Arsenal’s Best Player Ever

It has been an absolute joy for TFF to assess the greatest players in Arsenal’s wonderful football history.

Because The Gunners have always appeared to be a club that puts style ahead of everything else. Consequently they have had so many flair footballers and it would be impossible to list them all in one short article. Indeed, several greats may get overlooked.

But TFF tries to decant the wheat from the chaff and good from the great in order to bring you the best players that have ever worn the hallowed Arsenal shirt. And, in an even more ambitious endeavour, we suggest to you the greatest Arsenal footballer of all time.

Cue ire, disgust and general heated debate.

Patrick Vieira

He is one of TFF’s favourite players and certainly one of the best Premier League midfielders in the last 20 years. Vieira had that rare ability to match his physical prowess with wonderful elegance. He was so much bigger than the rest that it often looked unfair on the opponent to field him in many matches. But once you saw how good he was with his feet it really was game over for the opposition. He was a wonderful shield for the defence, passed the ball beautifully and scored the odd howitzer of a goal. Have Arsenal ever successfully replaced him?

Dennis Bergkamp

Bergkamp would be a decent claim amongst many to be Arsenal’s greatest player of all time. The way he moved the ball and the vision he possessed was truly wonderful. You could also argue that the Premier League has never seen a better number 10.

He scored 120 goals in 423 matches over a decade for Arsenal.

Robin van Persie

A total goal machine who hit 132 in 277 glorious games for Arsenal. But few if any Gunners fans would select him as their greatest ever considering his subsequent move to hated rivals Manchester United.

Ian Wright

Ian Wright Wright Wright was one of Arsenal’s most entertaining players of all time and a crowd favourite from the moment he pulled on the jersey. He not only gave 100% but also had magic in his boots and scored from impossible angles.

Liam Brady

Yet another truly flair player in Arsenal’s Hall of Fame. Brady was a natural footballer with two footed ability and great vision.

Scored 43 goals for Arsenal over seven years before journeying around Italy.

Charlie George

Played for Arsenal between 1968 and 1975. Surprisingly the uber-talented attacking midfielder only turned out once for England.

Pat Jennings

A genuine Arsenal legend even though he played more games for Tottenham. Jennings was just such a nice bloke and a top stopper who played 237 times for Arsenal between 1977 and 1985.

Cliff Bastin

Remarkably the centre forward played for Arsenal for 18 years between 1929 and 1947 (with the obvious six year footballing hiatus during WWII) scoring a goal every two games with a career total of 178 goals in 350 games for the club.

Charlie Nicholas

Champagne Charlie new how to live it up in a period of footballing socialites. But he didn’t half know how to play football too. Scored some absolute peaches for The Gunners and scored both Arsenal’s goals in their 1987 league cup win over Liverpool.

Bob Wilson

Another keeper with a very long association with the club. Wilson’s actual playing career lasted for 11 years at Highbury.

Best Arsenal Player Ever?

Thierry Henry

Who else? Thierry Henry was not only prolific for Arsenal with 228 goals for the club over two amazing spells. But he also ticked all the style boxes to be the perfect North London hero. His mastery of a football at his feet was something to behold and he seemed to do something even better with each passing week. A true legend of Arsenal and the Premier League.