Arsenal Greatest All-Time Team Under Arsene Wenger

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

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Arsene Wenger

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Arsenal All-Time Team
Arsenal All-Time Team for Foreign Players
Arsenal All-Time Team for English Players
Arsenal All-Time Team from the British Isles(Excluding England)

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Arsenal under Arsene Wenger.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  

Arsène Wenger, the iconic manager of Arsenal from 1996 to 2018, attained a remarkable milestone in the 2003-2004 season when his squad, famously dubbed the "Invincibles," secured the Premier League championship without a single loss. This extraordinary achievement cemented Wenger's reputation as one of the most successful and revered figures in the annals of English football. During his tenure at Arsenal, Wenger not only spearheaded the team to three Premier League triumphs in 1997-98, 2001-02, and the historic unbeaten campaign of 2003-04 but also led them to multiple FA Cup conquests in 1997-98, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2016-17. Wenger's innovative tactics, focus on youth development, and captivating style of play reshaped the club, leaving an enduring impact on the sport as a whole.

The "Invincibles" winning the Premiership in 2004

Team

GK: David Seaman (England)

The peak of Seaman's career was during his period as Arsenal and England goalkeeper in the 1990s and early 2000s. At Arsenal, he won three league championships (1991, 1998, 2002), four FA Cups (1993, 1998, 2002, 2003), the League Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994.  He also played in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, and Euro 96 and Euro 2000, and is England's second-most capped goalkeeper with 75 caps.

GK: Jens Lehmann  (Germany)
Jens Lehmann was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons and was selected for three World Cup squads. He was a member of Arsenal's Invincibles, playing every match of their famous unbeaten title winning season. He also holds the UEFA Champions League record for the most consecutive clean sheets, having not conceded a goal in 10 matches whilst at Arsenal.

GK: Petr Cech  (the Czech Republic)
Petr Cech is best remembered for being Chelsea's undisputed starting keeper from 2004 to 2014.  He won almost everything in club football, including the Champions 'League in 2012.  He is considered among the greatest of his era. He also played for Sparta Prague, Rennes and Arsenal. For Czech Republic, he is the most capped player in the history of the Czech team, with 124 caps.

RB:  Lauren Etame Mayer (Cameroon)
Lauren Etame Mayer was a part of Arsenal's "Invincibles", a title given to Arsenal's team that went undefeated team in the Premiership.  He was named PFA Team of the Year that season.  He also played for , San Fernando, Sevilla, Levante, Mallorca and Portsmouth at the club level. He won two African Cup of Nations. He also won an Olympic Gold Medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics with Cameroon.

RB: Lee Dixon (England)
Lee Dixon played as a right-back for Arsenal, Burnley, Bury, Chester City and Stoke City.  He was a part of Arsenal's famous back four along with Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn. Dixon is also one of the only players in English football history to have won a league title in three different decades with the same club.  At the international level, he had 22 caps, making his debut in 1990. He never played in a major tournament.

Lee Dixon

CB: Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
He is Yaya Toure's brother.  He was a member of Arsenal's undefeated team in 2003-2004.  He later joined Manchester City andLiverpool. Touré is the second-most capped player for the Ivory Coast, with 118 appearances from 2000 to 2015. He represented the team at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 World Cup Finals. Touré also represented the Ivory Coast at seven Africa Cup of Nations tournaments between 2002 and 2015, helping them finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012, while winning in 2015.

CB: Sol Campbell (England)
Sol Campbell was considered amo ng the greatest centerback in his generation. He was a member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" that went undefeated in 2003-2004 season.  He spent 9 seasons for Tottenham Hotspurs and served as its captain before moving to its rival Arsenal on a free transfer that sparked a controversy.  He later played for Portsmouth. For England, he earned 73 caps in 11 years.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Sol Campbell

CB: Martin Keown (England)
Keown's career lasted from 1984 to 2005. He made over 400 appearances for Arsenal and won 10 honors. He also played for Brighton, Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester City and Reading. He won 43 caps for England, gradually forming a respected defensive partnership with Arsenal teammate Tony Adams at both club and international level. Keown represented England at four major international football finals including the 1998 and 2002 World Cups.

CB: Laurent Koscielny (France)
Laurent Koscielny started his career in the lower division in France before moving to Lorient in 2009.  He moved to Arsenal in 2010.  Less than a season later, he was called up to the French national team.  He had also considered playing for Poland.   In total, he was capped 51 times. He played in Euro 2012 and 2016, and the World Cup Finals in 2014. 

