50 best Arsenal players since the start of the Premier League.
A look at the 50 best Arsenal players in the Premier League era, with some truly outstanding greats to grace the pitch at Highbury and the Emirates Stadium…
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50) Thomas Vermaelen
Briefly club captain and a fine defender on his day, Thomas Vermaelen had an underwhelming end to his Arsenal career but makes our top 50.
49) Alex Hleb
Despite going totally downhill after leaving the Gunners, Alex Hleb had plenty of influential games for the club in his three seasons in north London.
48) Alex Song
A player who took time to get going, Alex Song eventually became a key part of the Arsenal team with some important goals from midfield.
47) Nwankwo Kanu
Freakishly skillful but also known for being lazy, Nwankwo Kanu is something of an enigma but made a real impression in his years at Highbury.
46) Sylvinho
An exciting Brazilian left-back with a thunderous left foot, Sylvinho could have been more of a big name at Arsenal before a speedy exit to make way for Ashley Cole.
45) Edu
A key part of the Invincibles side, Edu only really had one good season for Arsenal, but showed moments of class with some important goals.
44) Nicolas Anelka
Breaking into the Arsenal team as a youngster, Nicolas Anelka made an instant impression, but didn’t stay long with the Gunners after forcing an exit.
43) Gael Clichy
Arriving as a total unknown, Gael Clichy became first choice at left-back though he arguably never fulfilled that potential seen in him as a youngster.
42) William Gallas
A controversial figure at Arsenal, William Gallas joined from Chelsea and put in some strong displays, even if he wasn’t really the right choice for club captain.
41) Eduardo
One of the finest finishers at Arsenal for many years, Eduardo was extremely unfortunate to have his promising career ruined by injury as he never truly recovered from a broken leg.
40) Sylvain Wiltord
An underrated player who could put in a shift out wide or up front, Sylvain Wiltord linked up well with Arsenal’s star players and scored a memorable title-winning goal at Old Trafford in 2002.
39) Emmanuel Adebayor
A beast on his day, Emmanuel Adebayor had one really good season in 2008 as he scored 30 goals, but struggled for consistency apart from that.
38) Andrey Arshavin
A brilliant signing at first, Russian winger Andrey Arshavin lit up the Premier League before seemingly losing confidence and seeing his Gunners career fade out.
37) Mathieu Flamini
Popular for his work rate, Mathieu Flamini has been fairly successful in two spells with Arsenal, though nothing tops his all-action displays of 2007/08.
36) Jack Wilshere
Jack Wilshere continues to divide opinion, and it’s hard for him to prove people wrong due to spending so much time out injured, but there’s no doubt the England international has bags of ability.
35) Paul Merson
One of Arsenal’s flair players from the early Premier League years, Paul Merson was a joy to watch on his day and was a real hit with the Highbury crowd.
34) Tomas Rosicky
A fantastic midfielder who has not made the impact he could have done due to repeated injuries, but Tomas Rosicky has certainly made his mark in a long stay at the Emirates Stadium.
33) Olivier Giroud
Great on his day, but also capable of missing some sitters, Olivier Giroud deserves his place in this top 50 for some memorable moments and superb pieces of play.
32) Lukas Podolski
Not quite the type of player to fit in with Arsene Wenger’s plans, but Lukas Podolski was excellent in his first two seasons at Arsenal, helping them to a win in the FA Cup.
31) Mikel Arteta
Signed too late, Mikel Arteta initially looked a perfect buy for Arsenal’s midfield, but age and fitness have caught up with him as he now has to make do with a place on the bench.
30) David Seaman
One of Arsenal’s best ever goalkeepers, David Seaman may not have had the most fitting end to his Gunners career, but helped them to plenty of silverware.
29) Lauren
A popular figure for his work rate and aggression, Lauren was a fine right-back who eased the blow of legend Lee Dixon’s retirement.
28) Per Mertesacker
A hugely underrated defender, Per Mertesacker has been a giant (quite literally) on the pitch for the north Londoners, and a real leader when called upon.
27) Laurent Koscielny
Another defensive player loved by Arsenal fans but few others, Laurent Koscielny makes up for his occasional mistake with his passion and eye for important goals from the back.
26) Steve Bould
Perhaps past his peak for much of his Premier League career, but Steve Bould remains one of Arsenal’s best defenders of all time.
25) Nigel Winterburn
A legendary left-back, Nigel Winterburn was superbly solid and disciplined as well as dangerous going forward.
24) Lee Dixon
Part of Arsenal’s great back four, Lee Dixon was superb at providing width for the team with some marauding runs from right-back.
23) Bacary Sagna
A player who would’ve won a great deal more if he’d been at the club in a different time, Bacary Sagna was one of the best in the world in his position for much of his Emirates Stadium career.
22) Kolo Toure
Immense for Arsenal in their Invincibles season, Kolo Toure became an important player for the club even if his form dipped dramatically in his final season.
21) Theo Walcott
Another player plagued by injuries, Theo Walcott could have doubled his total Arsenal tally by now if he’d had the chance, but always looks top class when he does make it onto the pitch.
20) Aaron Ramsey
Scorer of the winner in Arsenal’s dramatic FA Cup final win over Hull in 2014, Aaron Ramsey has blossomed into one of the best players in the Premier League in recent times.
19) Martin Keown
Much loved for his aggression and passion, it’s easy to forget that Martin Keown is also one of the finest centre-backs in the modern English game.
18) Mesut Ozil
Yet to show his very best form in an Arsenal shirt, but German playmaker Mesut Ozil has certainly been worth the club-record fee that brought him from Real Madrid.
17) Santi Cazorla
A classy playmaker who was man of the match in last season’s FA Cup final win over Aston Villa, Santi Cazorla has been a bargain at £12m and would fit into the famous Invincibles side no problem.
16) Ray Parlour
Known for being a grafter, Ray Parlour is also underrated for his quality on the ball and ability to score some cracking goals at important times, none more so than his 2002 FA Cup final goal against Chelsea.
15) Emmanuel Petit
Part of a world class midfield partnership that won Arsenal the double in 1998, Emmanuel Petit may not have been at the club for long, but is one of their finest players of recent times.
14) Marc Overmars
Like Petit, Marc Overmars may only have spent three seasons with Arsenal, but the Dutch winger made his mark with some scintilating performances and stunning solo goals.
13) Jens Lehmann
Underrated as part of the Invincibles team, Jens Lehmann was a great goalkeeper and real character, winning games on his own at times with some superb saves.
12) Robin van Persie
A player blessed with superb natural ability, Robin van Persie scored over 100 goals for Arsenal despite large chunks of his career spent on the treatment table, though his reputation is permanently soured for joining Manchester United in 2012.
11) Cesc Fabregas
Another great player who ended up at a rival after joining Chelsea via a three-year spell in Barcelona, Cesc Fabregas is still one of the best midfielders to pull on an Arsenal shirt.
10) Alexis Sanchez
A world class player who’s just getting started, Alexis Sanchez looks like he could climb this list after an amazing first season with the club, which included one of the all-time great FA Cup final goals in the 4-0 drubbing of Villa.
9) Freddie Ljungberg
Not the most talented player you’ll ever see, but Freddie Ljungberg complemented the other members of the Invincibles side perfectly and played with a desire and passion that made him a big favourite at Highbury.
8) Ashley Cole
One of the great modern full-backs, Ashley Cole started his career at Arsenal and became world class just before a controversial move to rivals Chelsea.
7) Sol Campbell
Undoubtedly one of the best centre-backs of any club in the Premier League era, Sol Campbell must go down as one of the best signings in history after joining on a free from Tottenham.
6) Robert Pires
One of the finest goalscoring wingers seen in the English game, French maestro Robert Pires was a joy to watch at his best and scored 20 goals for the club in their unbeaten season of 2003/04.
5) Tony Adams
Arsenal’s legendary captain, Tony Adams is one of the best defenders in English football history and a true Gunners great for years of great service and a terrific trophy haul.
4) Ian Wright
A frighteningly good striker, Ian Wright scored 185 goals in his Arsenal career and lit up a Gunners side that was sometimes accused of being boring.
3) Patrick Vieira
A one-man midfield, Patrick Vieira is one of the best ever Premier League players after taking this country by storm when he arrived as an unknown youngster, later becoming Arsenal captain.
2) Dennis Bergkamp
A game-changing signing by Arsenal, Dennis Bergkamp became one of the first big-name foreign imports to the Premier League and made a huge impact with some world class performances for the Gunners, including stunning solo goals and some of the finest passing football you’ll ever see.
1) Thierry Henry
Words cannot describe how good Thierry Henry was at his peak, with the French striker scoring an amazing 228 goals for Arsenal to become their record scorer, helping the north London giants to two league titles and their first ever Champions League final.
