Ranking the 10 best Arsenal players under Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger has managed some excellent, technically gifted players. He may receive some criticism at times, but some of the players he has brought to Arsenal have been crucial to the development of the Premier League.

Arguably, without Wenger having signed Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and other French players, it may have taken a long time before foreign players joined English clubs. He started a revolution and helped make the Premier League one of the greatest leagues in the world.

Here we rank the 10 best players to have played under Wenger:

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#10 Alexis Sanchez

Having signed from Barcelona, Alexis Sanchez was a high profile signing for the Gunners, meaning the Chilean had a lot of pressure on his shoulders to outperform those around him.

However, he fit in instantly. The Chilean scored his first league goal at the end of August in his third league game for the club and never looked back.

He had scored 47 goals in 141 games in all competitions for Barcelona, averaging precisely a goal every three games. A record which he has improved at Arsenal with 72 goals in 145 games in all competitions, nearly averaging a goal every other game.

This is a phenomenal stat for a player who has played most of his Arsenal career on the left.

Sanchez may now be looking for a move away from Arsenal, but there’s no doubt that he deservedly finds himself in the top 10 players to have played under Wenger.

#9 Laurent Koscielny

Koscielny has remained loyal through the good and the bad

Now in his eighth season at Arsenal, Laurent Koscielny is one of the longest standing Arsenal players left.

Quite surprisingly now, Koscielny got off to a very rocky start in his first season and struggled to settle in with English football. Many people argue Wenger cannot coach central defenders and always doubt his ability to buy good centre backs.

However, his signing of Koscielny has gone on to be a masterstroke. The Frenchman has played over 25 games in each season he has been at Arsenal, and has given his full commitment in every single game he played.

He is now 31, but certainly isn’t going anywhere soon. The Frenchman has become renowned for his blistering pace, last ditch tackling and interceptions high up the pitch, all traits that have helped him become a fan favourite at the Emirates.

He may have been a part of a less successful stint at Arsenal than certain other players in the list, but Koscielny is one of Wenger’s greatest buys and greatest defenders by far.

#8 Ashley Cole

Cole may have moved on to Chelsea but he played an important part in two title victories

Having spent a longer time at Chelsea than Arsenal, many would argue with the decision to place Ashley Cole in this list of the best players to have played under Wenger, but he deserves his spot.

Cole became a 'traitor' when he moved to Chelsea in 2006, but deep down Arsenal fans could not ignore the contribution he had made for the club.

When Sylvinho picked up an injury in 2000, Cole jumped at the opportunity he was given in the first team and kept his spot even after the first choice left back Sylvinho returned. That was the beginning for Cole and he kept his spot from then onwards. Despite him having played for Chelsea, Arsenal fans cannot ignore how significant and talented Cole was.

He understood his defensive responsibilities but played a vital role in Arsenal’s passing and attacking play, being an important outlet on the left.

He may have left on sour terms, but he was still an excellent player to have played for Arsenal, breaking through the academy under Wenger.

#7 Sol Campbell

The switch from Tottenham to Arsenal seemed crazy but it all worked out in the end

Arguably one of Wenger’s most underrated signings is Sol Campbell, the man who he signed from arch rivals Tottenham.

Campbell received all types of abuse when he left Spurs to join Arsenal, unsurprisingly. The Englishman had to deal with obscenities being shouted at him during North London derbies as well as receiving death threats after simply moving football clubs.

However, he quite comfortably ignored whatever was thrown at him and led the Gunners to two league titles in five years at the club. His contribution was incredibly important. Arsenal finished second for three successive seasons before his arrival and won the Premier League in his first season, suggesting he was the final piece of the puzzle.

Campbell is arguably one of the greatest free transfers of all time and one of the greatest players to have played in the Premier League. Therefore, he more than deserves his place in the top 10 of players to have played under the Arsenal boss.

#6 Cesc Fabregas

Fabregas will always be remembered for that goal against Tottenham in a 3-0 rout

As a 16-year-old signing from Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas showed no signs of weakness in the Premier League and fit in from day one.

After a year of adapting to his new lifestyle in London and his new team-mates, Fabregas was given opportunities in his second season. He eventually went on to feature 33 times as a 17-year-old for Arsenal in just his second season in England, and he progressed every step of the way.

He continued to play a vital role as Wenger began to build his team around Fabregas and he became club captain in 2008, emphasising how quickly the Spaniard had improved and matured.

Then just a season later in the 2009/10 season, Fabregas played with more freedom and scored 15 league goals in 27 games, still his greatest goal scoring season in his career to this day.