CB: Tony Adams (England)
Adams is a club legend with Arsenal who became the club captain at the age of 21.  A stature of him is erected at the Emirates Stadium. He formed the legendary backline with Lee Dixon, Nigel Winterburn and Steve Bould with club.  He was a fixture for England from 1987 to 2000.  For England, he had 66 caps and served as its captain. He played the World Cup Finals in 1998 and went to three European Championship.

Tony Adams

LB: Ashley Cole (England)
Ashley Cole was considered one of the finest leftbacks of his generation.  He was voted the England Player of the Year in 2010. He played in 3 World Cup Finals.  He is also England's most-capped full-back in history.  He played with Arsenal but moved to its rival Chelsea.  He won the Champions' League in 2012 with Chelsea. 

LB: Nigel Winterburn (England)
Nigel Winterburn was known for his role alongside the likes of Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Martin Keown and Lee Dixon playing for Arsenal's backline in the 1990's.  He won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Arsenal.  He also played for Wimbledon F.C. between 1983 and 1987.   He joined West Ham after he left Arsenal.  At the international level, he was capped twice for England between 1989 and 1993. He played at the same time as Stuart Pearce.

DM: Gilberto Silva (Brazil)
Gilberto Silva started his career with Atlético Mineiro.  He was best remembered for his 6 seasons with Arsenal, where he joined after the 2002 World Cup Finals.  He played 93 times for Brazil.  He was a key player at the 2002 World Cup finals in Japan/Korea after Emerson was injured before the tournament.  He also went to the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010. He captained the national team at the 2007 Copa America, where Brazil won its 8th title.

Gilberto Silva 

CM: Ray Parlour (England)
Ray Parlour spent his career playing for Arsenal, Middlesbrough and Hull City. He was a legend with Arsenal between 1992 and 2004. During his Arsenal career, he was nicknamed "The Romford Pelé"; although the nickname was given with an ironic sense of humour, on account of his solid performance but unglamorous image. He has been described as an "unsung hero".  He was capped 10 times between 1999 and 2000.

CM: Patrick Vieira (France)
Patrick Vieira was an all-time great with Arsenal.  He won three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.  In England. he was famous for his rivalry with Roy Keane.  He spent a season at Juventus, helping the team to the Serie A championship. Following Juventus' relegation for their part in a match-fixing scandal, Vieira played for Inter Milan and then, Manchester City for two seasons. With "Les Bleus", he won the WC in 1998 and European Championship in 2000.  He earned 107 caps.

Patrick Vieira vs Keane

RW/LW:  Robert Pires (France)
Robert Pires played for Metz, Marseilles, Villarreal and Aston Villa, but was better remembered as a part of the "French Connection" at Arsenal.  With Arsenal, he won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles including the club's unbeaten season of 2003–04.  He played there from 2000 to 2006.  For France, he was a part of the generation that won the World Cup in 1998 and European Championship in 2000.  He was capped 79 times.

RW/LW: Fredrik Ljungberg (Sweden)
Fredrik Ljungberg began his career at Halmstads BK and went on to spend most of his career at Arsenal, where he won honours including two Premier League titles and three FA Cups, scoring in two finals including the victory in 2002.  He also had short spells at a number of clubs in England, Scotland, the United States and Japan. Ljungberg earned 75 caps and was captain of the Swedish national team until he announced his international retirement after UEFA Euro 2008.

Fredrik Ljungberg 

LW/RW: Marc Overmars (Netherlands)
Known for his speed, Overmars was a member of the youthful Ajax team that won the European cup in 1995. He moved to Arsenal in 1997, where he starred playing under Arsene Wenger.  He won the Double in 1997-1998.  He later moved to Barcelona and Go Ahead Eagles. His career with Oranja lasted from 1993 to 2004 and was an important player.  He won the Best Young Player Award at USA 1994. 

AM/SS: Cesc Fabregas (Spain)
Cesc was lured to play for Arsenal's academy in 2003 from Barcelona FC.  He made his first time debut as a teenager. he helped Arsenal to reach the Champions' league Final in 2005.  He retuned to Spain in 2011 with Barcelona, but returned to England in 2014, joining Chelsea.  He was a part of Spain that won the World Cup in 2010 and two European Championships.  He played 110 times for Spain between 2006 and 2016.

