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2017–18 Arsenal F.C. season

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Arsenal
2017–18 season
ChairmanChips Keswick
ManagerArsène Wenger
StadiumEmirates Stadium
Premier League6th
FA Community ShieldWinners
FA CupThird round
EFL CupRunners-up
UEFA Europa LeagueSemi-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
Alexandre Lacazette (14)
All:
Alexandre Lacazette (17)
Highest home attendance59,547 vs. Manchester United
(2 December 2017, Premier League)
Lowest home attendance25,909 vs. BATE Borisov
(7 December 2017, UEFA Europa League)
Average home league attendance59,323
Biggest win6–0 vs. BATE Borisov (H)
(7 December 2017, UEFA Europa League)
Biggest defeat4–0 vs. Liverpool (A)
(27 August 2017, Premier League)

The 2017–18 season was Arsenal's 26th season in the Premier League and 92nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football. The club participated in the Premier League, the FA Cup (as holders), the EFL Cup, the FA Community Shield and the UEFA Europa League.

This was the first season that Arsenal did not participate in the UEFA Champions League since 1997–98. It was the first time they had played in the UEFA Europa League since its rebranding, having last participated in the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup. A relatively poor season saw Arsenal fail to maintain a consistent challenge for Champions League qualification, with their away form being a major factor, only winning four away games in the league all season with 11 defeats, and they were, until the final game of the season, the only team in England's top 4 divisions to not get a point away from home in the 2018 calendar year. A total of 13 defeats were recorded throughout the league campaign, the highest since the 1994–95 season, which resulted in a 6th-place finish. Furthermore, a shock 4–2 defeat at Nottingham Forest meant that Arsenal were knocked out of the FA Cup third round for the first time since 1996.

Arsenal were runners-up in the League Cup, being defeated 3–0 in the final against Manchester City. Arsenal were close to winning their first European trophy since the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994, but a 2–1 defeat on aggregate against Atlético Madrid in the semi-finals resulted in another season in the Europa League.

The season was the 21st straight and final season under manager Arsène Wenger, who announced his departure from the club on 20 April 2018.[1] This season covered the period from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018.

Background

[edit]
See also: 2016–17 Arsenal F.C. season
football player
Lacazette pictured in 2018: Wenger bought the player because of his strong character, technical qualities, and efficient finishing.[2]

The 2017–18 season marked Arsenal's 26th consecutive year in the Premier League and their 114th season in the English top division. The club extended their record of consecutive seasons in England's top division to 92,[3] the longest continuous run in the division's history. The streak began with Arsenal's promotion in the 1919–20 season, prior to the Second World War.[4] During the previous season Arsenal won the FA Cup, the club's 13th overall and seventh under veteran manager Arsène Wenger, who celebrated 22 years in charge of Arsenal this season. However, Arsenal finished fifth in the Premier League outside of UEFA Champions League qualification, it was the first year since the 1996–97 season that Arsenal had not qualified for the Champions League. Instead, this season they played in the UEFA Europa League.[5]

Arsenal's first Summer signing was full-back Sead Kolašinac, the Bosnia-Herzegovina international joined the club on a free transfer to compete with Arsenal's established left-back Nacho Monreal.[6] Arsenal later spent a club record £46.5 million on the French striker Alexandre Lacazette, who joined from Ligue 1 side Lyon. The transfer fee surpassed the £42.4 million Arsenal paid for Mesut Özil in 2013.[2] Also during the Summer, the club let go of long-term goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny,[7] defender Kieran Gibbs,[8] and England international Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who in the final year of his contract joined Liverpool for a club record sale of £35 million.[9]

During the January transfer window, Arsenal signed Greek defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, who joined the club from PAS Giannina.[10] Following a long fallout between the club and winger Alexis Sánchez,[11] the Chilean international joined Manchester United in a swap deal which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan join Arsenal. Mkhitaryan left Manchester United only 18 months after José Mourinho bought the winger from Borussia Dortmund; on the club website the player said it was a "dream" to join Arsenal and he looked forward to making history.[12] Arsenal once again surpassed their club record transfer fee when they signed Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund on deadline day for £56 million. The striker signed a long-term contract, and following his success in the Bundesliga, Aubameyang was projected to be an enormous attacking threat.[13] Also in January, Arsenal let go of long-term forward Theo Walcott,[14] defender Mathieu Debuchy,[15] and high-profile striker Olivier Giroud, who joined London rivals Chelsea for £18 million.[16]

