Best ever Arsenal XI of the Premier League era

Arsenal are the fourth most successful club in England when it comes to the Premier League. They have lifted the prestigious trophy thrice and the 2004 triumph holds a special place because they won it that season without losing a game. They are the only title winners to have achieved that feat and the record still stands.

It wasn’t all rosy in the beginning but with the arrival of a certain Arsene Wenger, the club improved drastically and went on to lift the title thrice. Recent seasons have been difficult but the club remains a huge entity in the league. Below, we take a look at the best XI of players to have lined up for Arsenal in the Premier League.

Best Arsenal XI

Formation: 4-4-2

Goalkeeper – David Seaman

Jens Lehmann was a contender but Seaman edges him out by a long way. Seaman featured for a long time at Arsenal and was a part of their two league triumphs. He was an automatic first choice in the team and only just missed out on the ‘Invincibles’ season.

Defence – Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Tony Adams, Lee Dixon

Ashley Cole may be a controversial choice given how he parted the club to join rivals Chelsea. However, the fact remains that he is a product of their youth setup and one of the finest left-backs to grace the Premier League. Lee Dixon was a tough choice over Lauren but Dixon was a solid full-back for the Gunners.

Sol Campbell irked a lot of Spurs fans after crossing the divide but his performances made him endearing to the Gunners faithful. A rock of a defender, never willing to back down, Campbell slots alongside Tony Adams. Adams in his heyday was a world-class defender. Captain of the club until his last days, he was a true leader.

Midfield – Robert Pires, Cesc Fabregas, Patrick Vieira, Ray Parlour

Pires was an underrated gem at the club. His ability to dovetail with the forwards and other midfielders was unmatched. Ray Parlour also edges out a few names such as Freddie Ljungberg. It was his career span and contributions where he was a part of all three title wins that gets his name here.

Cesc Fabregas was one of the best gems unearthed by Wenger. An extraordinary midfielder with the silkiest of playmaking abilities, Fabregas wowed the fans from a young age. Patrick Vieira was Arsenal’s heartbeat. Never shying away from anything, the tough tackler was one of the finest to put on the red and white.

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Attack – Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry

There are no words to describe the partnership between these two. Bergkamp was the one around whom the team worked. Watching him at the peak of his powers was mesmerizing, to say the least. As for Henry, he remains one of the best ever strikers to grace the club as well as the league. Prolific, exciting, you’d run out of adjectives to describe the Frenchman.