Power Ranking Arsenal's 11 Most Important Players in the Last 11 Years

The last 11 years have held mixed feelings for Arsenal FC.

Indeed, they had some wonderful times since 2000, twice winning the Premier League, and finishing second four times. They also won the FA Cup three times, as well as being runners-up once.

Of course, the Gunners also had the season in 2003/2004, where they did not lose a single game in the EPL.

Despite all of this, there have been some terrible times. Lost games that should have been won easily, gruesome injuries, deaths of people in the club, unsatisfactory finishes and other things.

Everything that happened in the last 11 years for Arsenal has been under the management of Frenchman Arsene Wenger, who has turned out to be arguably the greatest manager in club history.

He brought a new style to Highbury (and then to the Emirates), influencing Arsenal by trying out a pass and move with the Gunners. At times, it really was successful, but it could also derail them on a day where they were sloppy.

It is not only the manager who deserves credit for all the great things in the past 11 years. Players too, should gain much respect.

Here are the 11 most important Gunners since 2000.

11. Ashley Cole

Ashley Cole had a big impact on Arsenal's left flank.

In 1999, he made his Arsenal debut at the age of 18, against Middlesbrough in the Worthington Cup. His first Premier League match was in 2000, though he was loaned out to Crystal Palace between 1999 and 2000.

Starting consistently in the "Untouchables" season of 2003/2004, he did score a few goals, and some of them were shots that not many left backs can score.

Cole was (and still is) a great presence at left back, since he fast as well as a great crosser, which allows him to assist many goals. In addition, he combined very well with the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Patrick Viera and others.

Ashley Cole was eventually transfered to Chelsea in 2006, in exchange for William Gallas to come to Arsenal. When Arsenal offered him ₤55,000 to stay with the Gunners, Cole claimed he was "trembling with anger" and opted for Chelsea, in order to get more money.

Thus he was called "Cashley" by many fans.

Arsenal's left side was very, very strong, and this man was a huge part of it.

10. Robin Van Persie

Robin van Persie has really helped Arsenal over the past few years.

Making his debut in a 2004 FA Community Shield victory against Manchester United, the Dutchman has proved that he is a top striker. With a fantastic left foot, van Persie has shown that he really does have what people call "killer instincts" since he is a great finisher and is clinical in front of goal.

For many seasons, he led Arsenal in scoring, including last season, where he scored 18 goals in 19 games, the best record by any EPL player that year. He also led the squad in 2006-2007, despite being injured for a large part of the season.

His goals have proved timely for the Gunners, since he has been Arsenal's main striker for the past few years, despite being injury prone.

Many people said he was over the hill before last year, but he proved everyone wrong, with his magnificent goal-scoring record and high quality goals.

His greatest goal ever was scored in a 2005 match against Charlton Athletic, where van Persie combined technique, composure and pure talent in a single volleyed goal.

Who knows whether van Persie is past his prime yet?

9. Robert Pires

In his six years at the Emirates, Robert Pires contributed hugely to Arsenal's attack.

He scored 62 goals in 189 games, a very good average of just under one goal every three games. Pires was very fast, had a solid right foot, a great finisher and was never hesitant to give the ball up to a team mate.

Another great quality of the Frenchman's was that he always knew where to be. There were so many instances where he got the ball after a rebound or deflection or where he was in a perfect position, so a teammate could set him up for a pass.

In 2003/2004, Pires made an appearance in every single Premier League game, except for two and scored 10 goals. In the 2001/2002 season, scored 15 goals in just 28 appearances in the league.

However, Robert Pires proceeded to Villareal in 2006, where he only scored 13 goals in over 100 appearances. He then transfered to Aston Villa, where he didn't play that much, and his professional career is pretty much over now.

8. William Gallas

William Gallas really upheld the Arsenal defense when he was under Arsene Wenger's management.

The Frenchman was a Gunner in his late 20s and late 30s, as he wore red and white between 2006 and 2010. Arriving at Arsenal from Chelsea in exchange for Ashley Cole, he paired up with Kolo Toure at the back.

He scored 12 goals in 101 games, an impressive scoring record for a center back. He was completely fearless, never shied away from tackles and was a huge aerial threat on set pieces.

Not only did he wear the No. 10 shirt for a long time, but he also captained the Gunners for a long time. Despite being on bad terms with a few teammates, Gallas proved to be a commanding leader, as he was able to order the team around.

When he got into a fight with Kolo Toure, Arsene Wenger had to force one of them to leave, and he got rid of Toure, since Gallas was so important.

Finally, Gallas did end up leaving Arsenal for bitter rivals Tottenham, and therefore many fans call him disloyal.

But the fact remains that Gallas was crucial to the Arsenal defense.

7. Jens Lehmann

Jens Lehmann was one of the great goalkeepers for Arsenal.

It must have been very difficult for the German international to fill the shoes of recently retired David Seaman. He was brought in in 2003, the year after Seaman announced his retirement, and Lehmann's first season was the season in which the Gunners didn't lose an EPL game.

His instant reflexes really came in handy for Arsenal, who did allow some chances for opponents, but Lehmann was often the last man between the attacker and the goal. He was excellent in terms of shot-stopping, a very talented goalkeeper.

However, Lehmann was known to be a bit crazy. He has several red cards in his career, and he always argued with calls and yelled for unimportant reasons.