Following an underwhelming year, Wenger's future at the club was uncertain heading into the season. Fans were divided in their opinions of the veteran manager, and discontent among players, notably Sánchez and Özil, became major talking points in the media before the season began.[17]

Pre-season

[edit]

In April 2016, Arsenal announced plans to play two pre-season friendlies against Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers in Australia ahead of the 2017–18 season.[18] It was the first time Arsenal played in Australia since 1977, when the team visited as part of the World of Soccer Cup.[19] The "Gunners" won both matches matches comfortably and later travelled to China to play Bayern Munich and Chelsea in Shanghai and Beijing respectively.[20] Following a penalty win over Bayern and a thorough defeat against Chelsea,[21] Arsenal returned to London to host the Emirates Cup at the club's home stadium which featured Benfica, Sevilla and RB Leipzig. The "Gunners" picked up their third consecutive Emirates Cup after beating Benfica 5–2 and losing to Sevilla 2–1.[22]

Match details

[edit]
Key
Results
Arsenal F.C. 2017–18 pre-season results
Date Competition Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance Ref.
13 July 2017 Friendly Australia Sydney FC (A) 2–0 Mertesacker, Lacazette 80,432 [23]
15 July 2017 Friendly Australia Western Sydney Wanderers (A) 3–1 Giroud, Ramsey, Elneny 83,221 [20]
19 July 2017 International Champions Cup Germany Bayern Munich (N) 1–1 (3–2 p) Iwobi 39,208 [24]
22 July 2017 Friendly Chelsea (N) 0–3 55,618 [21]
29 July 2017 Emirates Cup Portugal Benfica (H) 5–2 Walcott (2), López (o.g.), Giroud, Iwobi 54,538 [25]
30 July 2017 Emirates Cup Spain Sevilla (H) 1–2 Lacazette 57,968 [26]

FA Community Shield

[edit]
Main article: 2017 FA Community Shield
football players
Wenger praised Arsenal's composure after conceding from a mistake.[27]

As winners of the FA Cup in the previous season, Arsenal contested the 2017 FA Community Shield against league champions Chelsea. Victor Moses gave Chelsea the lead after capitalising on a poor Arsenal clearance early in the second half. Arsenal later equalised after Kolašinac scored from a free-kick, it was the Bosnian's first appearance and goal for the club. A penalty shoot-out followed the stalemate, with misses from Chelsea's Thibaut Courtois and Álvaro Morata, Arsenal lifted the trophy.[27]

Match details

[edit]
Key
  • In the result column, Arsenal's score is shown first
Results[28]
2017 FA Community Shield results
Date Opponents Result Goalscorer Attendance Venue
6 August 2017 Chelsea 1–1 (4–1 p) Kolašinac 83,285 Wembley Stadium

Premier League

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 Premier League

August–October

[edit]
Players celebrating
Arsenal players Kolašinac (left) and Héctor Bellerín celebrating the former's goal against Swansea City in October

Arsenal began their league campaign at home against Leicester City. Ahead of the opener, Wenger emphasised the importance of starting the season strong, especially since the club had won just one of their previous five opening matches. Lacazette made history as the Premier League's fastest-scoring debutant, heading in Mohamed Elneny's cross after just 94 seconds. However, Leicester quickly equalised through Shinji Okazaki, and Jamie Vardy soon put them in front. Danny Welbeck levelled the score just before halftime, but Vardy restored Leicester's lead with a header from Riyad Mahrez's corner. Wenger's inspired substitutions then sparked Arsenal's comeback, with Aaron Ramsey firing in an angled drive and Giroud sealing the victory with a powerful header from Granit Xhaka's corner.[29] However, Arsenal's momentum was short-lived. They were humiliated by Stoke City, losing 1–0 to a Jesé goal early in the second half.[30] Their misery deepened before the international break with a 4–0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield. On BBC Radio 5 Live, Robbie Savage remarked, "Liverpool haven't beaten Arsenal, they have destroyed them. Thumped them. Torn them apart."[31]

