There’s no doubt that when it comes to dishing out entertaining matches, Arsenal FC takes the top spot in the Premier League. As pioneers of Wengerball, we’ve been entertaining crowds for decades with our creative passes, innovative goals and all-around commitment to the art of the Beautiful Game.
The Gunners are legendary; time and time again the most illustrious football players have worn the crest and represented the club on the world’s stage. There are, however, a handful of players who have truly embodied Wenger’s football philosophy, making for some serious on-pitch entertainment indeed.
Ian Wright
Ian Wright is a household name as far as Arsenal is concerned. The beloved pundit burst into the Arsenal ranks in 1991 after spending six years doing his part for Crystal Palance. Making an immediate impact, Wright scored during his club debut and even nailed a hat-trick against Southampton during his Premier League debut.
One of the most competent strikers to ever pass through the ranks, Wright scored a total of 24 league goals as a Gunner (and a further 5 with Crystal Palace) and left the club as the leading top scorer, with a then-record of 185 goals.
Ray Parlour
Carving out a 12-year career with a total of 339 league appearances, Ray Parlour was a club legend and firm fan favourite. Not necessarily the most technical player on the pitch, Parlour was nevertheless completely devoted to the club and displayed exceptional stamina. No wonder, then, that he was such a regular in the team. Few could forget, however, the two times he scored 30-yard goals that closed the gap for Arsenal at both the 2001 UEFA Champions League and the 2002 FA Cup Final.
Just as entertaining off the pitch as on, Parlour is an ex-Gunner who’s always game for a laugh. Recently, the legendary player sat down to a unique game of Electric Blackjack against The Only Way Is Essex regular Amy Childs. Both were schooled in the rules and idiosyncratic nuances of this staple casino activity, but despite this, the game took a shocking turn for the former England man.
Thierry Henry
You simply can’t comprise a list of Arsenal greats without mentioning Thierry Henry. One of the most prolific footballers in modern history, Henry’s beginnings with the club may have been greeted with some scepticism, but he more than proved himself throughout the course of his spectacular career as a Gunner.
Brought in as a replacement for Nicholas Anelka, there were some grumblings when Wenger forked out £11 million for the young Juventus player. However, by the end of his first season, Henry had scored 32 goals and a record number of 24 assists for Arsenal. As if that wasn’t spectacular enough, he would go on to score a massive 39 the following season, 30 of which were made in the Premier League.
Dennis Bergkamp
The Dutchman is renowned for being one of the game’s most technical players, using his unique passing ability and hawklike vision to set up strong possibilities for the strikers on the team. Having spent sixteen years playing for Arsenal, he guided the team towards a total of three Premier League titles and four FA Cups, and that’s to say nothing of his personal achievements while at the club.
Beyond all that, however, what truly stands testament to Bergkamp’s greatness is the fact that Wenger kept him a member of the squad right up to the grand old age of 37.
Patrick Vieira
Not just one of the greatest midfielders on the Arsenal roster, Vieira has gone down in Premier League history as being one of the greatest midfielders of all time. Arriving at Highbury just two years after making his professional debut playing for Cannes, throughout his career as a Gunner, Vieira raised the bar for British football.
Winning three Premier League titles, four FA Cups and scoring The Double twice, Vieira is one of those players that Arsenal has tried – and failed – to replace, even today.
