Arsenal's 10 Best Away Kits

Arsenal have had their fair share of away kits in their illustrious 125-year history.

But which ones are the best? 

Judging which kits should make Arsenal's top 10 is inevitably not just a matter of fashion—it's also a matter of history.

Whether or not a kit was worn during a trophy-winning season can affect how fondly we remember it.

So which strips made the cut?

Find out after the jump.

10: 2005-07

A rather underrated kit among Arsenal fans, this yellow and dark grey ensemble was Arsenal's change strip between 2005 and 2007.

The subtle grey lines at the top of the shirt worked well with its slight v-shaped collar. The colour of the yellow was nicely understated, in contrast to the garishly bright colour found on some previous efforts, such as the 1999-2001 shirt.

The position of the badge in the top-centre of the kit was also pleasing, although the massive O2 logo was distracting.

The kit was worn during some of Arsenal's greatest European triumphs, such as their victory against Real Madrid in early 2006 and the draw against Juventus that saw them through to the Champions League semifinal.

Unfortunately, the kit was far from omnipotent. Arsenal wore it during their 2-1 defeat to Barcelona in the 2006 Champions League final. Had they won that game, the kit would probably be considered a classic.

9: 1993-1994

Unfortunately for football, much of the mid-to-early '90s saw a number of epic failures in the realm of kit design.

After a degree of restraint during the 1980s, kit manufacturers began to experiment wildly in the new decade, with decidedly mixed results.

Moreover, there was often an attempt to incorporate the manufacturer's logo as prominently as possible into the kit's final design. Adidas was particularly guilty of this, as you can see from the terrible shirts that they inflicted on Liverpool during this period.

Yet the 1993-94 Arsenal away shirt, the last Adidas produced for the club, somehow works. The huge blue Adidas stripes which engulf the kit should render it a disaster, but they don't. 

I am possibly biased when it comes to this kit—it was the first Arsenal shirt I ever owned, and I wore the hell out of it. 

But it also should hold fond memories for Arsenal fans in general. It was worn on several occasions during Arsenal's triumphant march to victory in the European Cup Winners' Cup that year. 

8: 1997-1999

Modeled here by the one and only Gilles Grimandi, this was the first decent away strip that Nike produced for Arsenal. 

They had designed two blue kits for the club in the mid '90s, one of which was a rather plain affair. The other was an insane design featuring two lightning bolts down the side of the shirt, which has gained a bit of a cult following in recent years.

Finally seeing sense, Nike produced a yellow and blue strip for Arsenal for the 1996-97 season, but that effort was a little uninspired. 

So I was thrilled when the 1997-99 kit was released. Due to my parents' foresight, they bought me the above shirt in a size that was several sizes too large, meaning I can still fit into it today. 

The blue stripe across the shirt works, as do the little pieces of red trim on the collar and sleeves. 

Perhaps the shirt's most famous moment came in March 1998, when it was worn in an epic victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. That win was part of a famous run of league victories that would clinch Arsenal's first title in seven years.

7: 2008-09

The best away kit that Nike has produced for Arsenal since the club won the league in 2004, Arsenal only wore this strip for one season, 2008-09.

Conceived as a tribute to the kit that Arsenal wore in the famous 1989 season, it featured a shirt with a yellowish-gold body with blue sleeves and red stripes, blue shorts with a red trim, and yellow socks with a thick, blue horizontal stripe.

Problematically for Nike, the 1989 kit had been produced by Adidas and had prominently included the latter's logo on the shirt's sleeves. So, instead of having three stripes, only two were included on the shirt's sleeves.

All credit to Nike for including these stripes, because they add an edge to the shirt that the manufacturer could easily have left out for branding reasons.

The kit's most famous moment came in April 2009, when Andrei Arshavin scored four goals while wearing it against Liverpool. This was perhaps appropriate, given the shirt's genesis.

The iconic picture of Arshavin holding his fingers aloft in the aftermath of his fourth goal, his face a picture of delight and disbelief, will ensure the shirt remains a well-remembered classic.

6: 1991-1993

A kit that can, at the very least, be described as unforgettable.

Known by some as the "bruised banana," and by others as the "tire-track shirt," Arsenal wore this strip for two years between 1991 and 1993.

The kit was initially greeted by bewilderment from many Arsenal fans, but it has built up a cult fanbase in the 20 years since its release. 

