Arsenal's Current XI vs. Active Past Players XI
It's always frustrating when your favourite team sells a player only for him to excel elsewhere. Arsene Wenger is famously astute when it comes to selling players at the right time, but how would a team of former Arsenal players fare against the current crop?
We at Bleacher Report decided to put that to the test, pitting the Gunners' FA Cup semi-final winning team of Sunday against an XI comprised of those players who've left the club but are still plying their trade elsewhere. Both teams line up in Arsenal's new-look 3-4-2-1 formation.
Read on for player-by-player assessments of the two sides.
Goalkeeper: Petr Cech vs. Lukasz Fabianski
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Petr Cech has not necessarily been the unequivocal success Arsenal fans hoped for when they acquired him from Chelsea in 2015. However, he remains a vastly superior goalkeeper to Lukasz Fabianski.
Although the Poland international has enjoyed a creditable spell in the Premier League with Swansea City, he remains prone to the errors that made him a laughing stock for a time in north London.
Fabianski redeemed himself with some outstanding performances in his final season with Arsenal, but it wasn't enough for him to take the No. 1 shirt on a long-term basis.
Verdict: Cech is the winner here. He's a significantly more calm and commanding presence in the Arsenal goal.
Right-Sided Centre-Back: Gabriel vs. Bacary Sagna
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Despite leaving Arsenal for a Premier League rival in Manchester City in 2014, Bacary Sagna has retained a good deal of affection among the Arsenal fans.
That's largely on account of his committed displays in the Gunners defence throughout his time at the Emirates Stadium. Sagna must surely go down as one of the finest Arsenal defenders to have never won the league title with the club.
Gabriel has not been quite so consistent in his spell with Arsenal. At 26, he's still relatively young so has time to improve, but right now he can't match the security Sagna offers.
Verdict: While Gabriel has shown signs of growing into his new role in the back three, Sagna's time with both Arsenal and City shows him to be the more reliable defender.
Centre-Back: Laurent Koscielny vs. Johan Djourou
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When Johan Djourou first broke through at Arsenal, hopes were high. He seemed to have everything, with size and athleticism married to impressive technical ability.
However, injury problems and possibly a lack of appropriate defensive coaching meant Djourou never fulfilled his potential with Arsenal. He's now playing in the Bundesliga with Hamburg SV, and while he has matured into a decent defender, he can't hold a candle to Laurent Koscielny.
Since arriving from FC Lorient in 2010, Koscielny has transformed into one of Europe's finest. His speed and anticipation make him a nightmare marker for any attacker.
Verdict: This one is surely a no-contest. Although Djourou has enjoyed a decent career, Koscielny is one of the top defenders in world football.
Left-Sided Centre-Back: Rob Holding vs. Thomas Vermaelen
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Rob Holding looks to be an outstanding prospect. For a player who had not played in the top flight before this season, he seems remarkably assured every time he takes to the field in an Arsenal shirt.
Thomas Vermaelen initially looked similarly composed. The Gunners thought they had found the solution to their defensive problems—the Belgian was aggressive, intelligent and even scored goals.
However, he was undone by injury problems—an issue that has followed him to Barcelona and now AS Roma. When fit, he's an excellent player; the problem is that this isn't the case often enough.
Verdict: Holding is still only 21, and it is inevitable that he will make mistakes as he develops. For that reason, Vermaelen narrowly gets the nod.
Right Wing-Back: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain vs. Serge Gnabry
5 of 12Usually when Wenger sells a young player it's because he has decided they're unlikely to make the grade at Arsenal. Serge Gnabry is a different case—he joined Werder Bremen because he was unhappy about a perceived lack of opportunities at the Emirates Stadium.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain can't have similar complaints, as Wenger has been remarkably faithful to the 23-year-old despite inconsistent form. Both players are somewhat similar: quick, powerful, skilful but occasionally erratic.
Verdict: Neither are necessarily natural right wing-backs. It's a close call, but Gnabry might be the better long-term bet—at 21, he has a little more time to improve.
