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By Ronnie Macdonald (Flickr: Arsenal Stadium - Thierry Henry Statue 4) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Arsenal All Time Starting Eleven
LB: Ashley Cole
Bit of a headcase, maybe. Egotistical, I would say so. Unbelievably talented, without a shadow of a doubt. Cole was a superb wing back for the Gunners during their golden years, bursting down the left wing with not only pace but brilliant attacking positioning. Coupled with this was a non-stop motor for the defensive work, one that sadly continued at Chelsea Business Club.
Related: Arsene Wenger’s 10 Best Signings Ever
Cole beats out the likes of Nigel Winterburn here mostly based off talent, Cole was clearly the better player. Monreal has not had the team success yet nor has he been here long enough. Gibbs, no explanation needed.
Cole was a mainstay in the Invincible’s back line, developing great chemistry with his fellow defenders. If only he could have been loyal to the club and not pursued one of their biggest rivals. Then I wouldn’t feel annoyed that he was our best left back. Cole actually ended up a free agent after a switch to Roma did not pan out that well. Not that we mind. Still, a great footballer during his time with Arsenal, easy pick for LB.
!["arsenal,](https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_3456,w_5184/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Ffiles%2F2015%2F12%2FThierry_Henry_Statue_4.jpg")
Arsene Wenger’s 10 Best Signings Ever</a></p>
<p>Cole beats out the likes of Nigel Winterburn here mostly based off talent, Cole was clearly the better player. Monreal has not had the team success yet nor has he been here long enough. Gibbs, no explanation needed.</p>
<p>Cole was a mainstay in the Invincible’s back line, developing great chemistry with his fellow defenders. If only he could have been loyal to the club and not pursued one of their biggest rivals. Then I wouldn’t feel annoyed that he was our best left back. Cole actually ended up a free agent after a switch to Roma did not pan out that well. Not that we mind. Still, a great footballer during his time with Arsenal, easy pick for LB.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">RB: Bacary Sagna</h3>
<p>Mr. Consistency. Not only was Sagna swagged out with his braided hair, something that City fans don’t get to experience, but he was also blessed with the ability of always being reliable when he was needed most. For seven years Sagna patrolled the right side of the park for Arsenal, contributing with sharp build up play and steady crossing. But more importantly he was rock solid defending and oh my word was he stellar in the air. Especially for someone his size.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/11/28/top-10-worst-arsenal-signings-under-arsene-wenger/" target="_blank">Arsene Wenger’s 10 Worst Signings Eve</a>r</p>
<p>I will never forget his goal at Chelsea from a corner, nailing a header in at the near post. Sagna was a bonafide cult hero, one that everyone was extremely sad to see go. The other’s vyng for this spot in the starting XI consist mainly of Lee Dixon and Lauren. Dixon is somewhat of a cult hero, but didn’t possess the talent that Sagna does, nor was he as much of a catalyst going forward. Likewise with Lauren.</p>
<p>Truthfully, the wing back positions were easily the least competitive one’s as Arsenal has made a habit of having mainstays there for as long as possible.</p>
<p>Moving on, we get to the man that embodied the club at center back.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CB: Tony Adams</h3>
<p>Captain. Leader. Legend.</p>
<p>22 years spent playing professional footy. 22 years with the Arsenal. Tony Adams was the heart of the Arsenal defense for well over a decade, earning the nickname “Mr.Arsenal” for good reason. He’s also got a statue of himself outside of the Emirates stadium. Not necessarily blessed with the best tekkers, although that never served as a problem for the Arsenal skipper as his determination, grit, and outrageous football IQ helped him become one of England’s best center backs.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>Adams was a representation of the past, the old 1-0 to the Arsenal style. Yet he helped Arsenal move towards their new total football future while keeping his place in the side year in and year out. A potential Arsenal coach down the road for sure.</p>
<p>Adams spent 15 years as Arsenal’s captain, further solidifying how Arsenal he was. What wouldn’t Arsenal do to have another captain of Adams’ ilk?</p>
<p>Next up, imaging Tony Adams with our next center back in the ultimate, all-time XI is enough to make us weep glorious tears of supremacy.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CB: Sol Campbell</h3>
<p>I’ll be very honest, my number one reason for putting Sol here is that he up and left that horrendous team in North London for free to join us. What a brilliant, brilliant move. That in itself not only showed that he clearly wasn’t hollow in between the ears, but also that he was extremely committed to the challenge of playing for Arsenal Football club. With over 100 appearances in the prime of his career coming for the Gunners, Campbell helped anchor the Invincibles defense, and got a goal in the 2006 Champions League final.</p>
<p>There were other center backs here who were of course considered, Boscielny, who has slowly become a world class center back. Even Kolo Toure. But both of these options lack one vital thing: team success. Yes Kolo Toure had the armband every now and then and had a big presence culture wise. Yes, Kos is arguably more talented than both but Sol was a part of winning teams and had major impacts on said teams.</p>
