Who are the best Arsenal players of all time? It’s no easy feat trying to choose 10 of the best from a club that was founded in 1886.
Best Arsenal Players of All Time
Arsenal fans are among the best football fans in England, and they’ve been lucky enough throughout history to witness a brand of skilful and attacking football. Let’s take a look at the 10 best Arsenal players of all time.
10. Marc Overmars
Despite some injury setbacks and only being at the club for three years, Marc Overmars is one of the best Arsenal players of all time.
The hugely popular Dutch winger was one of the best in the world during his prime, and he made an immediate impact from the time he joined from Ajax in 1997.
Overmars used his incredible speed and was a constant threat down the flank. He had great dribbling and finishing too, scoring 25 goals and providing 14 assists in his 100 games for the club.
The Premier League and FA Cup double of 1997-98 was Overmars’ highlight during his time at Arsenal, and he left in 2000 to return to his former club Ajax after making a huge impression at the club.
9. Freddie Ljungberg
Swedish winger Freddie Ljungberg joined Arsenal in 1998 and was extremely versatile, able to play on either wing and could even play a central attacking role.
He exploited his pace and dribbling ability to score 72 goals and 57 assists during his 325 games in all competitions for Arsenal.
One of his most impressive performances was in the 2002 FA Cup final against Chelsea, which was one of three FA Cup wins for Ljungberg.
He also played a major role in two Premier League title winning campaigns, including playing 31 games and scoring four goals in Arsenal’s “Invincibles” team of 2003-04.
8. Liam Brady
Liam Brady was one of the most technically gifted Arsenal players ever, which is saying something considering the talent that’s been on the books throughout the clubs history.
The Irishman joined the club in 1971 as a youth player. Brady then became a key player for Arsenal during the 1970s. In 307 appearances he scored 59 goals, but it was his creativity that he was renowned for.
It’s unfortunate that consistent tracking of assists weren’t recorded until the 2000s, considering the impressive passing range and exceptional vision Brady had.
In 1980, Brady would leave for Juventus, but not before helping Arsenal to win both the 1979 and 1980 FA Cups. He scored the winning goal in the 86th minute to seal a 3-2 win over Manchester United in the 1979 edition.
7. David Seaman
Star goalkeeper David Seaman is one of the greatest goalkeepers in English football history, and one of the best Arsenal players of all time.
Arriving from QPR for Β£1.3 million, he very much justified the price tag by winning three First Division/Premier League titles, four FA Cups, a League Cup and a European Cup Winner’s Cup.
Seaman remained an everlasting presence at the back and his consistency was instrumental to Arsenal’s success during his 13 years at the club. He had exceptional reflexes, was commanding in the box and was an extremely agile shot-stopper.
6. Robert Pires
Robert Pires was another key player from Arsenal’s “Invincibles” team of 2003-04. He made 284 appearances for Arsenal, scoring 84 goals and 53 assists.
His contribution was vital to Arsenal’s success in the early 2000s and he helped guide the team to two Premier League titles and two FA Cups.
One of the best Arsenal players of all time, Pires had excellent technique on the ball and was extremely creative, able to deliver a precision pass from almost anywhere on the pitch.
His skilful dribbling and agility allowed him to get past defenders with ease, and he consistently came up clutch by scoring goals when Arsenal needed it most.
5. Ian Wright
Ian Wright is one of Arsenal’s greatest ever strikers and he dominated throughout the 1990s. He could bang ’em in from long-range and could poach goals from short range.
His ability, speed, resilience and his energy made him a constant threat, and he was the club’s all-time leading scorer until Thierry Henry passed his goal tally in 2005.
In his seven seasons with Arsenal, Wright scored 185 goals in 288 appearances, with 128 of those goals in the Premier League. His goal scoring exploits helped the club to win the First Division title in 1991, the Premier League in 1998 and the 1993 and 1998 FA Cups.
4. Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is not only one of the best Arsenal players of all time, he’s also one of the greatest midfielders of his generation. After joining the club from AC Milan in 1996 he made 406 total appearances for the club, scoring 34 goals and 39 assists.
Viera was a complete midfielder. He anchored the middle of the pitch with a physicality and technicality that made him almost impossible to shut down.
He could win the ball, provide a pinpoint pass and make surging runs forward. His leadership traits are often underrated.
Viera was captain of the “Invincibles” team of 2003-04, and he was extremely influential in Arsenal’s dominance in the early 2000s. He earned three Premier League titles and four FA Cups during his time at the club.
3. Tony Adams
Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams is one of the best one club players of all time. He spent all of his youth career, as well as his 19-year senior career all at the club, and is considered to be one of the most dominant and commanding centre-backs in Premier League history since debuting in 1983.
Adams played a major role in Arsenal’s success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and was a key player up until his retirement in 2002. He played 669 games for Arsenal in all competitions, and is thought to have had 255 clean sheets.
It’s worth noting though that clean sheets weren’t properly tracked until the Premier League began in 1992. Unfortunately for Adams in his post-career, he managed one of the shortest managerial stints at Portsmouth, sacked after only 106 days at the helm.
His playing career was much more successful with four First Division/Premier League titles and three FA Cups to his name.
2. Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp joined Arsenal from Inter Milan in 1995. He quickly established himself as a fan favourite and became one of the best forwards of his generation.
Not only is he one of Arsenal’s greatest players of all time, he’s one of the Premier League’s greatest icons.
Bergkamp had an unbelievable amount of technical ability which meant he could deliver balls like no other player has been able too.
His touch, control and vision was generational, and he was an excellent finisher who popped up to score crucial goals for Arsenal.
The Dutchman scored 120 goals in 423 appearances and he was a crucial player in the “Invincibles” team of 2003-04. In 2006, Bergkamp retired from football, but not before 11 seasons at Arsenal, three Premier League titles and four FA Cups at the club.
1. Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is the best Arsenal player of all time. The Frenchman joined the club from Juventus in 1999 and quickly established himself as a key part of Arsenal’s attack.
Henry built himself into one of the best players in Premier League history and was a goal scoring machine with his skill, speed and finishing.
Henry surpassed Ian Wright’s goal scoring record for Arsenal in 2005, his seventh season at the club. In 2007 he left Arsenal for Barcelona, and returned in 2012 on a loan deal from Major League Soccer.
Henry made 377 total appearances for Arsenal, scoring 228 goals (175 in the Premier League), and providing 97 assists.
A key part of Arsenal’s “Invincibles” team of 2003-04, Henry won the Premier League Golden Boot award during the season scoring a phenomenal 30 goals in 37 games.
His haul at Arsenal includes two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, and he was the Golden Boot winner on four different occasions.
