Despite enduring a Premier League title drought lasting over 20 years, Arsenal remain one of the biggest and most dominant sides in the history of the English game.
With no less than 49 major honours to their name, the Gunners are the third most successful team in the nation's history, with only Manchester United and Liverpool having collected more silverware.
From their all-conquering side of the 1930s right through to Arsène Wenger’s famous “Invincibles” of 2003–04, Arsenal have had some truly superb players on their books over the years who have helped fire them to glory.
Mikel Arteta’s current vintage may soon gatecrash the historic legacy of leading figures if they can end their top-flight drought, but the lofty calibre of player to have come before them ensures that it will be an uphill battle to cement a place in the club’s rich tapestry of icons.
These 25 are the best of the bunch.
Arsenal Legends: The Best Arsenal Players of All Time
25. Alan Smith
There is something inherently unassuming about Alan Smith. A respected, unflashy professional who dutifully got about his business while being wilfully outshone by some of his more front-facing teammates. Even his name is dutifully nondescript.
Yet that façade masks a player who twice finished as the top-flight’s leading goalscorer and winner. Smith also added an FA Cup trophy to his haul in 1992 and, unlike any other Arsenal No. 9 in the club’s entire history, can lay claim to a winning goal in a European final for the Gunners.
24. Ray Parlour
Few players in soccer history have ever been compared to the legendary Pelé, but Ray Parlour was one of them.
Nicknamed the “Romford Pelé” because of his Essex roots and elegant, skilful playing style, Parlour was a dynamic force in the middle of the park. He could skip past players with ease, thread tidy passes, and find the back of the net, just as Pelé did.
Though even he would admit he wasn’t quite at the level of the Brazilian icon, Parlour was nevertheless a vital figure for an Arsenal side that dominated English soccer in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
23. Paul Merson
When talking about Paul Merson, his off-field struggles with alcoholism and gambling addiction often dominate the conversation, which makes his achievements and performances for Arsenal in the late 1980s and ’90s even more remarkable.
A two-time league title winner and the 1989 PFA Young Player of the Year, Merson was a magician—capable of creating moments of brilliance and unlocking opposition defenses with mazy dribbles, cutting through balls, and precise finishes. He was also a tireless worker, known for his relentless pressing from the front.
Even the man himself is willing to admit that he could have been even better if it weren't for his struggles, especially for England, for whom he made only 21 appearances.
“I was drinking so heavily; if I hadn’t, I could’ve nicked myself another 20-odd caps and done better for England,” he told FourFourTwo in 2006. “I blame myself; I don’t blame the managers at all.”
22. Pat Rice
5 December 1967. Pat Rice’s first start for Arsenal in the League Cup against Burnley.
— The N5 History (@TheN5News) December 5, 2025
Arsenal won 2-1 with goals from Radford and Neil@Arsenal pic.twitter.com/AR9rWh4JaR
Before Arsenal had Declan, they had Pat Rice––who made over 500 appearances for the Gunners between 1964 and 1980, helping them clinch a famous league and FA Cup double in 1971, as well as another FA Cup in 1979 as club captain.
A tireless worker and no-nonsense right back, Rice later went on to serve as Arsène Wenger's assistant manager, helping guide the club to even more major honours, including two more league and cup doubles, before stepping down from the role in 2012, ending a cumulative 44-year association with the club.
His namesake hopes to one day replicate those achievements.
21. Ashley Cole
Ashley, or “Cashley” as he’s known now in north London, Cole, will forever be in the bad books of Arsenal fans due to his decision to secretly engineer a high-profile move to Chelsea in 2006.
Suspect behaviour aside, however, there is simply no denying that the Englishman is Arsenal’s, and the Premier League’s, greatest-ever left back.
Instrumental in both of Arsenal’s Premier League title wins this century and voted into three consecutive PFA Teams of the Year from 2003–05, Cole was a bona fide superstar, with even the great Cristiano Ronaldo naming him his toughest-ever opponent.
Need we say more?
