Great to see how many have put Gabriel in the CB pairings ahead of Saliba.
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I remember sitting at the Emirates during one of our first games there and realising that we’d gone from this physically imposing juggernaut of a team to a bunch of relatively slight-looking players. Even Henry didn’t seem to have the same gravitas in the new stadium.
Our slow, painful decline really set-in during the final Highbury season. Two seasons prior we would have smashed Barcelona in that Champions League cup final. Thereafter we showed glimpses of greatness but even our grip on the top 4 was slipping along with Champions League performances.
I struggled to get too excited by the FA Cup wins that resumed after a decade, it all felt like we were done as a important team. It’s probably why I’m a much happier Gooner these days, despite some frustrating blips that stopped us getting over the line in the league.
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Seaman
Lauren
Adams
Campbell
Cashley
Cesc
Vieira
Bergkamp
Pires
Henry
Sanchez
I wanted to put Anelka in on the right but playing Bergkamp as an advanced midfield was cheating a bit already.
Lineup of players I liked the most for us, regardless of skills or achievements.
Seaman
Dixon
Adams
Campbell
Winterburn
Ljungberg
Vieira
Bergkamp
Limpar
Henry
Wright
(Managed by Wenger)
Players I ended up really disliking and/or I regret seeing in the Arsenal shirt.
Almunia
Mustafi
Squillaci
Silvestre
Andre Santos
Pepe
Mkhitaryan
Willian
Gervinho
Chamakh
Walcott
(Managed by RvP)
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Lehmann
Sagna - Campbell - Adams - Cole
Saka - Vieira - Cesc - Pires
Bergkamp - Henry
My all time favourite arsenal league cup 11.
Fabianski
Hoyte Miquel Djouruou Traore
Merida Wilshere Maintland-Niles
Vela Baptista Aliadiere
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Players from different eras that it would have been interesting to see in the same lineup as modern Arsenal players:
Saka - Henry - Alexis
Vieira - Rice
Gabriel - Adams
If only Alexis was born 10 years later and we signed him in 2024 and not 2014 
We are crying out for someone like him now. He was wasted on the pathetic teams we had in his time
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Relatively certain we could bring back Henry now and he’d improve us.
The two players before my time that I feel that I really missed out on were Charlie Nicholas and David O’Leary. Both were supposed to have been brilliant.
David O’Leary was a steady, dependable type of centre back rather than anything great, he read the game well, excellent club servant and he gets bonus points for being a one club player. Georgie bought Bould to be his long-term replacement and he was an instant upgrade but then I guess I didn’t see O’Leary in the early 80s.
Charlie boy was a bit of a cock, that’s from someone who knew him and endured the embarrassment of one of his big nights out in Ibiza, He’d insist on the DJ announcing that “Charlie Nicholas is in the house” and get wankered on free shots. On the field and in nightclubs he was a good poacher apparently, but was a luxury player in a team of grafters, so he had to go.
The one’s I saw (2002 and on)
Lehmann
Sagna Campbell Gabriel Cole
Vieira Fabregas
Alexis Bergkamp Pires
Henry
There are quite a few close calls here for me.
I think Raya is on a good way to overtake Lehmann as the best GK I’ve seen at Arsenal, but probably needs more time.
Had no doubts about the back 4. I know many like Lauren, but I never had great trust in him as a defender back in the day. Sagna is the guy for me.
In midfield… I have to have Cesc in the team, one of the best players I’ve seen in this club, but it’s hard to leave out Gilberto out of the team. One of the top DMs in the world during his prime time, precisely at that time when Vieira left he stepped out as a proper DM, protecting Fabregas and others, while with Vieira he had the freedom to become a B2B at times. An awesome, brilliant, intelligent, consitent player. Loved him.
As RM/RW, Alexis obviously didn’t play too much there at Arsenal, but included him because of his individual brilliance. As an actual RM/RW I’d absolutely go with Freddie. Not so flashy as many of our attackers, but so intelligent, effective, smart on and off the ball… He’s the guy I always compared Thomas Muller to.
I would get a ban for not picking Bergkamp, and it would feel quite awkward not to do it but he wasn’t THAT present and influential on a longer term post 2002… Obviously still had those moments only he could produce in the whole football world… But I could easily have Ozil or Van Persie ahead of him, when I look what they did during MY time. Hard to leave them out too really.
I’d actually rather have RVP up front with Henry and Ozil on the RW, but I’ll just keep the lineup 
I struggled with midfield. Vieira and Petit had a synergy that was amazing to watch. But Odegaard is by far the best midfielder we’ve had since those days.
Fabregas was a top player but drops down the pecking order for his occasional lapses and his early departure for Barcelona.
I certainly considered injuries and the manner of their departure. Ozil blew hot and cold, so he’s out, I prefer 110% players who never stop running. Sanchez and RVP carried our team and were excellent but get marked down in my head for moving to a big rival.
I’d love to have had space for Santi. A world class player with the obligatory Arsenal injury record, Rosicky, Wilshere and Ramsey for the same reason.
The most satisfying thing for me is that, absent the injury crisis, we currently have players in most positions who give our favourite players a run for their money. We just need a new Henry!
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You believe Odegaard is better than Cesc or have I misread this message?
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Fabregas is easily clear of Odegaard imo. This thread is about the quality of the player and how well they performed for the club, bitter feelings about the manner in which a player left, or where they went, aren’t relevant here.
I think most agree, which is why basically every team in this thread has one or more of: Cole, van Persie, Sanchez, Fabregas (I don’t group him with those other players, but I know others do)
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Alexis left us absolutely done in and got a great pay package at Utd. I don’t see why would care that he joined them. RvP this isn’t
For any midfielder to beat Fabregas for me they have to do something incredible.
Ødegaard is great but nobody comes close to Fabregas he was the best player in the league in stages and absolutely was our everything.
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Still some way for Odegaard to catch Ozil and Fabregas.
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Think Odegaard is miles off Fabregas in every regard. Different players, but I don’t even have him that close to Ramsey is terms of a player who had an impact on us.
Saliba is special and Saka is super consistent. They’re the only two in the current team even in consideration for an all time team.
OP’s discretion surely?
I stuck Cole in my XI so clearly the nature of their departure was not front and centre of why I didn’t put Cesc in my team.
@truth_hurts Yes, I feel Odegaard is a better player than Fabregas. They’re on a similar technical level but Odegaard is stronger physically, runs more, tackles more and co-ordinates those around him far better than Cesc did when he was captain. If I were to replace Odegaard with anyone, it would be Santi. Between injuries he lifted the level of those around him. That’s what world class players do and that’s why Ozil’s not made it into my team either.
My one controversial pick (I thought) was Rocastle ahead of so many other brilliant wingers, but again, I like skillful and hardworking players. But this was also a sentimental pick.
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