In early September, Arsenal secured a crucial 3–0 victory over Bournemouth, a must-win game following their challenging start to the season. A brace from Welbeck and a curled finish from Lacazette allowed Arsenal to secure a comfortable victory over their struggling opponents at the Emirates.[32] On 17 September, the "Gunners" earned their first point at Stamford Bridge in six years with a 0–0 draw against Chelsea.[33] Shortly after, Arsenal defeated West Bromwich Albion 2–0 at home, capping off September on a high.[34]

After a solid 2–0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on 1 October,[35] Arsenal traveled to Vicarage Road, where Per Mertesacker's header initially put them ahead against Watford. However, a controversial penalty converted by Troy Deeney and a late winner from Tom Cleverley handed Arsenal a 2–1 defeat at Vicarage Road.[36] The team then headed to Goodison Park to face a struggling Everton. Monreal, Özil, Lacazette, Ramsey, and Sánchez all scored in a 5–2 victory, with Everton's goals coming from Wayne Rooney and Oumar Niasse.[37] Returning to the Emirates, Arsenal faced a tough challenge against Swansea City. Despite trailing 1–0 at halftime, they avoided embarrassment by mounting a determined comeback. Goals from Kolašinac and Ramsey ensured Arsenal finished October in fourth place.[38]

November–February

[edit]
portrait
Aubameyang scored during his debut against Everton where Arsenal won 5–1 at the Emirates Stadium.

At the Etihad Stadium in early November, Arsenal took on league leaders Manchester City. Kevin De Bruyne opened the scoring for the hosts after a clever exchange with Fernandinho, firing a low shot past Petr Čech into the far post. In the second half, Monreal fouled Raheem Sterling in the box, leading to a contentious penalty that Sergio Agüero converted to double City’s lead. Substitute Lacazette pulled one back for Arsenal, but Gabriel Jesus sealed the victory for Manchester City with a close-range finish. Stephan Shemilt of BBC Sport noted that Arsenal lacked "incision and creativity," with Sánchez often isolated as a lone forward without adequate support.[39] Following the international break, Arsenal played Tottenham Hotspur in the North London Derby at the Emirates Stadium. The "Gunners" won 2–0 with goals from Mustafi and Sánchez in what was a "perfect performance" according to Alan Shearer when speaking on Match of the Day.[40] Arsenal followed up this performance with a win against Burnley at Turf Moor, and a comprehensive 5–0 win over Huddersfield Town at the Emirates.[28]

Arsenal suffered a 3–1 defeat to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium. Antonio Valencia capitalised on an early mistake to put the visitors ahead, and Jesse Lingard quickly doubled their lead. Lacazette managed to pull one back for Arsenal in the second half, but Lingard struck again to seal the victory for United. David de Gea delivered a world-class performance, making 14 saves to equal a Premier League record and denying Arsenal multiple chances to get back into the game.[41] Following draws against Southampton and West Ham United,[28] Arsenal slipped to seventh on the table, marking their first winless streak of three league matches since April.[42] Newcastle United traveled to the Emirates on 16 December and were narrowly defeated 1–0. Özil's well-placed volley was the decisive goal, making the difference between the two sides.[43] Arsenal hosted Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool in a thrilling 3–3 draw. Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring with a header from Mohamed Salah's chipped pass, and the Egyptian doubled Liverpool's lead early in the second half. Arsenal quickly responded with a Sánchez header and a powerful long-range strike from Xhaka to level the match. Özil then combined with Lacazette to give Arsenal the lead just two minutes after equalising. However, Roberto Firmino took advantage of Arsenal's disorganised defence to secure a point for the visitors.[44] With a subsequent win away against Crystal Palace,[45] and a draw with West Brom, Arsenal finished the year in fifth place behind Liverpool.[46]

On 3 January 2018, Arsenal earned a dramatic 2–2 draw against Chelsea at the Emirates. Jack Wilshere opened the scoring in the 63rd minute, but Eden Hazard quickly equalised from the penalty spot after being fouled by Bellerín. Marcos Alonso then gave Chelsea the lead, only for Bellerín to redeem himself with a late equaliser, firing in from 16 yards.[47] A week later, Arsenal's struggles deepened when they were defeated 2–1 by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, marking the first time Bournemouth had ever beaten Arsenal in any competition. This left Wenger’s side five points behind the top four, and with their poor form across all competitions, pressure was mounting.[48] Arsenal responded with a resounding 4–1 victory over Crystal Palace,[49] but any momentum was short-lived as they slumped to a 3–1 defeat away to relegation-threatened Swansea City.[50] Optimism returned at the Emirates following the January transfer window, when new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made an immediate impact, scoring on his debut in a 5–1 win over Everton, with Ramsey netting a hat-trick.[51] However, their resurgence hit another setback in mid-February, as Arsenal lost 1–0 to rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium, extending a difficult stretch in the Premier League.[52]

