3. Patrick Vieira 1996-2005
The second captain fantastic on the list is Vieira, who was a warrior when the club needed one the most. Picked up from AC Milan’s reserve team, it didn’t take him long to become one of the most revered and feared midfielders in the English top flight. Skippered the club through several Premier League and FA Cup wins and even won the World Cup whilst with the Gunners. Wenger was criticised for selling him to Juventus, but the deal highlighted what his plans for the club was and Vieira represented excellent value for money.