Arsenal FC: Picking an All-Star Arsenal Team from the Premier League Era

It's been five seasons now since Arsenal have won any silverware, and looking forward to the 2011-12 season, there are big fears that this season could be the sixth.

Cesc Fabregas' seemingly never-ending transfer saga with Barcelona continues to go on, and Samir Nasri's status is still up in the air. Even if both do end staying, there are big questions about exactly how dedicated they will be to the team and its success in the 2011-12 English Premier League season.

But as every Arsenal fan knows, things weren't always this way. Historically, Arsenal have been the third most successful football club in English football with 13 First Division and Premier League titles, as well as 10 FA Cup titles, and they hold the records for most consecutive appearances in the top flight, most consecutive wins in the top flight, and most consecutive games without a loss, among others.

Thus, in honor of Arsenal's rich history, we take a trip down memory lane and look at the best Arsenal players of the Premier League era to honor the Gunners who gave it their all to become champions.

Goalkeeper: David Seaman

Although Arsenal's recent history may lead you to think otherwise, Arsenal have actually been blessed with rather talented goalkeepers. Jens Lehmann, in his prime, was a very talented goalkeeper, and was a key member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" team. Patrick Jennings was also a great goalkeeper for Arsenal.

However, in the Premier League era, the best was undoubtedly David Seaman. In 13 years with the Gunners, Seaman accumulated three league titles, four FA Cups, a League Cup and the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He also picked up 75 caps with England, becoming England's most-capped goalkeeper behind Peter Shilton.

Unfortunately, Seaman left the Gunners one year before the famous "Invincibles" season, and following his error against Ronaldinho in the 2002 World Cup, his international career went downhill before coming to an end altogether just a few caps later.

Nevertheless, his contributions to Arsenal's success over the years will not soon be forgotten.

Left Back: Ashley Cole

Prior to his acrimonious departure to Chelsea, Ashley Cole was highly regarded among Arsenal fans, and without a doubt one of the best left backs to ever play for Arsenal.

He helped Arsenal complete the Premier League-FA Cup double in 2001-02, was part of the Premier League-winning "Invincibles" squad of 2003-04, and won two more FA Cups with Arsenal in 2003 and 2005.

During his time at Arsenal, he was selected to the PFA Team of the Year in 2002, 2004, and 2005, and was also selected to the UEFA Team of the Year in 2004.

Now at Chelsea, it seems Ashley Cole took his winning ways with him when he left the club. Since moving to Chelsea, Cole has won three FA Cups, one Premier League title, and one League Cup title.

On an individual level, he was selected to the UEFA Team of the Year again in 2010, was selected as England Player of the Year in 2010, and has been voted Chelsea's Players' Player of the Season for the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons. He's become the most capped full back in English history as well. 

Right Back: Lee Dixon

Lee Dixon was before my time, but he was undoubtedly the best right back to play for Arsenal in the Premier League era.

During an Arsenal career that spanned over 14 seasons, Dixon won two First Division titles, two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one League Cup, and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup. He was also named to the PFA Team of the Year in 1990.

Dixon was part of the famous Arsenal defense composed of Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Steve Bould, and later Martin Keown. He was renowned for his consistency in defense and his great crossing in attack.

Center Back: Tony Adams

Nicknamed "Mr. Arsenal," Tony Adams was not only one of the best center backs to ever play for Arsenal, but he was also one of the best defenders to ever play in the Premier League.

He was made Arsenal's captain at the age of 21 and would remain at the club throughout his entire career, until retiring in 2002. With the aforementoned "famous five" defenders of Arsenal, Adams would win four league titles, three FA Cups, two League Cups and Cup Winners Cup.

Adams holds the distinction of being the only player in English football history to have captained a title winning side in three different decades, a record that is unlikely to ever be broken.