<p>Sol Campbell was the backbone of the greatest Premier League team of all time. Hard to argue that he is not one of the best center backs (at least during his Arsenal days) to play the game.</p>
<p>We are moving up the formation to our midfielders.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CM: Cesc Fabregas</h3>
<p>Now this is where the real fun beings. Although it might be hard to remember because of his move to Chelsea, when Fabregas was on Arsenal he was mesmerizing to watch. Our youngest ever captain, the entirety of how we played was built around his abilities and style, and for good reason.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>Operating as a holding midfielder or an attacking one, Cesc ran the show for the Gunners, displaying stunning vision and passing ability. Whether it be short or long finds, assisting was a superb skill of his. Moreover, he scored some crucial goals, against Spurs at home and A.C Milan away, he was our leader on and off the pitch and rightfully so was adored by all the supporters.</p>
<p>Fabregas served as the tutor and role model for the young bright star known as Jacky Wilshere, and was the catalyst behind the culture shift from the Invincible era to the next one. He took over as the heart of the midfield and while he didn’t have much team success, his overall play and impact on the team cannot be understated.</p>
<p>And who could we possibly think to pair with Cesc Fabregas? Click the next slide and we will find out. Although it should not come as a surprise.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CM: Patrick Vieira</h3>
<p>What can be said about Patrick Vieira? He captained Arsenal to their Invincible season. That right there is enough in and of itself. But so much more has to be said to give Vieira the credit he is due. Aside from being the captain of the Invincibles, Vieira is also the only player that is still being missed to this very day.</p>
<p>For the past decade, Arsenal has been in dire need of added physicality in the base of the midfield. Patrick Vieira held down that spot next to Gilberto Silva. He was a monster and a marauder on the pitch. In a good way. Arsenal has been unable to replicate that success for the past ten years. Francis Coquelin is starting to help us overcome but Coquelin has yet to develop any sort of offensive relevance, which Vieira had.</p>
<p>You really don’t get someone who embodied the spirit of the team at the time more than Vieira did Arsenal. He was the first signing Arsene Wenger made, as he was signed right as Le Prof joined Arsenal. He was the physical base that made Arsenal such a domineering menace. Arsenal was actually criticized for being too physical back in the day. Imagine that.</p>
<p>Next up, we get into the attack.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">AML: Robert Pires</h3>
<p>You really can’t have too many Invincibles in this all-time starting XI. Here we have another. There is a reason why Pires was voted by Arsenal fans as the sixth best player of all time. He was an absolute star.<div class="related-category right">
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<p>It is tough to make a name for yourself when you are playing alongside Thierry Henry. But Robert Pires was able to do that. He even managed to finish third in the Premier League in goals when Thierry Henry took home another scoring award. The winger scored 14 goals in three straight seasons. Talk about consistency.</p>
<p>Even to this day, Pires is still heavily involved at Arsenal. He can frequently be seen at training session with the current Arsenal squad.</p>
<p>Pires’ departure from Arsenal was rather tragic, as Wenger would not offer him more than a one-year deal. However, cooler heads have prevailed and Pires holds down the legend status he deserves.</p>
<p>Moving on, pairing Pires with a current generation explosive attacker would have been a sight fore sore eyes. Here is our ultimate attacking right midfielder.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">AMR: Alexis Sanchez</h3>
<p>Here is our one inclusion in the all-time starting XI from the present day. Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean mastermind. Alexis Sanchez has embodied everything Arsenal is about for so long that it’s a wonder why it took so long to sign him. I’m guessing price.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/11/27/arsenals-top-10-champions-league-moments/" target="_blank">Arsenal’s 10 Greatest Champions League Moments</a></p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Whatever the case, we have him now and the fit could not be better. It all started last year, when Alexis Sanchez quite literally carried the team for the first half of the season and ended up scoring 25 goals in 52 appearances. It is not easy to do that when adjusting to the physicality of the Premier League. But Alexis hit the ground running, and from La Liga nonetheless.</p>
<p>The Chilean’s work ethic is irreplaceable. He tracks back on defense better than anyone, making himself a pest to the other team.</p>
<p>Alexis Sanchez is still only 26 years old and he has a superb future ahead of him at the club. Combining with Mesut Ozil is a beautiful thing to see and we have so many more years to see it.</p>
<p>Moving on, we get to the strike force. There will not be any surprises there, we promise.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CF: Dennis Bergkamp</h3>