20. George Armstrong
Trying to find a bad word about George Armstrong is almost as difficult as locating a defender who managed to muzzle the diligent winger. Famed for his willingness to track back as well as hare forward, “Geordie” was a cherished favourite of the fans and his teammates.
The Highbury faithful had 16 years to laud Armstrong’s efforts, as the remarkably durable winger ended his career in north London in 1977 as the club’s record caps holder at the time.
19. Frank McLintock
Signed from Leicester City in 1964 as an ambitious all-action midfielder, Frank McLintock would be shaped into an uncompromising central defender, captaining Arsenal to the cherished feat of the league and cup double in 1970–71.
That treasured campaign would feature the maverick talents of Charlie George, Ray Kennedy’s prolific edge and the unerring reliability of goalkeeper Bob Wilson. Yet it was McLintock who would be recognised as the Footballer of the Year.
18. Cesc Fabregas
If this list were based purely on ability, Cesc Fàbregas would be much, much higher.
A product of Barcelona’s prestigious La Masia academy, Fàbregas was one of the most gifted central midfielders of his generation. A creative mastermind, the Spanish playmaker finished the 2007–08 Premier League season with 17 assists—while in 2009–10, he racked up 15 goals and as many assists in just 27 appearances.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, Barcelona, realising it was wrong to ever let him go, came calling in 2011 with an offer too enticing for Fàbregas to turn down, stripping the Gunners of the superlative Spaniard at the peak of his powers.
17. David Rocastle
The late David Rocastle was a gentleman off the field, who, according to his former Arsenal teammate Michael Thomas, “had time for everyone.”
On it, he was both a competitive, committed force to be reckoned with and a trailblazer in more ways than one.
The English winger—who scored 34 goals and won two league titles in seven seasons with the Gunners—was one of the standout Afro-Caribbean stars of his generation, following in the footsteps of pioneers like Cyrille Regis and Laurie Cunningham in helping break down racial barriers.
A player ahead of his time, he also combined pace, grace, and dazzling flair in an era when physicality was often prioritised over finesse.
16. Freddie Ljungberg
In terms of debuts, Freddie Ljungberg’s Arsenal inauguration in 1998 was as good as they come, with the Swedish winger, sporting his famous faux hawk, coming off the bench to score a brilliant lob against rivals Manchester United in an emphatic 3–0 win.
Although it took a little while for Ljungberg to find his rhythm after that, by the turn of the century, he had firmly established himself as one of the club’s key players.
During Arsenal’s 2001–02 double-winning season, the Vittsjö-born star scored 17 goals in all competitions, including six in the Gunners’ final eight Premier League matches, helping them secure the title and earning himself the division’s Player of the Season award.
15. Liam Brady
Known as “Chippy” due to his love for fish and chips, Liam Brady may have been born in Dublin, but he was Arsenal through and through.
After rising through the Gunners’ academy, the extraordinarily gifted attacking midfielder—blessed with a wand of a left foot—went on to make over 300 appearances for the north London club, scoring 59 goals and playing a crucial role in their 1979 FA Cup triumph.
Following his successful stint at Highbury, Brady moved to Juventus, where he won back-to-back Serie A titles, cementing his legacy as Irish football’s first global superstar.
14. Pat Jennings
After coming up against Nottingham Forest during the height of Brian Clough’s tenure in the Midlands, Arsenal’s legendary goalkeeper Pat Jennings found himself bombarded by objects from the City Ground crowd. A dart was thrown which lodged itself into Jennings’s arm.
The Northern Ireland icon dutifully carried on with the game but made a point of informing his manager who raged at Clough after the match. A few days later, Jennings received a letter from the man himself which read:
“Dear Pat, I have absolutely no sympathy for you whatsoever.
“Every time you come to the City Ground you stop everything that comes in your direction, so it’s of no surprise to me that you stopped the dart on this occasion.
“Lots of love, Brian.”
Jennings would keep the letter in his breast pocket for decades to come as a reminder of how highly rated he was by one of the sport’s most esteemed managers. Many shared Clough’s overriding sentiment, even if he, as ever, expressed it best.
13. Sol Campbell
Sol Campbell caused quite the stir when he left rivals Tottenham Hotspur to join Arsenal in 2001, having previously vowed he would never commit such an act of betrayal.