Center Back: Sol Campbell

Unlike Ashley Cole, who left Arsenal in acrimonious circumstances for Chelsea, Sol Campbell arrived at Arsenal after leaving Tottenham in similarly acrimonious circumstances.

Despite being offered a contract that would've made him Tottenham's highest paid player ever, and making numerous public assurances to Tottenham fans that he wouldn't leave the club, Sol Campbell decided in the summer of 2001 to pack his bags and head to Arsenal, a team he said earlier in his career that he would never play for, on a free transfer.

Once at Arsenal, however, Sol Campbell established himself as an Arsenal legend in only five seasons with the club.

Campbell, partnered by either Tony Adams or Martin Keown throughout the season, helped Arsenal win the Premier League-FA Cup double in his first season. In his second season, the club finished as runner-ups in the league but still managed to win the FA Cup.

Upon Kolo Toure's arrival at the club, Sol Campbell formed a rock solid partnership with the Ivorian, and the two defenders would be key in helping Arsenal secure the title without being beaten, a feat that has not since been repeated in any of the major football leagues in the world.

Campbell would struggle with injuries and form over the next two seasons, but not without collecting an FA Cup winners medal and scoring in the Champions League final against Barcelona, which Arsenal would unfortunately go on to lose.

Though Kolo Toure would remain for a good number of years after Campbell's departure, Arsenal's defense hasn't looked as strong as secure in recent years as it did in the Campbell years.

Left Midfielder: Robert Pires

Although recently released by Aston Villa after a subpar season as a sub, during his heyday as Arsenal's left midfielder/wing, Robert Pires had huge amounts of skill and pace. 

Early on in his career, Robert Pires was criticized for his lack of physicality, and there were fears that he'd be unable to replicate the form he showed in Ligue 1 with Metz and Marseille.

Those fears were quickly squashed, as Robert Pires went on to become one of the finest wingers Arsenal have had in the Premier League.

Robert Pires scored 62 goals and recorded 43 assists from the wing position in 189 league appearances and was instrumental in helping Arsenal secure both its 2001-02 and 2003-04 Premier League titles. He also won three FA Cups with Arsenal. Robert Pires' quality was recognized individually with three consecutive PFA Team of the year selections from 2001-2004.

Robert Pires was a member of France's golden generation as well (no coincidence that France's golden generation coincides with Arsenal's golden generation mind you). He won the World Cup in 1998, the European Championship in 2000, and two Confederation Cups in 2001 and 2003 with France.

Although Robert Pires will forever be an Arsenal legend, his career with Arsenal ended on a low note, as he was subbed out in the 12th minute of the UEFA Champions League final following Jens Lehmann's sending off. The winger has described being subbed off in that game as one of the worst feelings in his life.

Right Midfielder: Freddie Ljungberg

Beating out Marc Overmars on this list is Freddie Ljungberg. Though he's become somewhat of a veteran journeyman in recent years with spells with the Seattle Sounders, Chicago Fire, and most recently Celtic, Ljungberg was a consistent and regular performer for Arsenal during his nine seasons with the club.

Ironically, Marc Overmars was the player who Freddie Ljungberg played behind when he first joined the club. Initially used as a utlity man, Ljungberg only became a regular member of the starting lineup following Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit's departure to Barcelona in the summer of 2000.

The 2001-02 season was when Ljungberg really shone. Following an injury to Arsenal's other high-scoring winger at the time, Robert Pires, Ljungberg took over the scoring load and even scored the second clinching goal against Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. Arsenal won the Double that season.

Although Ljungberg never again reached the heights he hit that season, he was able to be a regular contributor to that Arsenal cause in subsequent seasons, winning two more FA Cups and the Premier League title with the Invincibles.

Unfortunately, Ljungberg was always injury prone, and his injuries finally caught up with him in the 2006-07 season. He was limited to only 18 league appearances and zero goals, and he was thus sold to West Ham in the summer of 2007.   