Left Wing-Back: Nacho Monreal vs. Gael Clichy
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These two were both in action in the recent FA Cup semi-final between Arsenal and Manchester City. It was Nacho Monreal who came out on top, scoring one of the goals in the Gunners' 2-1 victory.
Although not as quick as the Gael Clichy, Monreal is a dogged and disciplined defender. The Frenchman, meanwhile, has an unfortunate habit of switching off at crucial moments.
Verdict: The dependable Monreal over the pacy Clichy.
Holding Midfield: Granit Xhaka vs. Alex Song
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When Alex Song moved from Arsenal to Barcelona in 2012, he must have felt the upward trajectory of his career was destined to continue.
He's presumably then somewhat disappointed to now be playing his football with Rubin Kazan in Russia.
Granit Xhaka has not yet been at Arsenal for a full season, but he's shown enough promising signs to suggest he could develop into a good acquisition. His range of passing is superior to Song's—he just has to watch his temper.
Verdict: Song's career seems to be winding down, so Xhaka is our pick.
Central Midfield: Aaron Ramsey vs. Oguzhan Ozyakup
8 of 12Oguzhan Ozyakup left Arsenal without making a single Premier League appearance. However, with Besiktas he has developed into an eye-catching midfielder prized across Europe.
One of the reasons the Turkey international struggled to break into the Arsenal first team was the presence of Aaron Ramsey in the senior squad.
However, with the exception of his outstanding 2013/14 campaign, Ramsey's time with the Gunners has been a tale of injuries and frustration.
Verdict: This is too close to call. Ramsey has enormous talent, but he seems to continually underwhelm at Arsenal. We'll have Ozyakup in our team, in the hope he can deliver more consistently than the Welshman.
Attacking Midfielder: Mesut Ozil vs. Cesc Fabregas
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Wenger has effectively made a choice between these two before. When Cesc Fabregas decided to leave Barcelona in 2014, Arsenal declined to pursue the Catalan schemer, instead choosing to continue building their team around record signing Mesut Ozil.
It's debatable whether that was the correct decision. Fabregas started brightly at Chelsea, but this season he has found himself largely on the bench.
Ozil, meanwhile, has had some outstanding moments but has failed to convince everyone of his commitment to the Arsenal cause.
Verdict: If Fabregas could recreate the form he showed during his first Arsenal spell, he would deserve the shirt over Ozil.
Attacking Midfielder: Alexis Sanchez vs. Samir Nasri
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The popularity of these two players among the Arsenal fans could not be more contrasting. Alexis Sanchez is adored; Samir Nasri is reviled.
It's easy to see why the Arsenal fans love Alexis—he's a match-winner, pure and simple. The club are desperate to hold on to a player with the capacity to win a game with an individual piece of brilliance.
Having been booted out of Manchester City by Pep Guardiola, Nasri is stationed on loan at Sevilla. He's impressed for the Liga side and may well make the move permanent this summer.
Verdict: Alexis has to be in this team.
Centre-Forward: Olivier Giroud vs. Emmanuel Adebayor
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Olivier Giroud may have started Arsenal's FA Cup semi-final win over Manchester City, but his days as a regular at the club appear numbered. This season Alexis and Danny Welbeck have both enjoyed spells as the Gunners' centre-forward at the France international's expense.
Emmanuel Adebayor's top-flight career appeared to be drawing to a close entirely after he spent the first half of this season without a club. However, since signing for Turkish side Istanbul Basaksehir, he has racked up five goals in six Turkish Super Lig appearances, per WhoScored.
Verdict: Even at 33, Adebayor is more athletic than Giroud. His speed and movement give him the advantage over the 30-year-old.
Overall Result
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It's a tight call, but the the former Arsenal XI just edges the result with a 6-5 win over Wenger's current crop of players.
With it being such a close choice, it would make it an interesting watch if we could ever line these two sides up against each other.
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