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It has taken some time but the smiles are back among the Arsenal faithful as their team continues to perform well in the Premier League and League Cup. A horror start to the campaign saw many fans calling for the head of manager Mikel Arteta but the ship has steadied.
Arsenal are on a nine-match unbeaten streak in all competitions and the new signings made by the club have really uplifted the spirit of the team. Takehiro Tomiyasu has been solid while defending as a right-back and makes forward runs with intelligence. Ben White has proved to be a rock at the back and his reading of the game has been on point since putting the early jitters behind him.
Then there is Aaron Ramsdale, who has been a superman in goal for Arsenal and has deservedly kept Bernd Leno out of first-team action. This has sparked a debate about whether these players, with the debuts they have had, are the best in an Arsenal shirt.
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Some Arsenal players dazzled in their debut season
Even though Arsenal have climbed to sixth in the Premier League right now, it is early days to draw such conclusions. However, it sent us thinking and speculating about the past to find out whether there were players who walked in at Arsenal and became absolute hits right away.
Arsenal have been a glorious club with many achievements over the years. They have had some absolute legends of the game wear the red and white jersey and some of them hit the ground running in their very first season. On that note, here are five Arsenal players who enjoyed the best debut seasons at the club:
#5 Jens Lehmann
Germany has produced some of the safest pairs of hands in world football. The likes of Oliver Kahn, Sepp Maier and Manuel Neuer are all considered the best between the poles. Another man of the same pedigree was Jens Lehmann, who joined Arsenal just before they started their 2003-04 Invincible campaign.
Arsenal legend David Seaman left the club after 13 years of great service as a free agent. To fill in Seaman's boots and be accepted by fans was going to be a great challenge any day. Up stepped Lehmann and in his very first season he showcased his quality in goal as Arsenal conceded just 26 goals all season, the least of all sides.
Signed for £3.15 million from Borussia Dortmund, even Lehmann wouldn't have thought he'd get to be part of an Invincible campaign in his career. He had a remarkable season for Arsenal in goal and played every single minute for the Gunners in all the competitions they featured in during his debut season.
He kept 15 clean sheets in the Premier League in his debut season and though he did commit a few mistakes he did enough to paper over those odd cracks. He was a sweeper keeper and was quick to charge off his box to thwart opposition attacks. In one famous incident, Lehmann's passion was visible after Arsenal drew 2-2 against Tottenham and he stormed into the dressing room, visibly upset by the result.
#4 Sol Campbell
One of the most controversial transfers between any of the two Premier League clubs, if not the most, was the one involving Sol Campbell. The north London divide between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur is one of the most hostile rivalries in the Premier League. When Arsene Wenger lured Campbell away from Spurs it only worsened their relationship.
The Englishman's contract ended in 2001 and in search of Champions League football he joined the Gunners. Spurs fans were infuriated at the switch and labeled the defender 'Judas'. One could imagine the mental unrest that all the backlash could have caused Campbell.
However, Arsenal's new addition did not let his performances be affected by the negativity around him. He played 48 games in all competitions for Arsenal and won the Premier League and FA Cup in his first season.
Campbell was exceptional in the air, both offensively and defensively, and his positional sense helped him cover up his relatively weaker distribution. He was an allrounder as an athlete, physically strong and imposing, had great pace and quick feet. But above all he had great mental strength that was the main reason for his successful stint at Arsenal.
#3 Patrick Vieira
Arsenal had little doubt that they had made a profitable investment when they spent £4.82 million on Patrick Vieira in 1996. Arsene Wenger personally got in touch with the midfielder and stopped him from going to Ajax. However, the English media couldn't fathom at first what revolution Wenger and the 20-year-old Vieira were about to bring to Arsenal.
The France international made his debut from the bench in a game against Sheffield Wednesday. He replaced Ray Parlour, who suffered an injury. Parlour recalls in his autobiography that he was stunned by Vieira's performance and thought the Frenchman was a different class.
The future Arsenal captain was involved in the starting lineup for his debut season in all games except while serving a suspension around the time of Christmas. He made 31 appearances and scored two goals in the league. The 20-year old was never afraid to tackle his opponents and was a fierce competitor.
Vieira was as great off the ball as he was with the ball and a player of this kind was much needed in that Arsenal team. There was no doubt that he was a class act. His iconic jaunty long strides and endless reserve of stamina fuelled Arsenal's progressive moves. His debut season definitely forged his character and reputation for the time to come.
#2 Ian Wright
Some footballers score great goals and some are great goalscorers. Arsenal legend Ian Wright was both and it took him no time to prove it in his very first season. He was signed for a then club record fee of £3.60 million from Crystal Palace in 1991.
Arsenal were champions of England at the time and Wright's recruitment reflected their seriousness regarding their Champions League ambitions. That the Englishman was a lethal goalscorer was known to all from his five-year stint with Crystal Palace but he also won over the fans with his passion for the game.
Wrighty understood what it meant to wear Arsenal colors and what it meant to be a Gunner. He arrived with a reputation and had expectations to take care of and he did not waste a moment.
In his debut game, a League Cup match against Leicester, Wright scored his first. On his First Division debut for Arsenal, he scored a hat-trick against Southampton and was then on a roll. In 30 appearances, he scored a total of 24 league goals in his debut season.
In the final game of the season, the Arsenal striker scored a hat-trick and stole the Golden Boot from Gary Lineker. Wright finished with 29 goals in the First Division, five of which he scored for Crystal Palace.
There was never a moment of panic for the striker in front of goal who found a plethora of ways to find the back of the net. A cheeky toe-poke, a smashing finish from outside the box or a pompous chip to embarrass the keeper, he had it all.
#1 Alexis Sanchez
It is truly disappointing to see the trajectory Alexis Sanchez's career has taken since leaving Arsenal. The star forward left the club with ambitions to uplift his reputation and play for a title contending side. However, his individual performances have only regressed and his stock has fallen unbelievably.
In an Arsenal shirt, Sanchez was lethal, entertaining and decisive and it all began when he joined the Gunners in 2014. Coming on the back of a very successful season with Barcelona, Arsene Wenger spent £35 million to avail the star forward's services.
Sanchez started on the best note possible. His first goal for Arsenal came as a winner against Besiktas at the Emirates that ensured Arsenal a place in the Champions League for the 17th consecutive season. His first Premier League goal was an equalizer against Leicester City.
The Chilean proved he was a big game player and could keep his nerves under control in the most tense moments as well. The star forward was a breath of fresh air in Arsenal's final third. He guided Arsenal to the FA Cup title in his first season and scored in both the semi-finals and final.
He was athletic, acrobatically strong and technically gifted. In his first season, the Chilean scored a grand total of 25 goals and provided 12 assists across competitions. His link-up play with Mesut Ozil became a 'thing of beauty' to witness for Arsenal fans.
Sanchez became the first player since Thierry Henry to score 20 goals in his debut season for Arsenal. When the season ended, the Chilean emerged as Arsenal's Player of the Season, PFA Fans' Player of the Year and also made the PFA Team of the Year.