Spurs fans have never forgiven him, but Gunners supporters have been thanking him ever since. The English defender only grew stronger at Highbury, serving as the rock-solid backbone of one of the most successful periods in the club’s history.
Campbell won three FA Cups and two Premier League titles with Arsenal, the latter of which came in the legendary “Invincibles” season. That year, the team went unbeaten, conceded just 26 goals, and, in a twist of fate, sealed the title with a 2–2 draw against his former club Spurs.
12. Charlie George
The scorer of one of the most important and memorable goals in Arsenal’s history, Charlie George etched his name into club folklore with his stunning extra-time winner against Liverpool in the 1971 FA Cup final. Latching onto John Radford’s square pass, he unleashed a thunderous strike from 20 yards, securing the trophy for the first time in the club’s history.
However, George was far more than just that one iconic goal. He also found the net in the fourth, fifth and sixth rounds of that same competition and scored five times in 17 league appearances as Arsenal also won the First Division title.
Had it not been for a series of injuries and his tendency for ill discipline, his legacy at Highbury could have been even greater.
11. Alex James
Alex James leading out arsenal at Highbury in the 1930s. pic.twitter.com/5wGBbrdtYx
— Les Easterbrook (@LesEasterbrook1) March 12, 2019
The final piece in Herbert Chapman’s trophy-winning machine arrived at Arsenal in 1929. A deft operator between the lines, Alex James greased the wheels of the counter-attacking weaponry forged by Chapman’s transformative tactics.
The Scotland international would spend eight years in north London and amass four top-flight titles which were bookended by a pair of FA Cups.
10. David O’Leary
David O'Leary spent almost his entire playing career at Arsenal, retiring in 1995 as the club’s record appearance holder with 722 matches played between 1975–93.
During his nearly two decades in north London, the Irish defender won two league titles, two FA Cups, and two League Cups, and was named to the PFA Team of the Year three times.
Impressively, he finished his professional career without ever receiving a red card for either club or country, a testament to his composure and ability to remain calm under pressure in the heart of defence.
9. David Seaman
David Seaman: Great ponytail, even better goalkeeper.
Dubbed “Safe Hands” for good reason, Seaman’s lightning-fast reflexes and dependable handling helped Arsenal secure three league titles, four FA Cups, and a League Cup during his 13 years in North London.
His legendary save against Sheffield United in the 2003 FA Cup semifinal, where he unbelievably scooped Paul Peschisolido’s close-range header off the line, has gone down in goalkeeping folklore.
8. Robert Pires
If we had to pick just one word to describe Robert Pires, it would be “classy.”
Thankfully, we have more than one word to capture the essence of the talented French winger, who spent the first half of the noughties tearing apart Premier League defences.
From his deft first touches and nonchalant lobs to delicate side-footed finishes and deceptively quick stepovers, Pires did everything with style and panache. The results were devastating, as “The Duck” (so named for his unique running style) scored 84 goals and provided 63 assists in six trophy-laden seasons under Arsène Wenger.
7. Ted Drake
On this day 90 years ago, Ted Drake scored seven goals in a single match for Arsenal — a record that still stands in English top-flight football. ⚽🔥 pic.twitter.com/mR1UwU92Dp
— The Extreme Football Enthusiast (@ExtremeFootbal4) December 14, 2025
To reduce Ted Drake’s 11 years at Arsenal down to a single game would overlook much of his best work for the club. Yet, his unprecedented seven-goal haul against Aston Villa in 1935—a feat that had never before been achieved or has since been repeated in England’s top flight—represents the apex of his footballing brilliance.
After being solely responsible for Arsenal’s 7–1 at Villa Park, the beaten and bruised Villa player queued up to sign the match ball for Drake, who was left to lament the eighth goal he missed. “I smacked the ball really hard and it hit the bar and bounced down. I think it was over the line but the referee disagreed,” he recalled.
Drake would have to settle for seven on the day and 139 across his entire Arsenal career.