<p>There is not much creativity needed to put together Arsenal’s two best center forwards/strikers of all time. The first is the Dutch legend, who is interchangeable with the other striker on <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/11/28/30-greatest-arsenal-players/" target="_blank">this list</a> as Arsenal’s two best players of all time. Bergkamp spent 11 season with the Gunners, scoring 120 goals in 423 appearances.<div class="recent-posts ">
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<p>But looking solely at the goals underplays how vastly important Dennis Bergkamp was to this club. He played wide midfield and was moved to striker and then on to second striker when Thierry Henry came to Arsenal. But throughout it all, he maintained his spot in Arsenal’s squad.</p>
<p>Bergkamp was a creative genius. He was such a multi-faceted player that it was almost a disservice to him to confine him to the striker role. It robbed the team of utilizing his talents throughout the pitch. And that is why he became such a superb second striker when Thierry Henry took over.</p>
<p>Wenger said it best when he said of Bergkamp: “He needs fewer touches to score. Sometimes just one, when others need two or three,” (via<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/there-was-only-one-dennis-bergkamp-408838.html" target="_blank"> the Independent</a>).</p>
<p>Who will we partner with Dennis Bergkamp? It’s anyone’s guess.</p>
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">CF: Thierry Henry</h3>
<p>If you came here looking for Olivier Giroud, you came to the wrong writer. Thierry Henry is the greatest Arsenal player of all time and the best striker to ever pass through the Premier League. Henry is also without a doubt the best signing ever made by Arsene Wenger.</p>
<p><strong>Related:</strong> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/11/28/30-greatest-arsenal-players/">30 Greatest Arsenal Players Ever</a></p>
<p>Bought as a winger from Monaco in 1999, Henry wasted very little time in becoming a striker and becoming Wenger’s greatest success story. The prolific French striker scored 226 goals in 369 appearances. No matter how many times we are reminded of those numbers, they are still absolutely astounding. His speed and technical ability were quite literally unreal, as he could rip opposing defenses asunder all on his own.</p>
<p>Henry spent his best years at Arsenal, without a doubt. It was a shame to see him go in 2007 but in the end, Henry went out on top. It’s not every day that the greatest player in a century passes through the gates. Henry and Wenger have each other to thank for a lot of the success that they had together.</p>
<p>That completes the starting XI, with a formation that looks like this:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"http://lineupbuilder.com/350x500/?p=11&a=1&t=&c=dc0000&1=GK_Lehmann__388_174&2=DL_Cole__317_64&3=DCL_Adams__327_138&4=DCR_Campbell__327_211&5=DR_Sagna__317_284&6=ML_Pires__174_65&7=MCL_Fabregas__222_138&8=MCR___222_211&9=MR_Alexis__174_279&10=FC_Bergkamp__98_147&11=FC_Henry__83_202&c2=ffffff&c3=ffffff&output=embed%22 scrolling="no" height="500" width="350"></iframe></p>
<p>But that does not include the bench, which can be found on the next slide:</p>
<div class="next-post amp-get-next-post lg slider"><a class="location" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-post-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2015/12/07/arsenal-all-time-starting-eleven/3/"#"><span class="next amp-next-post-teaser">Next: </span><span class="amp-get-next-post">Substitutes</span></a></div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div class="getty embed image" style="background-color: #fff;font-family: 'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;color: #a7a7a7;font-size: 11px;width: 100%">
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<h3 style="font-size:34px;">Subs: Seaman, Dixon, Cazorla, Brady, Ozil, Wright</h3>
<p>What a bunch of substitutes this is. Having David Seaman backing up Jens Lehmann gives us such undeniable and proven impact and skill that you would be hard-pressed to combine any other two goal keepers from any other team and find similar shot-stopping, title-winning ability. <div class="related-category right">
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<p>Lee Dixon could definitely step in for Bacary Sagna and not a beat would be lost. He made 458 appearances for the Gunners and was a part four Premier League titles won by Arsenal. Unfortunately, he finished his career just two years before the Invincible season. But Dixon had plenty of greatness in his own time.</p>
<p>Santi Cazorla has been the little engine that could ever since he came to Arsenal. His ability on the ball and passing brilliance has made him a mainstay on so many ultimate XI’s across the world of football. In short, everyone wants him as their team mate.</p>
<p>Liam Brady made 235 appearances in the Arsenal midfield. He started his footballing life at the club and although Arsenal did not find much silverware while Brady was in the ranks, his quality on the ball is undeniable.</p>
<p>Mesut Ozil began his Arsenal career in rather rough fashion, but since that time, he has become the greatest passing and assisting sensation in the Premier League. The 2015/16 season has seen him break four different assisting records and there will surely be more to come.</p>
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