Central Midfielder: Patrick Vieira

For nine straight seasons, Patrick Vieira provided the Arsenal midfield with toughness and strength, as well as quality passing to start their attacks. He captained the team from 2002-2005 and is arguably the clubs' best ever midfielder.

In his time at Arsenal, Vieira picked up four Premier League trophies and four FA Cups. He was incredibly selected to six consecutive PFA Teams of the Year from 1998 to 2004, and was selected as part of the UEFA Team of the Year in 2001.

Patrick Vieira was part of the Arsenal cast that made up France's golden generation. In his time at Arsenal, Patrick Viera won the World Cup, European Championships, and Confederations Cup, and picked up the French Player of the Year award in 2001 ahead of teammates Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane, and more.

After winning the FA Cup with Manchester City last season, Patrick Vieira finally closed the curtain on a career filled with trophies, successes, and historic moments. 

Central Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas

Alongside Patrick Vieira is the guy who succeeded him: Cesc Fabregas.

When Vieira was sold to Juventus for €20 million in 2005, Cesc Fabregas was finally given the opportunity to claim a regular spot in the starting lineup and show the world his true skill. Though he would not set the Premier League alight in his first season as a starter, he would prove himself to be a world-class midfielder in the subsequent seasons.

Unfortunately, despite establishing himself as a world-class midfielder in recent seasons, Cesc Fabregas has only managed to pick up one trophy at Arsenal, the FA Cup in his first season as a regular member of the first team squad (2004).

Since then, he has lost a Champions League final against Barcelona in 2006, a League Cup final against Chelsea in 2007, and most recently a League Cup final against Birmingham City in 2011.

Cesc Fabregas, despite his lack of club success, has won numerous individual awards during his time at Arsenal. He has been named to the PFA Team of the Year twice, the UEFA Team of the Year twice and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2007-08.

Unfortunately, at the moment, it looks like Cesc will finish and leave Arsenal for Barcelona and likely go down in Arsenal history as the most talented Arsenal player with the least success. Time will tell what happens. 

Second Striker: Dennis Bergkamp

Dennis Bergkamp is critically acclaimed as one of the most technically gifted players ever to play the game. He was an adept second striker who used his vision and passing ability to create chances for his more forward striking partner.

Bergkamp helped guide Arsenal to three Premier League titles and four FA Cups and won numerous personal accolades while at Arsenal. It is a testament to his ability and skill that even with a youth-loving coach like Arsene Wenger, Bergkamp was a regular member of the Arsenal squad till the age of 37.

According to Simon Krump, in a 2006 article written in The Financial Times:

"

"One night last year, some legends of Dutch football gathered for dinner in an Amsterdam house. Around midnight conversation turned to an old question: who was the best Dutch footballer ever? Dutchmen have been voted European Footballer of the Year seven times, more than any other nationality except Germans.

"Yet Jan Mulder, a great centre-forward turned writer, chose a player who had never even threatened to win the award nor, at the time, a Champions League: 'Bergkamp. He had the finest technique,' said Mulder. Guus Hiddink, the great Dutch manager, nodded, and so the matter was settled."

"

Striker: Thierry Henry

Fitting that a list of the all-time Arsenal greats to play in the Premier League would come to an end with Thierry Henry, the best Arsenal player of all time.

Brought in to replace the outgoing Nicholas Anelka, Thierry Henry's arrival at Arsenal was met with great skepticism, as Arsene Wenger had paid £11 million (a massive sum at the time) for a player who had just had a very poor season playing on the wings for Juventus.

However, after some initial struggles, Thierry Henry quickly put to rest any doubt about his abilities by scoring 26 goals in all competitions and chipping in with 11 assists in his debut season. He followed this up with 22 more goals the following season but was still unable to win any trophies for Arsenal.

The 2001-02 season was Henry's breakthrough season. Henry upped his goalscoring by 10 from the previous season to finish the season with 32 goals, leading Arsenal to the Double and his first trophies with the club.

