Rating the celebrations from Arsenal’s “Goal of the Season” voting

Yesterday, Arsenal released a video with their candidates for Goal of the Season at the club. There are some absolute crackers in there — Joe Willock’s 25 yard rocket against Liverpool, a marvelous team goal from the women that Kim Little finished, and of course, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s FA Cup Final winner. You should go to the team site and vote for your favorite.

But also, voting for goal of the season: TIRED
Voting on goal of the season celebrations: WIRED

Before we get started, there may be some more worthy celebrations from this season that didn’t make it into Arsenal’s video because the goal they followed wasn’t as impressive. Feel free to drop them in the comments. If it could, my vote would go to the Aubameyang-Lacazette handshake holding the FA Cup picture because I don’t think you can top adding a trophy to an iconic celebration like that.

Anyway for our purposes today, we’re dealing just with those 10 goal celebrations.

1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s free kick: running to the corner flag, leaping fist pump, finished off with a team celebration

Points for the height of the leap, but it’s a pretty standard celebration, to be honest. I don’t love the fist-positioning either, a bit low and close to the body for me. But every Aubameyang celebration is improved by his joy and his smile. They’re tough to beat.

2. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s FA Cup Final winner: trademark front flip, team dog pile hug

Much better from Aubameyang here. Higher marks from me because I enjoy when players go to THEIR celebration, and a front flip isn’t easy to pull off. The more discerning among you might notice right after he scores, he waves his teammates over to celebrate with him. You love a goal scorer who wants to celebrate with everybody.

3. Tyreece John-Jules dinked volley over the keeper: small jump + fist pump combo

Before we get into the celebration, let’s take a second for the goal. My goodness what a cheeky little play. You think he meant it? The understated celebration hints that he may not have drawn it up way, but I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt. Good form on the jump and pump — kept it tight and compact so he could stick the landing.

4. Alexandre Lacazette against Tottenham: stand and stare

High marks from me on this one. I love a mean-mug. It screams, “I’m a bad, bad man and I know it.” Big mood, boss move. And to pull it half in front of the traveling Spurs support. ***chef’s kiss***

5, Kim Little team goal against Reading: backpedal into hug

You know, I expected more for a team tally of such high quality. But sometimes you can just let the goal speak for itself. Respect.

6. Kim Little against Tottenham: airplane run to hug

A bit more celebration from Little on this one. Airplane arms is an oldie-but-goodie celebration, although you’d like to see a bit more elevation. You’re really shooting for closer to shoulder height there. Bonus points to Katie McCabe for mirroring Little’s celebration before the hug, though. Love to see that.

7. Gabriel Martinelli THAT goal against Chelsea: stand and stare

An understated celebration can often be as telling as an over-the-top one. Martinelli’s is case-in-point. When you know, you know. I like the addition of the delayed arm-fold. A little bit of improvisation adds a lot of swagger. Again, bonus points to Alexandre Lacazette for mirroring it, and to Nicolas Pepe for taking the “observer” posture that clearly says, at least to me, “go on, with your bad self bruv.”

8. Nicolas Pepe free kick against Vitoria S.C.: team hug

There’s something to be said for understanding time and place. The goal was Pepe’s second after coming on as a late sub in a home Europa League group stage match in which he shouldn’t have been needed. And his celebration spoke to that. It was almost sheepish. And you can’t go wrong with a team hug, really. Brilliant free kick, by the way.

9. Nicolas Pepe against West Ham: knee slide

Who doesn’t enjoy a good knee slide? I particularly like the raised arms that come down in sync with going into the slide, adds style points for me. Unfortunately the slight rotation at the end of the slide is a mandatory technical deduction. Rules are rules.

10. Joe Willock screamer against Liverpool: knee slide

This celebration has it all, really. The look on the face of someone who knows he just scored an absolute cracker. The wave to the fans. The expression change from joy to boss. Tapping the badge at the end of the slide. Maybe a slight rotation, but I think that’s more the camera angle. Plus, he gracefully pops out of the slide and into the team hug. Great stuff.

So what do you think, which one was best? I know it’s tough to separate the goal from the celebration, but do your best.