March–May

[edit]
players
Arsenal players pictured during their final match of the league season

In early March, Arsenal suffered back-to-back defeats, first to Manchester City at the Emirates and then to Brighton & Hove Albion at Falmer Stadium. The loss to Brighton marked the first time Arsenal had been beaten by the Seagulls since 1982. These results meant Wenger's side had lost four consecutive matches in all competitions for the first time since October 2002. With their form plummeting, Wenger’s popularity hit a new low, and calls for his resignation from frustrated supporters grew louder.[53] Watford travelled to the Emirates on 11 March and were comfortably defeated 3–0, with goals from Arsenal's Mustafi, Aubameyang, and Mkhitaryan.[54]

Arsenal's next league encounter was on 1 April, at home to a struggling Stoke City side seemingly bound for relegation. It took Arsenal 75 minutes to break the deadlock, achieved via Pierre–Emerick Aubameyang's penalty, before his terrific volley made it 2–0 in Arsenal's favor with four minutes remaining. Aubameyang then had the chance to complete his hat–trick with another spot–kick awarded at the death, but Aubameyang permitted Alexandre Lacazette to take, and he duly did as Arsenal ultimately won 3–0. In their fifth successive home match in all competitions, Arsenal secured a dramatic 3–2 home win over Southampton. After Irishman Shane Long put the Saints ahead, goals from Aubameyang and Welbeck made it 2–1 to the hosts. However, Charlie Austin's equalizer tier up a grand finale, decided via Welbeck's second of the evening on 81 minutes. With the pressure mounting, Arsène Wenger's departure as Arsenal boss was announced, so ending a 22-year, trophy–laden association with the club. He would take charge for the remainder of the season prior to the announcement of the new boss. Against West Ham next time, Monreal had his 52nd-minute strike cancelled out by Marko Arnautović, before Ramsey restores Arsenal's lead late on. A brace later from Lacazette saw Arsenal ultimately secure a 4–1 win and duly keep alive their top four hopes. Things worsened next time out, as, despite Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring on his return to Old Trafford, goals in either half from Paul Pogba and Marouane Fellaini saw Manchester United earn a 2–1 victory over the struggling Gunners.

Match details

[edit]
Key

Results[28]