AM/CM/LM: Santi Cazorla (Spain)
Santi started with Villarreal, where he had two spells with 7 seasons in total.  He also played for Recreativo de Huelva and Malaga.  Between 2012 and 2018, he played for Arsenal.  He was Spanish Player of the Year in the 2006–07 season.  He played 81 times for Spain.  He was a semi-regular participant in the nation's triumphs at UEFA Euro 2008 and Euro 2012, as well as featuring at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.  He did not participate in the 2010 World Cup due to an injury.

FW/RW: Alexis Sanchez (Chile)
After playing with Cobreloa, Sánchez was signed by Italy's Udinese in 2006.  In 2011, he was signed by Barcelona for £25 million, becoming the most expensive transfer in Chilean football history. In 2014, he moved rot Arsenal.  At the time of writing, he earned 108 caps.  He has played in the World Cup Finals of 2010 and 2014. He helped Chile to win the 2015 Copa America.  A year later, he led Chile to win Copa América Centenario in the US.

FW:  Theirry Henry (France)
Thierry Henry is the all-time leading scorer for both Arsenal and France.  He was named the PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and the FWA Footballer of the Year three times. He started with AS Monaco in 1994. The, he spent 8 seasons with Arsenal, where he enjoyed the peak of his career. He also played for Juventus, Barcelona and NY Red Bulls. He earned 123 caps and was a part of France's Golden Team form 1998 to 2002.  He won the World Cup in 1998 and Euro 2000.

FW: Nwankwo Kanu (Nigeria)

Kanu was voted as Nigeria's greatest player.  He captained Nigeria's Gold Medal team at Atlanta 1996.  He was African Player of the Year in 1996 and 1999.  He was a member of Ajax that won the 1995 Champions' League and considered one of the greatest club sides in history.  Because of a heart condition, his career in Italy was interrupted and joined Arsenal in 1999, where he enjoyed 6 great seasons.

FW: Dennis Bergkamp (Netherlands)
Bergkamp was the best-known Dutch player of the mid-1990's.  He helped Holland to reach the semi-final of the 1998 WC Finals in France.  His goal vs Argentina at was considered among the best ever scored in World Cup history.  Bergkamp surpassed Faas Wilkes's record to become the country's top goalscorer of all time in 1998. He started with Ajax and played for Inter Milan.  He also had a very successful career with Arsenal, winning 7 major titles.

Dennis Bergkamp

ST: Robin Van Persie (Netherlands)
Robin Van Persie played for Feyenoord between 2001 and 2004 but was known for his career playing in England. He spent 8 seasons with Arsenal, winning both PFA and FWA Player of the Year in 2011-2012.  Immediately after winning the two awards, he made a controversial transfer to rival Manchester United. He also played for Fenerbahçe at the end of his career.In total, he has earned 107 caps, helping Holland to finish second in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Honorable Mention 
Wojciech Szczesny (Poland), Bernd Leno (Germany), Manuel Almunia (Spain), William Gallas (France), Pascal Cygan (France), Nacho Monreal (Spain), Emmanuel Eboué (Ivory Coast), Bacary Sagna (France), Gaël Clichy (France), Steve Bould (England), Per Mertesacker (Germany), Thomas Vermaelen (Belgium), Mathieu Flamini (France), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England), Aaron Ramsey (Wales), Emmanuel Petit (France), Tomas Rosicky (Czech Republic), Mesut Özil (Germany),  Samir Nasri (France), Mikel Arteta (Spain), Andrey Arshavin (Russia), Theo Walcott (England), Sylvain Wiltord (France),  Nicholas Anelka (France), Olivier Giroud (France), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon).

Squad Explanation
-- This is my selection of Arsenal players who played under Arsene Wenger.  It is not a prediction of what he would select his all-time team, but it is my view of the best players who played under him.  
-- Wenger's tenure with Arsenal was known for its "French Connection".  He bought a lot of French players. For this all-time team, I only selected 4 Frenchmen.  They are Laurent Koscielny, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira. Emmanuel Petit was the last player cut.  He made my honourable mention alongside Sylvain Wiltord, William Gallas, Gaël Clichy and Bacary Sagna.

Thierry Henry

-- Wenger's greatest team was probably the "Invincibles".   I selected 14 players from that team. They are Jens Lehmann,  Ashely Cole, Martin Keown, Gaël Clichy, Sol Campbell, Lauren, Kolo Touré, Patrick Vieria, Giberto Silva, Frederick Ljungberg, Ray Palour, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Nwankwo Kanu.

-- Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie won PFA Player of the Year while playing under him.  At the time of writing, only one other Arsenal player, Liam Brady, had won the award.  he won it in the season 1978-1979.  The same three players also won the FWA Player of the Year award.

-- Arsene Wenger had a successful career with AS Monaco between 1987 and 1994. Emmanuel Petit also played for Wenger with AS Monaco.  He is the only player who played for both clubs under Wenger.  Thierry Henry did not play for him in the senior side.  He came from their youth academy under Wenger's guidance.  Henry joined Wenger's Arsenal in 1999.  I selected  Ray Parlour (England) over Emmanuel Petit.  Petit is on my Arsenal All-Time Team for Foreign Players team.

-- Aaron Ramsey was the only player who made it to my Arsenal All-Time Team for players from British Isles (excluding England).  

Goalkeepers

-- At the time of writing, Wenger had used 16 keepers.  Only three stood up, namely David Seaman, Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech.  Most of them did not last long enough.

-- On the official list of Arsenal's 50 greatest players, Seaman holds the 7th spot. Many people listed Jens Lehmann of "Invincibles" in the 2003-2004 season as one of the top three goalkeepers ever donned Arsenal jersey. He also had a wonderful campaign that Arsenal reached the Champions' League Final for the first time. Petr Cech only spent four seasons here, but he lost his number one spot to Bernd Leno in his last season.  However, he had a good career here overall.  He won one of his four Golden Glove awards in the  2015-2016 season while playing for the Gunners.  

Petr Cech

Defenders

-- I decided to add 5 more centerbacks because I could not decide which one to drop. First, Tony Adams and Sol Campbell were the greatest of all-time for Arsenal.  Adams was a one club man who spent two decades with the club.  He ranked 3rd as Arsenal's 50 Greatest Ever players.  Wenger arrived about the time Adams successfully beat alcoholism.  He served as his captain. By contrast, Campbell only spent 5 seasons here, but he was one of the most important players for the "Invincibles". 

-- Martin Keown actually spent more seasons playing for Wenger than George Graham. Kolo Toure was a linchpin in the Gunners' backline during Arsenal's "Invincibles" season.  He also scored the winning goal in Arsenal's Champions League semi-final first-leg victory against Villarreal.   Laurent Koscielny spent 9 seasons over here.  He was named in the Europa League Team of the Season.  

-- Here some other central defenders who only made honorable mentions. Per Mertesacker would later captain Arsenal.  His performance in the 2017 FA Cup final against Chelsea stood out.  Thomas Vermaelen was named the Best Belgian Player Abroad 2009 while he was playing for Arsenal and was named on the PFA Premier League Team of the Year: 2009–10. William Gallas transferred from Arsenal to Tottenham Hotspurs in 2010, making him the first player in history to have played for Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspurs.  However, I decided not to select him because of his move to Tottenham.  Steve Bould only played 3 seasons under Wenger.

-- I was undecided about the rightback position.  While in Arsenal, Bacary Sagna was named on the PFA Team of the Year.  I also put Emmanuel Eboué on honorable mentions. Bacary Sagna deserved to be on the team, but I selected Lauren who could play on both sides of the fullback position.  He was a part of "Invincibles" in the 2003-2004 season.   Lee Dixon probably played his best football before Wenger's time, but I took him over Sagna. Dixon has more of a legendary status because of his association with Adams, Winterburn and Bould. Dixon actually retired at the age of 38 after the 2001-2002 season.

-- Ashley Cole would have been the undisputed choice, but his controversial move to rival Chelsea altered the course. However, he remains the greatest leftback ever for the Gunners.  So, I decided to keep him.  Giovanni van Bronckhorst had a brief spell here.   Moreover, he mainly played as a midfielder, using him as a left-back would have been inadaptable, leading me to opt for other choices. Nigel Winterburn has been ignored by me for all of my other "Arsenal" teams.  So, I almost had to take him.  In actuality, he was Arsenal Player of the year in the 1998-1999 season. Gaël Clichy was named once on the PFA Team of the Year, but I took Winterburn.

Ashley Cole

Midfielders/Wingers

-- Patrick Vieira requires no introduction.  Arriving at Arsenal in the same year as Wenger, Patrick Vieira and the manager collaborated to elevate Arsenal into one of the most formidable clubs in Europe. He was one of Arsenal's greatest ever players.  As a home-grown talent, Arsenal ranked Raymond Parlour as their 19th greatest ever player while FourFourtwo put him at 14th.  In 1997–98 Arsenal won the Double under Wenger.  Parlour was voted the Arsenal Player of the Season.

