost of Ramsdell – who watched the event from the sidelines – has been cleared.
Since then, the Spain international has gone from strength to strength, making a series of increasingly acrobatic saves at the start of the current season to ensure Arsenal's season is not completely derailed.
Ethan Nwaniri's First start to the Premier League He may have arrived in 2025, but the 17-year-old prodigy has made a huge impact throughout 2024. In 17 appearances – most of which were minor roles in the Premier League – the skilled left-back has managed to score four goals.
Such is Nwaneri's undeniable talent – an appreciation of time and place that teammate Riccardo Calafiore described as “pure” – that Arteta has been forced to exercise extreme restraint to avoid overplaying the teenager.
“60 million wasted” or so the chant goes.Kai Havertz Score again!” Arsenal's often difficult German, a player whose legs appear too long and arms too short for his angular frame, has scored an impressive 21 goals for Arsenal.
While not among Europe's top scorers in 2024Havertz narrowly beat Bukayo Saka, who scored 20 goals. He is far behind him with 19 goals in the league alone, the number of free kicks for Arsenal.
2024 has not been an amazing year for hiring Arsenal. The Gunners did not bring in a single senior player during the previous January window and, apart from making David Raya's loan deal permanent, only supplied Arteta's side with three new recruits last summer.
Raheem Sterling's difficult six months have barely merited attention, leaving a penalty shootout between Riccardo Calafiore and Mikel Merino.
The two towering men, poached from European squads and carrying a weight slightly above the upper echelons of elite continental football, have had their highs and lows.
Merino noticeably broke his shoulder during his first training session with Arsenal, but played just three fewer minutes than his Italian counterpart, who suffered less serious injuries during his first six months in north London. Calafiore Just gets the edge. That recognition is due almost entirely to the stunning equalizer he scored in a 2-2 draw with Manchester City in September, before the reigning champions collapsed.
Arsenal hosted Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool for the last time at the start of February. The Gunners were five points behind the league leaders at the time, and Arsenal had to make do at the Emirates Stadium. And they did.
Arteta's side It has been outdone, thought over, and worked on Visitors. A false tandem of Martin Odegaard and Kai Havertz pulled the lavender shirts apart, leaving the usually imperious duo of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahim Konate in a state of uncertainty and indecision.
Bukayo Saka's opener was canceled out just before half-time by a playful handball from Gabriel, who somehow conspired to score Liverpool's equaliser, but Arsenal stormed back to the scoreline. Winning 3-1.
The Emirates were jubilant at the final whistle and Odegaard took advantage of the occasion by stealing Stuart Macfarlane's camera to take a picture of the pitchside photographer. The questionable quality of that footage was the only negative from an unforgettable night. Odegaard admitted: “To be honest, I don't know, it's been a bit blurry!”