Arsenal F.C. Premier League results 2017–18
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
11 August 2017 Leicester City (H) 4–3 Lacazette, Welbeck, Ramsey, Giroud 59,387
19 August 2017 Stoke City (A) 0–1 29,459
27 August 2017 Liverpool (A) 0–4 53,206
9 September 2017 Bournemouth (H) 3–0 Welbeck (2), Lacazette 59,262
17 September 2017 Chelsea (A) 0–0 41,478
25 September 2017 West Bromwich Albion (H) 2–0 Lacazette (2) 59,134
1 October 2017 Brighton & Hove Albion (H) 2–0 Monreal, Iwobi 59,378
14 October 2017 Watford (A) 1–2 Mertesacker 20,384
22 October 2017 Everton (A) 5–2 Monreal, Özil, Lacazette, Ramsey, Sánchez 39,189
28 October 2017 Swansea City (H) 2–1 Kolašinac, Ramsey 59,493
5 November 2017 Manchester City (A) 1–3 Lacazette 54,286
18 November 2017 Tottenham Hotspur (H) 2–0 Mustafi, Sánchez 59,530
26 November 2017 Burnley (A) 1–0 Sánchez (pen.) 21,722
29 November 2017 Huddersfield Town (H) 5–0 Lacazette, Giroud (2), Sánchez, Özil 59,285
2 December 2017 Manchester United (H) 1–3 Lacazette 59,547
10 December 2017 Southampton (A) 1–1 Giroud 31,643
13 December 2017 West Ham United (A) 0–0 56,921
16 December 2017 Newcastle United (H) 1–0 Özil 59,379
22 December 2017 Liverpool (H) 3–3 Sánchez, Xhaka, Özil 59,409
28 December 2017 Crystal Palace (A) 3–2 Mustafi, Sánchez (2) 25,762
31 December 2017 West Bromwich Albion (A) 1–1 McClean (o.g.) 26,223
3 January 2018 Chelsea (H) 2–2 Wilshere, Bellerín 59,379
14 January 2018 Bournemouth (A) 1–2 Bellerín 10,836
20 January 2018 Crystal Palace (H) 4–1 Monreal, Iwobi, Koscielny, Lacazette 59,386
30 January 2018 Swansea City (A) 1–3 Monreal 20,819
3 February 2018 Everton (H) 5–1 Ramsey (3), Koscielny, Aubameyang 59,306
10 February 2018 Tottenham Hotspur (A) 0–1 83,222
1 March 2018 Manchester City (H) 0–3 58,420
4 March 2018 Brighton & Hove Albion (A) 1–2 Aubameyang 30,620
11 March 2018 Watford (H) 3–0 Mustafi, Aubameyang, Mkhitaryan 59,131
1 April 2018 Stoke City (H) 3–0 Aubameyang (2, 1 pen.), Lacazette (pen.) 59,371
8 April 2018 Southampton (H) 3–2 Aubameyang, Welbeck (2) 59,374
15 April 2018 Newcastle United (A) 1–2 Lacazette 52,210
22 April 2018 West Ham United (H) 4–1 Monreal, Ramsey, Lacazette (2) 59,422
29 April 2018 Manchester United (A) 1–2 Mkhitaryan 75,035
6 May 2018 Burnley (H) 5–0 Aubameyang (2), Lacazette, Kolašinac, Iwobi 59,540
9 May 2018 Leicester City (A) 1–3 Aubameyang 32,095
13 May 2018 Huddersfield Town (A) 1–0 Aubameyang 24,122

League table

[edit]
Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
4 Liverpool 38 21 12 5 84 38 +46 75 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
5 Chelsea 38 21 7 10 62 38 +24 70 Qualification for the Europa League group stage[a]
6 Arsenal 38 19 6 13 74 51 +23 63
7 Burnley 38 14 12 12 36 39 −3 54 Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round[a]
8 Everton 38 13 10 15 44 58 −14 49
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored. 4) Play-offs (only if needed to decide champion, teams for relegation or teams for UEFA competitions).[55]
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Since the winners of the 2017–18 FA Cup (Chelsea) and the winners of the 2017–18 EFL Cup (Manchester City) both qualified for European competition based on their league positions, the berths awarded to the 5th-placed team (Europa League group stage) and the League Cup winners (Europa League second qualifying round) were passed down the league.

FA Cup

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 FA Cup

In the FA Cup, Arsenal entered the competition in the third round and were drawn away to Nottingham Forest.[56] Arsenal were knocked out in the third round for the first time since 1996 and therefore the first time under Arsène Wenger.

Match details

[edit]
Key
  • In the result column, Arsenal's score is shown first
  • A = Away match

Results[28]

Arsenal F.C. FA Cup results 2017–18
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
7 January 2018 Third Nottingham Forest (A) 2–4 Mertesacker, Welbeck 27,182

EFL Cup

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 EFL Cup

Arsenal entered the competition in the third round and were drawn at home to Doncaster Rovers.[57] The Gunners were drawn at home for the fourth round with Norwich City the confirmed visitors.[58] Arsenal were drawn against West Ham United at home for the quarter-finals.[59] Arsenal drew Chelsea in the semi-finals, with the first leg taking place at Stamford Bridge.[60]

Match details

[edit]

Key

Results[28]

Arsenal F.C. EFL Cup results 2017–18
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
20 September 2017 Third Doncaster Rovers (H) 1–0 Walcott 44,064
24 October 2017 Fourth Norwich City (H) 2–1 (a.e.t.) Nketiah (2) 58,444
19 December 2017 Quater-final West Ham United (H) 1–0 Welbeck 44,741
10 January 2018 Semi-final (first leg) Chelsea (A) 0–0 40,097
24 January 2018 Semi-final (second leg) Chelsea (H) 2–1 Rüdiger (o.g.), Xhaka 58,964
25 February 2018 Final Manchester City (N) 0–3 85,671