Additionally, having 107 assists in his whole time in the Premier League, second only to Ryan Giggs, shows how good he is. Sadly for Arsenal, he did not spend his whole career at the club under Wenger, but he is still one of the best to have played under the Frenchman.

#5 Robert Pires

Piers loved scoring in a North London derby

A magician with the ball at his feet, Robert Pires was one of Wenger’s greatest signings in his French revolution.

The French winger signed after a relatively poor stage in his career when he had a difficult second season at Marseille. Additionally, he received early criticism after he himself claimed the English game was ‘too physical’.

However, once he got to grips with the Premier League, he soon found his form. In his second season with the Gunners, he led the assists chart in the Premier League and won the FWA Player of the Year award as he won his first Premier League title as an Arsenal player.

The next season he scored 14 Premier League goals in 20 starts before being an integral part of the invincibles season where Pires contributed to over 20 goals in total.

He was a magnificent player who could have played for any team in the world.

#4 Robin Van Persie

Van Persie could have ranked higher had it been for so many injuries

For the first six seasons of Robin van Persie’s Arsenal career, everyone was unsure whether the Dutchman would ever live up to his potential.

With under 50 goals in 131 league appearances and many injuries, many fans were getting fed up with Van Persie’s contributions. When he would look like putting a string of games together, he suffered another injury.

However, his final two seasons at the club were different. He was always talented, but from 2010 to 2012 the Dutchman was phenomenal. Scoring 18 goals in 25 league appearances in the 2010/11 season, he showed promising signs. He then turned into a different animal. The next season Van Persie won player of the year, won the golden boot with 30 goals and single-handedly secured Arsenal a top four finish.

The Dutchman was unstoppable and left Arsenal fans frustrated when he moved to Manchester United after one particular standout season.

However, despite his move to United and all the abuse he would go on to receive from Arsenal fans, nobody can deny he was one of the greatest players to play under Wenger’s reign.

#3 Patrick Vieira

Vieira was a complete midfielder

Arriving before Thierry Henry, Pires, Emmanuel Petit and Nicolas Anelka, Patrick Vieira began the French revolution at Arsenal and what a player and leader he was.

Standing at six foot four, Vieira was an extremely tall centre midfielder and was guaranteed to bring some stability to the midfield, which he did. He did not shy away from a tackle, far from it in fact, but he wouldn’t even be considered a defensive midfielder in the current game. He was much more of a box to box midfielder.

He was intelligent, had magnificent passing ability and tremendous strength. Opposition players would fear playing against the Frenchman, he was such a daunting character. But firstl of all, he was a leader. He is exactly the type of player Arsenal could do with currently, unfortunately, Vieira is now 42 and not quite the same player.

He was signed for just £3.5 million, in one of the best coups in history, he was by far and away better than any other midfielder who has played under Wenger.

#2 Dennis Bergkamp

A statue now sits outside the Emirates for the Arsenal legend

Lots of people are quick to critic and laugh at Bergkamp for his goals at Arsenal, scoring just 87 league goals in 315 appearances.

In reality, this was not a bad return, considering for the most part of his time at Arsenal he played as a playmaker. The Dutchman could unlock defences with a delightful chip, or a perfectly weighted through ball that would split open the defence. He could do things with a football others could only dream of, he was magnificent.

His ball control and passing was very good, and it won Arsenal so many games. He played a crucial role in all three title victories, spending 11 years with the Gunners. He has now been honoured with a statue outside the Emirates stadium and it is more than deserved.

Bergkamp was certainly one of Wenger’s best players, even Henry has stated numerous times how good he was, as well as other Arsenal players.

#1 Thierry Henry

Henry was one of the best players to ever grace the Premier League

Where to start? Thierry Henry was fast, smart, powerful and a natural born finisher. He had everything.

Henry was arguably the best player to have ever played in the Premier League, and many would agree with that statement. 174 goals in 254 league games for Arsenal is a fantastic record, and it makes him Arsenal’s all-time leading goalscorer.

For five consecutive seasons, FIVE, Henry scored over 30 goals in all competitions. It is astonishing that he never won the Ballon d'Or, but he did win Players Player of the Year and FWA Player of the Year on two consecutive occasions, from 2002-2004. He scored 71 goals in all competitions over those two seasons - he was unstoppable.

There aren’t enough words to describe how good Henry was, he was one of a kind. Similarly to Bergkamp, he has been honoured with a statue outside of the Emirates, commemorating the wonderful things he did at Arsenal.

One thing is clear, he is the best player to have ever played under Wenger during his Arsenal reign.