Former Arsenal star Paul Merson has named his Gunners team of the last decade.
Despite the recent slump in performances and results, the decade hasn’t always been like this for the Gunners.
The north London club managed to end their nine-year trophy drought in 2014 with the FA Cup and would go on to retain it the following season before reclaiming it in 2017.
Arsene Wenger's two-decade long tenure also came to an end in 2018 with Unai Emery taking over as head coach, but following his sacking in November, Mikel Arteta is now the man tasked with leading the Gunners into the new decade.
And Merson, speaking to Sky Sports, has made what some fans might see as questionable calls in his XI.
“Petr Cech came towards the end of his career, so I can't just go with names, so I'm going with Wojciech Szczesny,” Merson said kicking things off.
“I'll go for a three-man defence as there aren't many options, to be honest. The defence of Bacary Sagna, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal, they are Very, Very, Very, Very, all with capital Vs, lucky to be in the team.
“There haven't been four good defenders at Arsenal in the 2010s! Koscielny, to be fair, did well when he was there, but he was the best of an average bunch.
“Mesut Ozil is the most talented of players, although he's had his bad times. There is the argument he doesn't run around, but for me, Arsenal should give him the ball and make everyone else run around!
“He's flanked by Aaron Ramsey, a great goalscorer, as well as Santi Cazorla and Jack Wilshere.
“Cesc Fabregas would be in, but he was only there for 18 months at the start of the 2010s before leaving for Barcelona.
“People will ask why Olivier Giroud over Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, but he hasn't been there very long, and I thought Giroud did well for them. I also want a target man with Alexis Sanchez and Robin van Persie just off him!”
Team in full: Szczesny; Sagna, Koscielny, Monreal; Ramsey, Ozil, Wilshere, Cazorla; Giroud, Sanchez, Van Persie.