The next two seasons were by far Thierry Henry's best, as he won the FA Cup in the first season and the Premier League with the Invincibles in the next. Henry managed to score 32 goals and record 24 assists in the first season, and upped his goalscoring to an insane 39 goals the following season, 30 of which came in the league.

Unfortunately for Henry, Chelsea's emergence under Jose Mourinho resulted in Arsenal missing out on a Premier League repeat, but once again the club managed to end the season with silverware as they won the 2005 FA Cup.

When Patrick Vieira left the club in the summer of 2005 for Juventus, Henry was give the captaincy and the responsibility of leading a rather young side to future success. Despite a Champions League final with Barcelona at the end of the 2005-06 season, he was unable to do so, and his chapter in Arsenal history was closed when he transferred to Barcelona in the summer of 2007.

To list all the individual honors Henry picked up in his career would not only not do his time at Arsenal justice, but would result in a incredibly long list, so I'll just provide a link to them instead.

Today, Thierry Henry is still plying his trade with the New York Red Bulls, with whom he just won the Emirates Cup with. He is currently MLS's top scorer, and still shows bags of class and skill in his game.

Will the Premier League ever be graced by a player as consistent, humble, skilled, and deadly as Thierry Henry? Probably not. 

The Substitutes' Bench

Probably the hardest part of making this lineup was naming the best players who barely missed out on the starting lineup. After much thought though, here are the five that make the bench.

GK: Jens Lehmann

Despite his eccentric behavior, Lehmann was a great No. 1 for Arsenal from 2003 to 2007 before hampered by injuries in his final season with the club and being replaced by Manuel Almunia. He was voted UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1996–97 and 2005–06 seasons, and he was selected for three World Cup squads with Germany. He won the Premier League with Arsenal's Invincibles, and holds the UEFA Champion's League record for the most consecutive clean sheets, having not conceded a goal in 10 matches whilst at Arsenal,

CM: Ray Parlour

Without a doubt the hardest position to pick, with Gilberto Silva and Emmanuel Petit also being good candidates for this spot, Ray Parlour gets his spot on the bench for his extended service to the Gunners. Not always first choice, Ray Parlour still managed to make 339 league appearances for the Gunners in his 14 years at the club, and had many huge moments for the Gunners, particularly his 1998 man of the match performance for Arsenal in the FA Cup final, and his 30-yard striker to open the scoring for Arsenal against Chelsea in the 2002 FA Cup final. He won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, one League Cup, and one European Cup Winners' Cup with the club.

CB: Martin Keown

Like the CM position, there was competition for this spot from Steve Bould and Kolo Toure, but Martin Keown won out due to his long career with the club. Keown spent 13 years with the club, and although he often had to compete with Arsenal legends Tony Adams, Steve Bould, Andy Lindighan, and later Kolo Toure and Sol Campbell, he still managed to make 311 league appearances for Arsenal. For more than a decade, he and Parlour were the unsung heroes who played unnoticed but significant roles in Arsenal's numerous Premier League and Cup successes. 

LW: Marc Overmars

Though he only played three seasons with Arsenal, Marc Overmars marked his place in Arsenal history by scoring in the 1998 FA Cup and then scoring the only goal in a 1-0 win over Manchester United in the 1997-98 season to seal the title for Arsenal and complete the domestic double. Marc Overmars was known for his incredible speed, and left for Barcelona in the summer of 2000 for €40.6 million, making him the most expensive Dutchman of all time.

ST: Ian Wright

Although beaten on this list by Thierry Henry, there is little doubt that Ian Wright was one of the finest strikers Arsenal and the Premier League have ever seen. Ian Wright won one Premier League title, two FA Cups, one League Cup and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Arsenal, and individually, won the Golden Boot in 1992 and was named to PFA Team of the Year in 2003 and 2007. He beats Kanu and Nicholas Anelka to make this list.