UEFA Europa League

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 UEFA Europa League

Group stage

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage

On 25 August 2017, the group stages were announced with Arsenal drawn out in Group H alongside BATE Borisov, 1.FC Köln and Red Star Belgrade.[61]

Match details

[edit]
Key

Results[28]

Arsenal F.C. UEFA Europa League group stage results 2017–18
Date Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
14 September 2017 Germany 1. FC Köln (H) 3–1 Kolašinac, Sánchez, Bellerín 59,359
28 September 2017 Belarus BATE Borisov (A) 4–2 Walcott (2), Holding, Giroud (pen.) 13,100
19 October 2017 Serbia Red Star Belgrade (A) 1–0 Giroud 50,327
2 November 2017 Serbia Red Star Belgrade (H) 0–0 58,285
13 November 2017 Germany 1. FC Köln (A) 0–1 45,300
7 December 2017 Belarus BATE Borisov (H) 6–0 Debuchy, Walcott, Wilshere, Palyakow (o.g.), Giroud (pen.), Elneny 25,909

Group stage table

[edit]

Pos Team
 Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification ARS ZVE KLN BATE
1 England Arsenal 6 4 1 1 14 4 +10 13 Advance to knockout phase — 0–0 3–1 6–0
2 Serbia Red Star Belgrade 6 2 3 1 3 2 +1 9 0–1 — 1–0 1–1
3 Germany 1. FC Köln 6 2 0 4 7 8 −1 6 1–0 0–1 — 5–2
4 Belarus BATE Borisov 6 1 2 3 6 16 −10 5 2–4 0–0 1–0 —
Source: UEFA
Rules for classification: Group stage tiebreakers

Knockout phase

[edit]
Main article: 2017–18 UEFA Europa League knockout phase

Match details

[edit]
Key

Results[28]

Arsenal F.C. UEFA Europa League knockout phase results 2017–18
Date Round Opponents Result Goalscorers Attendance
15 February 2018 Round of 32 (first leg) Sweden Östersund (A) 3–0 Monreal, Papagiannopoulos (o.g.), Özil 7,665
22 February 2018 Round of 32 (second leg) Sweden Östersund (H) 1–2 Kolašinac 58,405
8 March 2018 Round of 16 (first leg) Italy Milan (A) 2–0 Mkhitaryan, Ramsey 72,821
15 March 2018 Round of 16 (second leg) Italy Milan (H) 3–1 Welbeck (2, 1 pen.), Xhaka 58,973
5 April 2018 Quarter-final (first leg) Russia CSKA Moscow (H) 4–1 Ramsey (2), Lacazette (2, 1 pen.) 58,285
12 April 2018 Quarter-final (second leg) Russia CSKA Moscow (A) 2–2 Welbeck, Ramsey 29,284
26 April 2018 Semi-final (first leg) Spain Atlético Madrid (H) 1–1 Lacazette 59,066
3 May 2018 Semi-final (second leg) Spain Atlético Madrid (A) 0–1 64,196

Aftermath

[edit]

The Player of the Season was awarded to Aaron Ramsey.[62]

Squad statistics

[edit]

Key

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.