-- Arsenal did not give Gilberto Silva a spot on their official ranking of 50 Greatest Footballer, a decision I find surprising considering I rate him higher than Emmanuel Petit. Although Petit made significant contributions to the club, notably as Patrick Vieira's midfield partner, his tenure at Arsenal spanned only three seasons.  Nonetheless, Petit was named as the 22nd greatest ever player for Arsenal.  The FourfourTwo ranked Giberto Silva as the 20th greatest player from Arsenal while Petit was at 24th.  Petit, conversely, is the sole player who played under Wenger at both Arsenal and AS Monaco, which solidifies his special relationship and loyalty to Wenger.

-- Cesc Fàbregas was named on the PFA Team of the Year in the 2007–08 and the 2009–10 season.  He also made the ESM Team of the Year in the 2007–08 and the 2009–10 season.  He was also one of Arsenal's best players as they reached the Final of the Champions' League.  Samir Nasri played his best season in the 2010-2011 season, and his departure from Arsenal to Manchester City the following summer was marred by controversy, leading to a significant rift with the Arsenal supporters. Given this history, I would not consider selecting him.  Mesut Özil started his career in London very well, but over time, his performance declined, and he faced criticism for his inconsistency.  Moreover, his position evolved during his time in Arsenal. The game required increased versatility and defensive contributions from players in his position. He was often highlighted as the prime example of a traditional midfielder struggling in the modern game. While this portrayal was somewhat unfair considering his overall career being good, there was indeed some truth to the narrative. So, I had to decide between Tomáš Rosický and Santi Cazorla for my backup attack midfielder.  Both played about the same time in Arsenal.  Rosicky played more years than Carzorla, but Carzorla was Arsenal Player of the Season in the 2012-13 season.

-- Mikel Arteta (Spain) usually played in a deeper role in Arsenal.

-- First, I took Robert Pires and Freddie Ljungberg. They were often listed among the top 20 ever players for Arsenal. In the 2001-2002 season, Pires was voted both FWA Footballer of the Year and Arsenal's player of the season, as Arsenal won the league and FA Cup title.  Ljungberg was ranked the 11th greatest players in Arsenal by the club while FourFourTwo put him at 12th. Marco Overmars played around the same time as Pires and Ljungberg, but he left after 3 seasons.  His legacy here was overshadowed by the pair. 

Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires

 -- I also had Sylvain Wiltord and Alexis Sanchez (see below) on the team. Wiltord was ranked as 33rd greatest ever Arsenal player. 

Forwards

-- Arsenal has officially declared Thierry Henry as their greatest ever player, with Dennis Bergkamp securing the second spot. Henry holds the record for being named FWA Footballer of the Year three times, PFA Players' Player of the Year twice, and he made it to the PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive seasons.  In 1998, Dennis Bergkamp received the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, making him just the third non-British player to be acknowledged by his peers as the standout performer in English football.  He was also named FWA Player of the Year. 

-- Robin van Persie scored over 130 goals for Arsenal during his time at the club. He was honored with prestigious accolades such as the PFA Players' Player of the Year, the PFA Fans' Player of the Year and the FWA Footballer of the Year award for the t2011-12 season. His transfer to Manchester United did tarnish his legacy here, but I overlooked that.

Robin Van Persie

-- Nwankwo Kanu was a beloved figure here, renowned for his extraordinary goals that captured the hearts of fans.

-- Nicolas Anelka played for Arsenal from 1997 to 1999.  His career here was too short. Olivier Giroud had played here much longer, despite his reputation was not as good as Anelka's career here.  Both only made honorable mention.  Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the top scorer in the 2018-2019 Premiership, but his career was short.

-- Alexis Sanchez made the PFA Team of the Year: 2014–15.  His controversial move to Manchester United might have damaged his reputation with the fans, but I still selected him into this team. Robin Van Persie also moved to Manchester United.  Again, I also overlooked that.

-- Emmanuel Adebayor's departure from the club led to a tumultuous relationship with the fans. His goal celebration following his exit caused significant anger among the Arsenal supporters.  His antics kept him from consideration.  

Cup in 1998 and European Championship in 2000.  He was capped 79 times.

Formation