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In the 28-year history of the Premier League, many a great player has put on the red and white of Arsenal. These players have defined an era in the club’s history and changed the way football has been perceived in the country.
In the Premier League era, Arsenal have won the coveted trophy on three occasions; one of them was a memorable 'invincible' run when the Gunners did not lose a game all season. The Gunners have finished runner-up six times in the Premier League and have secured a top-4 spot in another 14 campaigns.
Arsenal's all-time Premier League XI
Arsenal are one of the most famous teams in English football and are renowned for their unique brand of football and global appeal.
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On that note, let’s try and put together an all-time Arsenal XI in the Premier League era. The formation being used is a 4-2-3-1, as it incorporates a plethora of attacking talent. Let's get started.
Goalkeeper: David Seaman
Arguably the greatest keeper in Premier League history, David Seaman was by far Arsenal’s safest pair of hands. He was commanding in the box, assertive in his decision-making and possessed cat-like reflexes. These attributes translated into his performances.
In 344 Premier League appearances, the Englishman kept an impressive 141 clean sheets, only three other goalkeepers have kept more in the history of the competition. Arsenal would have surely benefitted with a goalkeeper of his calibre today.
Right-Back: Lauren
Although Arsenal haven’t been blessed with too many quality right-backs over the years, Lauren’s contribution to the Invincibles cannot be understated.
In that great team, the Cameroon international maintained width on the right but in a more conservative manner, giving Ashley Cole the license to roam forward. The underrated right-back made 154 Premier League appearances for Arsenal.
He won two Premier League and three FA Cup titles with the club.
Centre-Back: Sol Campbell
Not only did Sol Campbell arrive at Arsenal in the most outrageous manner, but his career also matched up with the manner of his arrival.
The dominant defender barely put a foot wrong in an Arsenal shirt, showing the rest of the league how to defend, as he was blessed with good physical attributes as well as positional intelligence.
Sol Campbell built up dominant partnerships with Tony Adams and Martin Keown in the centre of Arsenal's defence.
Centre-Back: Tony Adams
Tony Adams is a name synonymous with Arsenal football club, and his legacy will forever be cherished by fans worldwide.
The Romford-born Adams joined Arsenal’s academy in 1980 and made his senior club debut three years later. The legend would go on to make 504 appearances for the Gunners, 255 of them being in the Premier League.
Adams captained the side to 12 domestic trophies that includes four league titles - two of them were in the Premier League era.
No other Arsenal defender will probably ever come close to creating the same legacy Adams did at the club.
Left-Back: Ashley Cole
Arsenal made Ashley Cole the player he became, regardless of whether the left-back admits it or not. Cole was promoted to the senior team by Arsene Wenger and made an integral part of the team’s attacking play.
Ashley Cole made 384 Premier League appearances, 156 of them were with Arsenal, with whom he won two of his three titles in the competition. The left-back scored eight goals and provided 15 assists in the Premier League during his seven-season stint with Arsenal.
Central Midfielder: Patrick Vieira
What can we say about Patrick Vieira? He’s arguably the best foreign midfielder to have ever graced the Premier League and certainly the best to put on an Arsenal shirt.
The Frenchman had pace, power and technical ability in abundance. Since his departure, no player has filled Vieira's void at Arsenal. However, his aggressive playing style also meant that he was sent off quite a few times for the club.
Nevertheless, In nine seasons at Arsenal, Vieira made 279 Premier League appearances and won three titles in the competition while scoring 28 goals and making 27 assists.
Central Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas
Based on talent alone, not many can be compared with Cesc Fabregas. If it wasn't for his unceremonious departure from the club, many Arsenal fans would classify him as a guaranteed legend.
Unfortunately, loyalty trumps ability in fans’ minds. Nevertheless, the Spaniard was virtually unplayable in an Arsenal shirt. Scoring a penalty with a broken leg is just one of the many iconic moments he produced in the red and white.
During his seven-season stay at Arsenal, Fabregas made 212 Premier League appearances for the club, scoring 35 goals and making 72 assists, but failed to win the competition. Fabregas' two Premier League titles came with Chelsea.
Attacking Midfielder / Second Striker: Dennis Bergkamp
Following the trend of graceful players at Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp is the one who tops that list.
Words like majestic, magisterial, sublime and magical all come to mind when describing the Dutchman. He is quite simply the most technically gifted player to ever put on an Arsenal shirt, and his legacy at the club will live on for decades to come.
The versatile forward/attacking midfielder’s ball control, vision, positional intelligence and striking technique were a marvel to watch.
The three-time Premier League winner with Arsenal scored 87 goals and made 79 assists in 315 appearances in the competition during a highly successful 11-season stint at the club.
Left Winger: Robert Pires
Arsene Wenger brought a certain French flair to Arsenal during his tenure. One of the smoothest and most graceful players he brought over was Robert Pires, a winger who exuded technical brilliance.
Out wide, the winger’s movement, deft touches and eye for goal made him one of the most important members of the 'Invincibles' Arsenal side.
In 182 Premier League appearances for Arsenal spanning six seasons, Pires scored 63 times and provided 43 assists.
Right Forward: Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang
Some may feel that it is premature to put the Gabonese international Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang in this team. But the player's impact at the club since his arrival cannot be overstated.
In just 95 Premier League appearances, the 31-year-old has scored 56 goals, a tally only bettered by very few players.
He is a man for the big occasion and has taken one of the worst Arsenal sides in history to titles in the FA Cup and the Community Shield. At the very peak of his career, he decided to stay loyal and commit his future to Arsenal, something not many others would have done in the same position.
Striker: Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is arguably one of the greatest players to have ever set foot in the Premier League.
The striker joined Arsenal in 1999 as a 22-year-old winger, whom Arsene Wenger moulded into one of the best strikers the game has ever seen.
In his illustrious Premier League career, Arenal’s record goalscorer netted 175 times in 258 games. Simply put, he was a complete player that turned up when his club needed him the most.
Arsenal Substitutes
Alexis Sanchez, Kolo Toure, Gilberto Silva, Jens Lehmann, Mesut Ozil, Freddie Ljungberg.
