In celebration of Arséne Wenger’s illustrious career at Arsenal FC, we have compiled a list of the best players that have bared the Gunners’ Jersey.

STARTING XI
Goalkeeper: Jens Lehmann – An instrumental part of Arsenal’s Invincibles squad back in 2003/04, Lehmann kept 15 clean sheets for the Gunners in the undefeated run. The German kept 54 clean sheets in 148 appearances.

Right Back: Lee Dixon – One of the first names that come to mind when talking about full backs and Arsenal. Lee Dixon was known for his attacking mentality, pushing upfront and supporting the press.

Centre Back: Sol Campbell – One of Arsenal’s most revered captains, Campbell kept a total of 153 clean sheets during his career. His stats show that he averaged a tackle succession rate of 78% while making 159 interceptions and winning a total of 489 duels.

Centre Back: Tony Adams – Tony Adams is another leader at the back. Having 255 appearances in the Premier League, the Englishman has managed to keep 115 clean sheets.

Left Back: Ashley Cole – Though a controversial figure among Arsenal fans, no one can deny the talent Ashley Cole used to have. Despite joining city rivals Chelsea, Cole racked up a great set of achievements in his time at Arsenal.
Not only is he a number one choice at club level, but is one of the best on the national level as he ranks amongst England’s most talented defenders.

Defensive Midfielder: Patrick Vieira – Regarded as one of the most complete midfielders and Arsenal’s best, Vieira was the controlling factor between the defence and attack. Once player of the Year, Vieira developed into being Arsenal’s captain.
There is a void to be filled in the midfield since he left.

Central Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas – Fabregas was brought from the Barcelona academy and developed at Arsenal. In his penultimate season with the Gunners, Cesc scored 15 goals and provided 13 assists for the club.

Central Midfielder: Mesut Özil – Since joining from Real Madrid in 2013, Özil has arguable been one of the best attacking midfielders in the league. Providing 50 assists for Arsenal and displaying his wizardry when passing.

Left Forward: Robert Pires – One of the first three attackers you associate with Arsenal at the Apex level of Premier League football. The Frenchman not only played on the left wing, but also attacking mid if necessary.

Right Forward: Thierry Henry – Mr. Arsenal himself, Thierry Henry was without a doubt and still is one of the best strikers to have ever stepped foot onto the pitch. With his skill and eye for goal, he was unstoppable in a red shirt.

Centre Forward: Dennis Bergkamp – This team is incomplete with out the non-flying Dutchman. With 120 goals under his belt, the legendary striker is the number one choice to lead the attack.

There are obviously players that could’ve made it into the first team but the ones above got the final edge. So here are the honourable mentions.

Honourable Mentions: David Seaman, Kolo Toure, Freddie Ljungberg, Alex Song, Andrey Arshavin, Alexis Sanchez, Robin Van Persie.

Photo by Dan Gold on Unsplash

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply