Every Arsenal player to wear the #9 shirt since 2000 – ranked

official arrival from Manchester City was confirmed.</a></p> <p>https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/1543925323175268353</p> <p>The Brazilian joins after helping City to four Premier League titles, but his desire to be a protagonist elsewhere meant he fell into the lap of Mikel Arteta after the Gunners beat out several competitors for his signature.</p> <p>Jesus has plenty of time to blossom into a leader of Arteta’s rebuild in north London and many are hoping that he’ll break the <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/01/can-gabriel-jesus-break-arsenal-number-nine-curse/">apparent curse that’s attached to Arsenal’s number nine shirt</a>. Although, it’s worth noting that his predecessor, Alexandre Lacazette, didn’t do too bad for himself during his five years at the club.</p> <h2>Every Arsenal player to wear the #9 shirt since 2000 – ranked</h2> <p>So, while there perhaps isn’t a ‘curse’ as such, the lack of talent to don such a revered shirt number for a club of Arsenal’s stature for over 20 years is pretty staggering. Here’s a ranking of all the players to wear the Gunners’ number nine shirt since 2000.</p> <h2>9. Park Chu-Young</h2> <div id="attachment_127401" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127401" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1086,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F594790834.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1086" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/594790834.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/594790834-768x521.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">The glory days. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>This was, quite frankly, an absurd bit of business from Arsenal.</p> <p>Park arrived late on in the 2011 summer transfer window off the back of an okay-ish spell with Monaco in which he scored 25 times in 91 Ligue 1 appearances. The South Korean looked destined for a move to Lille before the Gunners swooped and completed a deal for a fee in the region of £6m.</p> <p>Arsene Wenger thought he’d provide sufficient cover for star striker Robin van Persie following the departures of Nicklas Bendtner and Carlos Vela, and Park’s awarding of the number nine shirt depicted Wenger’s faith.</p> <p>However, Park would be stripped of the shirt following his forgettable debut season and he was released in the summer of 2014 having scored one goal in seven appearances.</p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #8-6 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>8. Francis Jeffers</h2> <div id="attachment_127401" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127400" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1283,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1950770.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1283" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1950770.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1950770-768x616.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1950770-600x480.jpeg 600w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Francis Jeffers arrived from Everton with lofty expectations. (Photo by Gary M. Prior/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>After breaking out at Everton, Arsenal thought they’d signed the prelude to Wayne Rooney in 2001 as Francis Jeffers joined the club in an initial £8m deal.</p> <p>However, the young Englishman was drowned out by the club’s superstars and injuries ravaged his spell in north London.</p> <p>Jeffers was inconsequential amid an incredibly productive period for the club. He scored just eight times in 38 appearances, with much of his (little) good work arriving in cup competitions.</p> <h2>7. Lucas Perez</h2> <div id="attachment_53123" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-53123" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1580,w_2369/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F12%2F628103278-fbl-eur-c1-basel-arsenal.jpg" alt="Arsenal, Lucas Perez" width="2369" height="1580" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/12/628103278-fbl-eur-c1-basel-arsenal.jpg 2369w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/12/628103278-fbl-eur-c1-basel-arsenal-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 2369px) 100vw, 2369px"><p class="wp-caption-text">This wasn’t Arsene Wenger’s finest hour. (Photo credit should read PATRICK HERTZOG/AFP/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>The Gunners panic bought Lucas Perez at the end of the 2016 summer transfer window after the Spaniard scored 17 La Liga goals for Deportivo La Coruna the season prior.</p> <p>Despite Wenger saying at the time of his arrival that Perez was “not only a goalscorer, he’s a guy who combines well with partners, who can give a final ball and makes good runs”, it quickly became obvious that he wasn’t cut out for the Premier League.</p> <p>He was usurped by Alexandre Lacazette as the club’s #9 (which he wasn’t best too pleased about) after just a year before he returned to Deportivo on loan for the 2017/18 campaign.</p> <p>The striker’s career has been on a downward spiral since.</p> <p><span style="color: inherit;font-size: 20px;font-style: italic;font-weight: bold">6. Julio Baptista</span></p> <div id="attachment_127399" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127399" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1177,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F73451774.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1177" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/73451774.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/73451774-768x565.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">One game wonder. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>I dare you to recall a Julio Baptista Arsenal moment that doesn’t involve Anfield and that divine yellow strip. You can’t, can you?</p> <p>Baptista’s four goals away at Liverpool in a League Cup tie cemented himself in Gunners folklore, but the dizzying heights he reached that night proved to be a one-off.</p> <p>The Brazilian’s demonic spell at Sevilla earned him a move to Real Madrid in 2005, but the bright lights of the Bernabeu proved too much for the forward.</p> <p>Arsenal signed him on loan for the 2006/07 season, hoping to facilitate a revival, but Baptista scored just three goals in 24 Premier League appearances, convincing the club that he wasn’t worth having around any longer.</p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #5-4 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>5. Davor Suker</h2> <div id="attachment_127398" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127398" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1088,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1205613.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1088" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205613.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1205613-768x522.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Davor Suker arrived having starred at the 1998 World Cup with Croatia. Mandatory Credit: Graham Chadwick /Allsport</p> </div> <p>Suker succeeded Nicolas Anelka as Arsenal’s number nine in 1999, a year after he’d won the Golden Shoe at the World Cup with Croatia, who finished third.</p> <p>The Croatian superstar joined the Gunners following a prosperous three-year spell with Real Madrid, whom Anelka joined at his expense.</p> <p>The then-31-year-old enjoyed just a solitary season at Highbury and he was by no means disastrous. Suker played an admirable supporting role to the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, ending the 1999/00 campaign with eight goals in 22 league appearances.</p> <p>The brilliance of his superiors, however, meant the ageing Croatian was never going to have a serious impact.</p> <h2>4. Eduardo</h2> <div id="attachment_127397" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127397" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1064,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F85297806.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1064" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/85297806.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/85297806-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Eduardo’s blossoming Arsenal career was horrendously cut short. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>What could’ve been for Eduardo da Silva at Arsenal, eh?</p> <p>The club’s fetish for signing Brazilians began long before Edu Gaspar made it fashionable, and Eduardo had forged quite the reputation following a prolific spell at Dinamo Zagreb.</p> <p>The Brazilian-born Croatian international had just started to come into his own at the Emirates before his career – and Arsenal’s 2007/08 title challenge – took a turn for the worst when Birmingham City’s Martin Taylor broke Eduardo’s leg and dislocated his ankle with what was one of the worst challenges and infamous moments in Premier League history.</p> <p>Eduardo would enjoy a fairytale return to action a year later but he was no longer the protagonist that Wenger signed him to be. The striker flashed his talent post-injury, but the arrival of Marouane Chamakh in 2010 signalled the end of his tumultuous spell with the club.</p> <p>Continued on the next slide…</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #3-1 </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>3. Jose Antonio Reyes</h2> <div id="attachment_48077" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-48077" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1473,w_2102/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2016%2F09%2F51231293-arsenals-jose-antonio-reyes-celebrates.jpg" alt="" width="2102" height="1473" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/09/51231293-arsenals-jose-antonio-reyes-celebrates.jpg 2102w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2016/09/51231293-arsenals-jose-antonio-reyes-celebrates-768x538.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 2102px) 100vw, 2102px"><p class="wp-caption-text">The late Jose Antonio Reyes endured a mixed spell with Arsenal. (Photo credit should read CARL DE SOUZA/AFP/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>The late Reyes was dazzling to watch on his day and although the manifestation of his genius was often fleeting, his two-and-a-half-year spell at Highbury is remembered fondly.</p> <p>He was adored in Seville as a youngster before the Gunners swooped midway through their Invincibles season to complete a then club-record £17m purchase. His wonderful goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup two months after joining signalled his arrival, and Reyes would go on to score his fair share of crucial goals during that unforgettable 2003/04 season.</p> <p>Reyes’ contribution to that incredible campaign is overlooked, and it wasn’t until the following season that the masses began to recognise his talent. In August 2004, the Spaniard was named the Premier League’s Player of the Month.</p> <p>Inconsistency, homesickness and a strained relationship with Thierry Henry compromised the rest of his time in north London, but he did play a role in the club reaching the 2006 Champions League final.</p> <h2>2. Alexandre Lacazette</h2> <div id="attachment_119921" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-119921" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2197,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1342047275.jpeg" alt="Arsenal, Laca" width="3200" height="2197" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1342047275.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1342047275-768x527.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal’s most recent #9. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>Lacazette’s five-year spell as Arsenal’s #9 drew to a close earlier this summer as he returned to Lyon on a free transfer.</p> <p>The Frenchman’s stint in north London was fairly productive, but there’s no denying that he underwhelmed. Laca was once the club’s record-signing and he did enjoy a couple of outstanding years for the Gunners. He was voted as Arsenal’s Player of the Season for the 2018/19 campaign, for example.</p> <p>The striker made over 200 appearances for the club, but he never developed into the leading marksman Wenger signed him to be.</p> <p>He was often outshone by his partner in crime, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and by the end of his spell with the club, Lacazette had evolved into an out-and-out creator – almost a decoy for the Gunners’ younger and more exuberant attacking talent.</p> <h2>1. Lukas Podolski</h2> <div id="attachment_127396" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127396" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2125,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F460207906.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2125" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/460207906.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/460207906-768x510.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Lukas Podolski established himself as a cult hero during his time with the club. (Photo credit should read OZAN KOSE/AFP via Getty Images)</p> </div> <p>Podolski might not have been blessed with Reyes’ talent, nor did he rack up as many appearances as Lacazette, but no Arsenal #9 since Anelka left town has endeared themselves to the supporters quite like the German sharp-shooter. He was beloved by the fan base.</p> <p>His record wasn’t too shabby, either. In 82 games for the club, Podolski scored 31 times and added 17 assists. In his debut season, the German notched a hugely impressive 21 Premier League goal contributions – four of which came against Liverpool and Spurs.</p> <p>https://twitter.com/Ruth452/status/1310534860356743170</p> <p>Injuries blighted the start to his 2013/14 campaign, a season in which he’ll most fondly be remembered for his antics at White Hart Lane after a Tomas Rosicky stunner had handed the Gunners all three points in the North London Derby.</p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="oBliiou7qu"><p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/06/23/arsenal-greatest-premier-league-xi/">Arsenal’s Greatest Premier League XI</a></p></blockquote> <p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/05/every-arsenal-player-to-wear-the-9-shirt-since-2000-ranked/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/06/23/arsenal-greatest-premier-league-xi/embed/#?secret=oBliiou7qu" data-secret="oBliiou7qu" width="500" height="282" title="“Arsenal’s Greatest Premier League XI” — Pain in the Arsenal" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div> <p>And while his time at Arsenal slowly petered out following the arrival of Alexis Sanchez in 2014, Podolski’s superb debut season combined with the mutual adoration between player and fans means he surely has to be regarded as the most respectable wearer of Arsenal’s number nine shirt this century.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">