Between 2003 and 2008, Jens Lehmann was very important to the Gunners and saved them several times by making saves.

6. Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell was a solid center-back, who really improved Arsenal's back four.

Between 2001 and 2006, Sulzeer Jeremiah Campball was an excellent leader for the Gunners. Many teammates gave interviews talking about how fearless and tough he was. He would always make sliding tackles, even at the risk of his own injury.

Also a part of the 2003/2004 Untouchables squad, Cambell was a fantastic tackler, making last-ditch challenges to prevent a goal. In his five-year career with the Gunners, he scored eight goals in 135 apperances, which is decent for a center-back.

Campbell was most successful when he was paired up with Kolo Toure, and together they were a fantastic duo at the back.

Four years after Campbell left the Gunners, he returned because Wenger needed an immediate defensive option.

He was undoubtedly one of the strongest defenders Arsenal have ever seen.

5. Cesc Fabregas

It's not even debatable that Cesc Fabregas was the Gunners' most crucial players a couple of years ago.

Fabregas has an uncanny ability to land the ball on a dime, which goes perfectly with his hawk-eye vision, as he knows exactly where to place a ball to allow a teammate to reach it. For years, Cesc was Arsenal's best passer, and his incisiveness led to many goals.

While at Arsenal, he was really the man who pulled the strings of the squad. His passes were the causes of players running back and forth and of a certain player making a specific run. He was likened to a conductor of an orchestra because his effect on Arsenal was similar.

For many years, he was the god of the Emirates, since he was a great player and good centerpiece of Arsenal.

Now, however, the long-awaited transfer of his to Barcelona has been completed, and it won't be very easy for Arsenal to deal without El Capitan.

4. Kolo Toure

Kolo Toure was another fantastic center-back who really helped support the defense.

Like many others on this list, he was amazingly tough, and even when he collided with someone or hurt himself, he would shake it off and be playing the next minute. Another similarity is that he was never afraid to go into a challenge and therefore ended up making many, many great tackles.

He played a major role in the Gunners' Untouchables season, as he paired up with Sol Campbell to make a devastatingly strong defense.

Like other center-backs, he did improve Arsenal off of set pieces, since he was tall and commanding, able to muscle his way to the ball. Kolo scored nine goals as a Gunner.

However, Kolo Toure left in 2009, because he and William Gallas were on terrible terms. The reasons for their hatred were completely unclear. The Ivorian now says that he left to Manchester City because of Gallas.

3. Tony Adams

Tony Adams might be the greatest center-back in Arsenal history.

Throughout his entire 19-year club career, Tony Adams' only club was Arsenal. He led the Gunners to four Premier League titles, and they were also runners-up three times. Not only that, but he also played a huge role in Arsenal's four FA Cup victories while he was at Highbury.

Adams is widely considered one of the greatest captains in Arsenal history, since he was extremely strong (and a little bit intimidating), so he had an easy time telling the players what to do. It does sound like this is being repeated a lot, but Tony Adams is the definition of boldness, and it paid off too, earning him a huge name.

In 2002, he announced his retirement from club football, two years after having done the same from the English international team.

He will always have his name in the history books.

NOTE: Adams is only No. 3 because he only played two seasons out of the last 11 for Arsenal. If it were the last 20 years, he would be higher up.

2. Patrick Viera

Patrick Viera was one of the key players in Arsenal's success over the years.

Though the Frenchman played at many clubs—Cannes, Milan, Arsenal, Juventus, Internazionale and Manchester City—he played at Highbury more than at any other team. As a holding midfielder for Arsene Wenger, he was crucial to the success in the 2003/2004 year.

Not only was he a great player, but he was one of the best captains Arsenal have ever seen. As a fantastic leader, he was an example of Wenger's brilliant signings, because when le Professeur bought him, he was just reaching his prime.

Viera was simply outstanding at telling people where to be and what to do, while being a fantastic player himself.

He lifted Arsenal's trophy several times, when he was a Gunner between 1996 and 2005. In addition, Viera scored 29 goals for them in his 279 appearances. Not a bad goalscoring record for such a great defensive player like himself.

It his highly unlikely that Arsenal would have had so much success if not for Patrick Viera.

1. Thierry Henry

Who else?

At his peak, Thierry Henry was the best player in the world. He was simply able to do everything; he could shoot, pass, dribble, and his positioning was absolutely world class.

In general, a player of this caliber is not so willing to pass up scoring opportunities for his teammates, but Thierry is a different story. One-on-one with the goalkeeper, Henry was very generous and passed to teammates who would have more clear chances at goal.

His ridiculous goalscoring ability that he displayed at Arsenal is highlighted by this stat: with the Gunners, Henry scored 174 goals in 254 appearances, an average of almost 0.7 goals a game.

The Frenchman won the EPL Golden Boot four times with Arsenal—in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06. In 2003/2004 Henry amassed 30 goals in 37 matches, an average of 0.81 goals a game.

During Arsenal matches, commentators raved about him, paying him comments such as "irreplaceable" and many others. 

It was a calamity for Gooners when Henry finally left London in 2007, after having eight of the best years of his life, and went to Barcelona.

It is highly unlikely that any Arsenal fan at that period will forget Thierry Henry's attacking skills, and his uncanny ability to create something out of nothing.