10 Best Arsenal players ever

The Gunners have thundered in the English Premier League, establishing themselves as a top-tier team who are potential league contenders every year. Their golden era has not been long gone when Thierry Henry and Co. made the other teams redundant when playing against them. Everyone remembers their trophy haul. Granted their form may have slipped a bit, over the years, but Arsenal have never been a team to take too lightly. With Arsene Wenger at the helm, there is so much that this club has achieved and yet, they ever look forward with hungry eyes. They have had team rosters that boast of legends and are guided by a clever Frenchman. Let us look at some of the best that have brought Arsenal to pedestal where we view them now.

#10 Charlie George

The striker represented Arsenal between 1968 and 1970. A local lad who supported the club as a boy, he won a place in the hearts of Arsenal fans by scoring a fabulous 20-yard drive to earn Arsenal a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the 1971 FA Cup final and secure a first 'Double' for the club. The striker played for a host of clubs and also spent some time in America. The boyhood Gunners supporter played 179 matches for the Gunners, scoring 49 goals, and was a vital cog in their team, during his tenure there.

#9 Liam Brady

A skillful playmaker with a gift of a left foot, Brady made the Gunners tick with his vision, skill and strength. One of his finest moments was when he went on a 40-yard run which ended in Alan Sunderland's famous last minute winner against Manchester United in the FA Cup final. That trophy was the only one Brady claimed in his time at Arsenal. He was an aesthetically pleasing midfielder to watch, with his wonderful left foot and fantastic technique helping him dominate the center of the pitch for Arsenal.

#8 David Seaman

David Seaman won 75 caps for England and nine major trophies with the Gunners. Behind a solid rearguard, Seaman would go for long spells with little to do, but showed his class and concentration when called upon to make a decisive save. 'Safe Hands' Seaman pulled off arguably his best ever stop against Sheffield United in a 2003 FA Cup semi-final. The Gunners goalkeeper was known as ‘safe hands’ for a reason, and won many praises for his stunning reflexes and great command of his area.

#7 Cesc Fabregas

The Spanish midfielder left the Gunners with a heavy heart for hometown club Barcelona in 2011 after establishing himself as one of the most influential midfielders in the Premier League. Fabregas’s penchant for picking a pass and getting into the area to score goals was perhaps matched only by Manchester United’s Paul Scholes during his time in England. Although his move to rival club Chelsea may cause a few Arsenal fans to turn from him, he is still regarded fondly by most gooners.

#6 Robert Pires

The Frenchman was a brilliant talent on the football pitch, gliding past players at will as Arsenal cut through teams with their relentless counterattacking. Another inspired Wenger signing, Pires liked to avoid physical confrontation, but scored an impressive number of goals from his position on the left side of midfield between 2000 and 2006. An astute passer, Pires liked to cut in from the left and shoot. During his time with the Gunners, he won the league twice and the FA Cup three times.

#5 Patrick Viera

Patrick Vieira has taken on near-mythical status at Arsenal, with his departure viewed as the moment the Gunners stopped challenging for trophies. The French midfield general drove his team on with brilliant leadership, breaking up opposition attacks and beginning those of Arsenal, and he was one of the last great box to box players that the club had. His midfield battles with Manchester United's Roy Keane were legendary. Vieira was a central midfield powerhouse and like Henry and Adams, was a former Gunners captain.

#4 Ian Wright

Arsenal's best striker (Until the arrival of the King) of the 1990s held the club's goal-scoring record before Henry. Wright was the poacher supreme, an expert in one-on-one situations, often wearing down defenders through sheer persistence. Despite never making an impact with England and being prone to moments of controversy, Wright was a fans' favorite in his day. He was the top goal-scorer for the north London side in six consecutive seasons, and Wright deservedly goes down in history as an Arsenal legend.

#3 Dennis Bergkamp

Before the signing of Mesut Ozil, Dennis Bergkamp’s arrival at Arsenal was arguably the most glamorous transfer in modern Gunners history. The Dutchman was an established international for his country, and was bought by Bruce Rioch from Internazionale to Highbury for a club record fee. Despite a slow start to his Gunners career, Bergkamp became irreplaceable in the line-up, with highlights including a sublime hat-trick against Leicester City at Filbert Street and a goal of such majesty against Newcastle that many questioned whether he actually meant it. His trademark goal was a curled shot into the far corner of the goal.

#2 Tony Adams

'Captain Fantastic' was a rare beast indeed, a one-club man who served the Gunners with distinction for the best part of 20 years before retiring in 2002. Despite, having alcohol issues, Wenger refused to take him out and instead stuck to him and Tony Adams showed his worth. The central defender was excellent in tackling and in aerial challenges, and was always a motivating presence that the club found hard to replace. His two goals against Everton in 1998 to help win the club the league title will go down as one of the best memories that Arsenal fans have of him. Adams played 672 times for the Gunners, scoring 44 goals in a stellar career.

#1 Thierry Henry

The club's record goal-scorer with 228 goals, ‘King’ Henry appeared to be operating on a different level to most other Premier League players for a certain time. His pace, touch and dribbling was a combination that proved too lethal for most defenders. The ‘King’ was capable of a variety of different goals and regularly featured near the top of his club's assist charts in his eight years at the club. His long gaiting sprints into the left wing, only to cut inside and curl a low shot into the far corner became something of a trademark, and he had a habit of scoring spectacular strikes at vital moments. Till date he is regarded as Arsene Wenger's best piece of business.