Personally, I file this firmly under the "so bad it's good" section of football kits. Exactly how Adidas came up with this design is anyone's guess.

If nothing else, it deserves a place within the top 10 for its notoriety. It is a genuinely unique design—those colours in that pattern are instantly recognizable, and have become part of the club's history. 

5: 2003-04

This away strip has gained immortality for two main reasons.

Firstly, it was the away kit during Arsenal's famous unbeaten season in 2003-04. 

Secondly, it was worn at the infamous "Battle of Old Trafford" in August 2003. Scuffles between Arsenal and Manchester United players had broken out on several occasions during this match, most notably in reaction to Ruud van Nistelrooy's last-minute penalty miss.

The above picture, of Martin Keown taunting van Nistelrooy, has become famous, ensuring that the kit will be well remembered by the club's fans. 

Yet regardless of Arsenal's performances that year, the strip is a superb effort, especially compared with the bizarre blue and white "vortex" kit that Nike had produced for the previous season.

Purposefully designed to look retro, the yellow shirt, blue collar and shorts, and yellow socks with blue trim were a powerful evocation of Arsenal's past—entirely appropriate in a season where Arsenal would make history. 

4: 2001-02 (3rd Kit, 2002-03)

A stunning effort, which I would argue is the best away strip that Nike has made for Arsenal in the nearly 20 years that they have produced kits for the club.

The shirt was almost entirely gold, with a navy collar and navy stripes down its sides. The shorts were also navy with a gold trim. 

In a rarity for modern shirt design, the "Sega" logo managed to blend nicely into the shirt, unlike the rather garish "O2" design which would appear on the club's shirts from the following season. 

Moreover, this was the last away shirt to feature the Arsenal badge which had appeared on the kit since the early '90s. It would be replaced by the hideous, felt-tip monstrosity which the club introduced in 2003.

The kit's finest moment came in May 2002, when Arsenal beat Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Fittingly for a team playing in gold, the result meant they were crowned league champions. 

3: 1988-1991

It's easy to be nostalgic about this strip, given that it was forever immortalized by Arsenal's last-minute title win at Anfield in 1989.

Yet it is a genuinely good-looking piece of kit. When you compare it to their other efforts during the 1980s, this beauty was the best away strip that Adidas produced for the club during that decade. 

Aside from the green monstrosity of 1982-83, Adidas hadn't really gotten the correct balance of yellow and blue before this kit, nor the appropriate brightness for the two colours. 

They finally got it right just in time for Arsenal's first league title in 18 years. 

In my opinion, the kit is also a perfect example of how a sponsor's logo can be artfully incorporated into a strip's design, as seen in the three stripes down the shirt's sleeve. 

2: 1978-1981

Narrowly losing out on the top spot, Arsenal sported this classic away strip for four years, the first three of which without a sponsor's logo. 

It was the first time since the early 1960s that an Arsenal away shirt had featured a collar. Fittingly for the 1970s, it was a big, wide collar which basically also incorporated a v-neck into the shirt. 

The colours are perfect—both the yellow and blue are bold without being garish. 

The strip's most notable appearance was in the 1979 FA Cup Final, one of the most notable in English football history, and popularly known as the "five-minute final."

With Arsenal having led 2-0 since the end of the first half, Manchester United scored in the 86th and 88th minutes, and the match seemed set for a replay.

Instead, Alan Sunderland scored the winner for Arsenal at the death, securing the kit's place in Arsenal's history. 

1: 1969-1977

The classic Arsenal away strip. 

A thing of absolute beauty, the design's simplicity is its strong point. A yellow shirt. A blue, round collar. Blue cuffs. Blue shorts. Yellow Socks. A small canon. Nothing else. 

While it was worn for eight years, it's easy to pick this strip's most famous moment: the 1971 FA Cup Final.

Having secured the league with a win over Tottenham at White Hart Lane, Arsenal completed "the double" by beating Liverpool at Wembley. 

The site of Charlie George lying on the Wembley turf, having just scored the winning goal, has become one of the most famous images in English football history. 

It is, or at least it should be, the model for all Arsenal away kits.

Indeed, I would argue that the colours of yellow and blue are almost as important to the club's history as red and white. 

Here's hoping that future kit designers bear this in mind.