Arshavin was fabulously gifted but taking into account what he cost was in my view one of Wenger's worst two signings for Arsenal. I accept he started very well and played a big part in getting us into the top four his first season after arriving in January. Maybe that's what you're thinking of for this year. But remember, after that things went seriously downhill with Arshavin and I think the only other real candidate for his worst signing was Jeffers.

I don't know if you're thinking of Mkhitaryan but unfortunately if Wenger does sign him I can see things going the same way as it went with Arshavin.

VAR gets a thumbs up from me. Gives the ref more reason not to favour one side or the other as evry decision he now makes could be looked at.

Atkinson coped very well.

Holding, Mustafi, Chambers and Xhaka really good today. They've been rightfully criticised a lot this season, so they deserve to be recognized when they play well.

Can't wait for Monreal or Kolasinac to come back. Give Ainsley a chance to show what he can do in a midfield role.

Would've liked to say Iwobi was really good as well because I thought he did a lot of positive things, but his final ball is just shockingly bad. Both when finishing and trying to pass it. Most important thing to improve if he wants to make it at this level.

Yes, I think there is some hidden talent there.

Regarding Lacazette I also share some concerns. When we purchased him I recall that a female on one of the podcasts I listen to had watched him a lot. She said he had been prone to really struggling when not scoring. However she indicated that in the last 2 years he had been a lot better and did not suffer from the problem. However I am starting to see a player whose head drops when he misses a chance and especially when he is subbed off around the 65-70 minute. The other day I saw the first moment of real doubt in a game when he took too long to shoot. He was second guessing himself. He is starting to look like Chamakh rather than Henry.

Don't mind Wenger staying if we win the Europa League.

We need an Arshavin-like Jan signing.

If we sold Coq, Theo and Sanchez this window without any replacements I think the team would struggle to win the Europa League and thus qualify for the champions league. The lack of champions league again next season would hamper any new signings. On the flip side, Wenger makes some signings, using up the budget for the next man - or he goes on to win the Europa League and uses it to convince himself that he is still relevant and stays for a while longer.
Do you get much worse to get better? The top table is so competitive that a few season out of the champions league (without limitless money from the owner) could lead to a stagnant team for a long time even with a new manager.
Catch 22 for Arsenal fans

Don't mind Wenger staying if we win the Europa League.

Arshavin was fabulously gifted but taking into account what he cost was in my view one of Wenger's worst two signings for Arsenal. I accept he started very well and played a big part in getting us into the top four his first season after arriving in January. Maybe that's what you're thinking of for this year. But remember, after that things went seriously downhill with Arshavin and I think the only other real candidate for his worst signing was Jeffers.

I don't know if you're thinking of Mkhitaryan but unfortunately if Wenger does sign him I can see things going the same way as it went with Arshavin.

Interesting who the forum thinks is wengers worst ever signing?
You’d have to weight up the cost, wages, performances, expectation v reality. It’s tough.

For example I had great expectations when we signed Baptista, albeit on loan, I thought he was exactly what we needed, pace, power, goals. Such a disappointment - but then it was a one year loan so very little damage done.

Lots of the disasters have been quite cheap. Silvestre, park etc.

I wonder where the current squad would rank?

I think Wengers worst signing is Granit Xhaka. If you consider his positive qualities but also remember his fee was 35 million quid and what that buys in the market. I mean at the time wanyama was 11 million and Kante was 32 and I would take either of those 2 instead in a heartbeat instead of Xhaka.

He was supposed to fix a pretty major flaw in the team and considering the size of fee, the importance of the role he was due to fill at the time he edges it. Also we won't get a decent chunk of that money back when he inevitably gets moved on.

2nd place goes to Andre Santos who at 7 million quid was a disasterous signing and nowhere near good enough to play for arsenal. A signing that stemmed from pure desperation and panic. The club couldn't have scouted him when we signed him as one look at him would have showed he wasnt good enough. He must have been bought off the back of you tube clips

Further honourable mentions go to Jeffers who came close but showed great form for Everton prior to joining, Chamakh who was free but cost huge wages and we waited for 2 seasons for him to run his contract down at Bordeaux only to find out he was *%^@.