No. Pos. Name Premier League FA Cup EFL Cup Europa League Community Shield Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals A yellow rectangular card A red rectangular card
2 DF Mathieu Debuchy † 0 0 1 0 2 0 4 1 0 0 7 1 2 0
4 DF Per Mertesacker 4 (2) 1 1 1 1 0 3 0 1 0 10 (2) 2 1 0
6 DF Laurent Koscielny 25 2 0 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 33 2 4 0
7[A] MF Henrikh Mkhitaryan 9 (2) 2 0 0 0 0 5 (1) 1 0 0 14 (3) 3 1 0
MF Alexis Sánchez † 17 (2) 7 0 0 1 (1) 0 1 1 0 0 19 (3) 8 4 0
8 MF Aaron Ramsey 21 (3) 7 0 0 1 (1) 0 6 4 0 0 28 (4) 11 2 0
9 FW Alexandre Lacazette 26 (6) 14 0 0 2 0 4 3 1 0 33 (6) 17 1 0
10 MF Jack Wilshere 12 (8) 1 0 0 5 0 12 (1) 1 0 0 29 (9) 2 10 0
11 MF Mesut Özil 24 (2) 4 0 0 2 0 7 1 0 0 33 (2) 5 4 0
12 FW Olivier Giroud † 1 (15) 4 0 0 3 0 6 3 0 (1) 0 10 (16) 7 0 0
13 GK David Ospina 4 (1) 0 1 0 5 0 10 0 0 0 20 (1) 0 1 0
14 FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 12 (1) 10 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 13 (1) 10 0 0
FW Theo Walcott † 0 (6) 0 1 0 3 1 5 3 0 (1) 0 9 (7) 4 0 0
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain † 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0 0 0
16 DF Rob Holding 9 (3) 0 1 0 4 0 7 (1) 1 1 0 22 (4) 1 4 0
17 FW Alex Iwobi 22 (4) 3 1 0 3 (2) 0 3 (3) 0 1 0 30 (9) 3 1 0
18 DF Nacho Monreal 26 (2) 5 0 0 2 0 7 1 1 0 36 (2) 5 6 0
20 DF Shkodran Mustafi 25 (2) 3 0 0 3 0 8 0 0 0 36 (2) 3 7 0
21 DF Calum Chambers 10 (2) 0 0 0 4 0 5 (3) 0 0 0 19 (5) 0 2 0
23 FW Danny Welbeck 12 (16) 5 1 1 2 (1) 1 9 (1) 3 1 0 25 (18) 10 2 0
24 DF Héctor Bellerín 34 (1) 2 0 0 3 0 8 1 1 0 46 (1) 3 8 0
27 DF Konstantinos Mavropanos 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1
29 MF Granit Xhaka 37 (1) 1 0 0 3 1 5 (1) 1 1 0 46 (2) 3 12 0
30 MF Ainsley Maitland-Niles 8 (7) 0 1 0 3 0 8 (1) 0 0 0 20 (8) 0 2 0
31 DF Sead Kolašinac 25 (2) 2 0 0 1 (2) 0 2 (3) 2 0 (1) 1 29 (9) 5 4 0
32 FW Chuba Akpom † 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 1 0
33 GK Petr Čech 34 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 39 0 1 0
34 MF Francis Coquelin † 1 (6) 0 0 0 2 0 4 0 0 0 7 (6) 0 2 0
35 MF Mohamed Elneny 11 (2) 0 1 0 4 (1) 0 9 (3) 1 1 0 26 (6) 1 5 0
43 MF Josh Dasilva 0 0 0 0 0 (3) 0 0 0 0 0 0 (3) 0 0 0
54 GK Matt Macey 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
58 MF Marcus McGuane † 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0
61 FW Reiss Nelson 2 (1) 0 1 0 2 (1) 0 3 (5) 0 0 (1) 0 8 (8) 0 1 0
62 FW Eddie Nketiah 0 (3) 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 2 0 (5) 0 0 0 0 (10) 2 0 0
65 MF Ben Sheaf † 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0
69 MF Joe Willock 1 (1) 0 1 0 1 (2) 0 3 (2) 0 0 0 6 (5) 0 0 0
— Own goals — 1 — — 1 — 2 — — 4 —

Sources: [65][66]

Transfers

[edit]

For consistency, transfer fees in the tables below are all exclusively sourced from BBC Sport's contemporary report of each transfer. Where the report mentions an initial fee potentially rising to a higher figure depending on contractual clauses being satisfied in the future, only the initial fee is listed in the tables. Arsenal did not sign any players on loan during the season and players who have not made an appearance for the first-team are not included in the tables below. Squad numbers are only listed for players who featured during the season.