6. Cliff Bastin
Remembering Cliff Bastin, who died on this day 1991 in Exeter at the age of 79. If not the Second World War, the 'Boy' could easily be the record goalscorer for The #Arsenal. In competitive games Cliff scored 178 goals and during the wartime 70 more. Here pictured in 1946: pic.twitter.com/Esysh6oKT3
— 𝖍𝖊𝖓𝖙𝖊 (@hente_afsc) December 4, 2025
The Gunners’ third-highest scorer of all time, Bastin racked up 178 goals in 395 games for the club—a remarkable tally, made even more impressive by the fact that he spent much of his career playing as a left winger rather than a traditional striker.
A key figure in a dominant Arsenal side that won five First Division titles and two FA Cups during the 1930s, Bastin was inducted into the English Football Hall of Fame in 2009.
5. Tony Adams
Arsenal’s greatest-ever captain, Tony Adams was a towering figure whose presence was simply impossible to ignore.
Though not the most technically gifted of central defenders, Adams was brave, physical, and fully committed, often putting his body on the line to stop the opposition, while his vocal leadership and menacing demeanour didn’t just intimidate opponents, but also his own teammates—whom he wasn’t afraid to give a stern word to when they failed to meet his high standards.
A centre back from a bygone era, yet one that many clubs would snap their fingers for today, Adams led the Arsenal defence with such valour that, without him, the Gunners might not have been the dominant force they were throughout the 1990s.
4. Ian Wright
Adored by Arsenal fans for his brilliance on the field and universally loved off it for his charismatic, humble demeanour and charity work, Ian Wright is a soccer legend in every sense of the word.
A true goal-scoring machine, Wright netted 185 goals in 288 games across all competitions for the Gunners—finding the back of the net in every way imaginable, whether through a cheeky 30-yard lob, a close-range tap-in, or a fierce strike from the edge of the box.
Beyond his goals, which helped Arsenal win several major honours—including a first-ever Premier League title in 1997–98—Wright, a born showman, was a joy to watch. His unpredictable, tenacious style of play was matched only by his theatrical goal celebrations, which made him all the more iconic.
3. Patrick Vieira
As close to being a “complete” midfielder as they come, Patrick Vieira was a monster in the middle of the park, who struck fear into the hearts of Premier League teams across the country during the 1990s and noughties.
A towering presence both physically and metaphorically, the Frenchman was both a powerful runner with the ball––almost impossible to dispossess once on a trademark run through the midfield––and ferocious and combative off it, never backing out of a challenge and often leaving a bit on his opposing number for good measure, too.
Named in the Premier League PFA Team of the Year for six consecutive years from 1999–2004, Vieira epitomised everything that was good about Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal at the peak of their powers––a perfect blend of strength, technique, and leadership that helped the Gunners dominate the English game.
2. Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp is your favourite player’s favourite player.
“I honestly didn’t think a professional player could be that good,” his former Arsenal teammate Paul Merson once admitted.
Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel echoed the sentiment: “He played football like it was all a dream—you couldn’t even imagine some of the things he was capable of doing with a football.”
To prove their point, just look at Bergkamp’s otherworldly turn and finish against Newcastle United in 2002, widely regarded as the greatest goal in Premier League history. Or his ridiculous touch and volley against Leicester City. Or his audacious chipped finish against Bayer Leverkusen. Or his stunning control and strike against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup.
The list goes on—Bergkamp was simply a magician.
1. Thierry Henry
The greatest player in Arsenal history—and arguably in Premier League history—Thierry Henry was a devastating force of nature in the final third, yet he made it all look so effortless.
Whether sprinting past defenders with the grace of a gazelle, juggling the ball on his knees while gliding through midfield, or slotting goal after goal into the bottom corner with his trademark curled finish, Henry had an almost supernatural ability to make those around him look completely inferior.
From his first Arsenal goal—a stunning strike against Southampton in 1999—to his last, a dramatic winner against Leeds United in the FA Cup during his brief yet unforgettable loan return in 2012, Henry left an indelible mark on the club, cementing his legacy as the Gunners’ greatest-ever player.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The 25 Best Arsenal Players of All Time—Ranked.