At £15m Arshavin wasn't even that expensive by the transfers of the time. By playing a big part in getting us top 4 he repayed his transfer fee immediately. It ended badly, but for a couple of years he was rather good.

At £6-7M back in 2010, a few thought he was worth it. Then Fergie got his mitts on him. He's 29. Good for 3 more years maybe somewhere.

Well, he'll never be as bad as Chamakh or as good as Henry, but its worth remembering that Chamakh had the best first 3 1/2 months as an Arsenal striker since Ian Wright, and that Thierry had scored 5 goals by this date in his first season.

Wanyama is a brick outhouse, but can barely pass more than 15 yards and is a totally different player, who without Dembele or Ericsson looks ordinary as hell. Kante? Very good at certain things, but has only won 1 game against Arsenal since coming to England, and has generally been outmanouvered by our midfield. Would probably be a very good partner for Xhaka. Xhaka is defensively suspect and not mobile. Kante is mobile, defensively great but has a very limited passing range.

Xhaka may not be Petit 2.0 as he was advertised, but he's a lot better than people realise. There is a reason Bayern were looking at him before Vidal became available.

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Interesting who the forum thinks is wengers worst ever signing?

Arshavin was our record signing at the time so he was expensive by Arsenal standards. He had a good first half a season but in my view, relative to his ability, cost, reputation and reasonable expectations, largely stunk the place out. So my memory of his first two years is diffesent to yours.

As regards's Wenger's buys I think some of his odd last ditch signings have been the most frustrating in that we've tended to be linked with quality for weeks only to end up with some watered down cheap and cheerful version or some has-been panic buy.

I honestly think there's a link between Arshavin's form whilst playing in a country where state sponsored doping was rife and encouraged and his form dropping off after a few months in a new country where it's not.

Ain't rocket science.

Agree, although as a caveat I would say that one or two, Arteta & Mertesacker for example, have been some of the most solid characters we've had for a while. Not world beaters but really good, professional men who got what it meant to play for The Arsenal and may well go on to become fine coaches.

Are you saying he was on drugs. Maybe all our players are, would explain stuff. Horse tranquillisers possibly.

More plausible that simply the premier league is a different kettle of fish to Russian football

Other bad signings Eboue and Denilsen. Both didn't financially didn't cost much but denilsen played about 100 times for arsenal and Eboue 132 so it took Wenger and awfully long time to realise those 2 players were not up to scratch to the detriment of our team.

Best signing must be Henry for me. Vieira, Pires, Petit, Anelka, Campbell all great, but Henry more than anyone gave us a chance to win against any team. Didn’t matter how good they were, with Henry on the pitch there was a chance he’d score a goal or two (or three) against anyone when he was on his game. Best player in the world for several years. He could’ve cost twice as much and I’d still see him as our best signing.

He was absolutely robbed of at least two Ballon d’Ors as well, just look at the top three from Henry’s best years:

2002: Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Oliver Kahn
2003: Nedved, Henry, Maldini
2004: Shevchenko, Deco, Ronaldinho
2005: Ronaldinho, Lampard, Gerrard
2006: Cannavaro, Buffon, Henry

The only one who come even close to Henry those years are Ronaldinho, with a nod to Kahn and Buffon as it’s hard to compare keepers and outfield players. Henry was the man.

They were poor in terms of what came before them but by today's team's standards they are probably no worse than what we currently have.

Its hard to comprehend looking back how he didn't get at least one. I suppose us being shite in the CL didn't help in terms of his european profile.

Best signing must be Henry for me. Vieira, Pires, Petit, Anelka, Campbell all great, but Henry more than anyone gave us a chance to win against any team. Didn’t matter how good they were, with Henry on the pitch there was a chance he’d score a goal or two (or three) against anyone when he was on his game. Best player in the world for several years. He could’ve cost twice as much and I’d still see him as our best signing.