Key

Transfers in
No. Pos. Player Previous club Fee Date Ref.
31 DF Sead Kolašinac Germany Schalke 04 Free transfer 1 July 2017[B] [6]
9 FW Alexandre Lacazette France Lyon £46.5m[C] 5 July 2017 [2]
27 DF Konstantinos Mavropanos Greece PAS Giannina Undisclosed 4 January 2018 [10]
7 MF Henrikh Mkhitaryan England Manchester United Swap deal[D] 21 January 2018 [67]
14 FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Germany Borussia Dortmund £56m 31 January 2018 [13]
Transfers out
No. Pos. Player Following club Fee Date Ref.
— MF Chris Willock Portugal Benfica Released 30 June 2017[E] [68]
— DF Stefan O'Connor England Newcastle United Released 30 June 2017[F] [70]
— FW Yaya Sanogo France Toulouse Released 30 June 2017[G]
— MF Glen Kamara Scotland Dundee Released 30 June 2017[H] [72]
— GK Wojciech Szczęsny Italy Juventus £10m 19 July 2017 [7]
— DF Gabriel Paulista Spain Valencia Undisclosed 18 August 2017 [73]
— MF Ismaël Bennacer Italy Empoli Undisclosed 21 August 2017 [74]
— DF Kieran Gibbs England West Bromwich Albion £5m 29 August 2017 [8]
15 MF Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain England Liverpool £35m 31 August 2017 [9]
34 DF Francis Coquelin Spain Valencia £12m 11 January 2018 [75]
14 FW Theo Walcott England Everton £20m 17 January 2018 [14]
7 MF Alexis Sánchez England Manchester United Swap deal[D] 21 January 2018 [67]
58 MF Marcus McGuane Spain Barcelona Undisclosed 30 January 2018 [76]
2 DF Mathieu Debuchy France Saint-Étienne Released 31 January 2018[I] [15]
12 FW Olivier Giroud England Chelsea £18m 31 January 2018 [16]
Loans out
No. Pos. Player Loaned to Date Loan expired Ref.
— GK Emiliano Martínez Spain Getafe 2 August 2017 30 June 2018 [77]
— DF Carl Jenkinson England Birmingham City 21 August 2017 [78]
— FW Lucas Pérez Spain Deportivo La Coruña 31 August 2017 [79]
— FW Joel Campbell Spain Real Betis [80]
65 MF Ben Sheaf England Stevenage 26 January 2018 [81]
— DF Krystian Bielik England Walsall 31 January 2018 [82]
— MF Jeff Reine-Adélaïde France Angers [83]
32 FW Chuba Akpom Belgium Sint-Truidense [84]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Mkhitaryan could not wear number 7 in the UEFA Europa League as Sánchez previously wore the number in the competition. He instead wore the number 77.[64]
  2. ^ Kolašinac's pre-contract agreement was announced on 6 June 2017, before the season started[6]
  3. ^ Lacazette's transfer also included £6.1 million in additional bonuses[2]
  4. ^ a b Mkhitaryan joined Arsenal in exchange for Sánchez, who joined Manchester United[67]
  5. ^ C.Willock later joined Benfica on 30 June 2017 as a free agent[68]
  6. ^ O'Connor later joined Newcastle United on 6 July 2017 as a free agent[69]
  7. ^ Sanogo later joined Toulouse on 9 July 2017 as a free agent[71]
  8. ^ Kamara later joined Dundee United on 13 July 2017 as a free agent[72]
  9. ^ Debuchy later joined Saint-Etienne on 31 January 2018 as a free agent after Arsenal terminated his contract[15]

References

[edit]
General
  • James, Josh; Andrews, Mark; Kelly, Andy (15 October 2018). Arsenal: The Complete Record. Liverpool: deCoubertin Books. ISBN 978-1909245754.
Citations
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  3. ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 570.
  4. ^ Foster, Richard (24 March 2020). "When football played on during world war one and inflamed a London derby". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 August 2024.
  5. ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, pp. 494–498.
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  8. ^ a b Ornstein, David (29 August 2017). "Kieran Gibbs: Arsenal defender set to join West Brom for £5m". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
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  50. ^ Pearlman, Michael (30 January 2018). "Swansea City 3-1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
  51. ^ Walker-Roberts, James (3 February 2018). "Arsenal 5-1 Everton: Aaron Ramsey scores hat-trick in comfortable win". Sky Sports. Retrieved 7 September 2024.
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  53. ^ Abraham, Timothy (4 March 2018). "Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Retrieved 14 September 2024.
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  56. ^ "We will face Forest in the Emirates FA Cup". Arsenal F.C. 4 December 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2017.
  57. ^ "We will host Doncaster Rovers in Carabao Cup". Arsenal F.C. 24 August 2017. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  58. ^ "We will face Norwich in the Carabao Cup". Arsenal F.C. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
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  66. ^ James, Andrews & Kelly 2018, p. 498.
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  68. ^ a b "Chris Willock joins Benfica". Arsenal F.C. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  69. ^ Easterby, Tom (6 July 2017). "Magpies sign young duo". Newcastle United F.C. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
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