It was on
October 1, 1996 that a relatively unknown Frenchman called Arsene Wenger
was unveiled at Highbury as the new manager of Arsenal.
His
appointment was, it's fair to say, greeted with a mixture of bemusement
and incredulity. One newspaper ran the back page headline 'Arsene Who?'
But
little did we know then that Wenger's arrival would herald the start of
one of the most glorious chapters in the club's history.
In the 18 years since, he has delivered three Premier League titles, five FA Cups and reached a Champions League final.
To commemorate the anniversary, here's our rundown - in no particular order - of the greatest players of the Wenger era.
Dennis Bergkamp
Dennis Bergkamp scores against Leicester at Highbury in the Premier League
The
Dutch master was already at Highbury when Wenger arrived but the
Frenchman transformed him into an influential forward. Bergkamp
contributed memorable goals - who can forget that hat-trick at Leicester
City or the pirouette at Newcastle - and was excellent for a decade,
scoring 120 goals in 423 matches.
Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry scores a penalty for Arsenal against Charlton during his first spell at the club
The
Frenchman had played under Wenger at Monaco and they were reunited for
£11m in August 1999. Henry quickly established himself as a world class
forward and a club legend, scoring 92 goals and powering them to the
Premier League title in 2002 and 2004. He was also voted PFA Players'
Player of the Year in consecutive years.
Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira avoids the challenge of Valencia's Pablo Aimar during a Champions League game
Wenger's
enforcer through the glory years, Vieira is undoubtedly one of the best
midfielders of modern times and has won pretty much every trophy on
offer. He was a man who never shirked a tackle and inspired Arsenal to
victory in countless important games during his nine ever-present
seasons.
Nicolas Anelka
Nicolas Anelka scores Arsenal's third goal against Manchester United in the Charity Shield
Considering
Anelka joined as a 17-year-old for just £500,000, his return of 28
goals, the Premier League and the FA Cup isn't at all bad. Though his
time at Highbury was short-lived, and included a few little dramas, he
was a prolific scorer at the time for the Gunners.
Emmanuel Petit
French midfielder Emmanuel Petit powers past two Dynamo Kiev defenders in the Champions League
Another
man who played under Wenger at Monaco, midfielder Petit arrived for
£2.5m in June 1997. That proved a bargain as his consistent performances
helped Arsenal win the Double in 1998 and he formed a formidable
partnership with Vieira..
Marc Overmars
Marc Overmars avoids a challenge from Chelsea's Didier Deschamps during a Premier League game in 1999
The
scarily fast Dutch winger was a key member of the Double-winning side
and memorably scored the crucial goal at Old Trafford that turned the
tide in the title race. He contributed 40 goals in all for the Gunners -
not bad for a winger - and left innumerable full backs terrified at the
thought of facing him.
Tony Adams
Tony Adams and Arsene Wenger celebrate winning the Premier League in 1998
Stalwart
Adams was already part of the furniture at Highbury long before Wenger
arrived but the manager got five more seasons out of the 30-year-old. He
captained the team to Doubles in 1998 and 2002, sealing his legendary
status at the club he represented with distinction in a career spanning
three decades.
Martin Keown
Martin Keown beats Ruud van Nistelrooy to the ball during a defeat against Manchester United
Another
pillar in that formidable Nineties Arsenal back line, Keown was
actually largely out of favour during the 1998 Double season, playing
only 18 times in the league. But he soon regained his place and was
integral for a few more seasons, signing off with a title winners' medal
as part of the Invincibles team.
Lauren
Right back Lauren was described by Arsene Wenger as his greatest ever signing
The
versatile Cameroonian was one of Wenger's most under-rated but valuable
signings, arriving for £7.2m in the summer of 2000. After taking a
little time to find his place in the team, Lauren became an
indispensible part of both the 2002 Double winners and the Invincibles.
David Seaman
David Seaman was a stalwart for Arsene Wenger's sides during the 1990s and early 2000s
Long-established
as Arsenal's No 1, Wenger rightly saw no reason to remove Seaman when
he arrived at the club. The keeper continued to excel, and was vital in
all the Gunners' triumphs during the early Wenger era. He was capable of
making seemingly impossible saves, notably the one to keep out Paul
Peschisolido's header against Sheffield United in the 2003 FA Cup
semi-final.
Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey has recovered from a serious injury to become one of Arsenal's most important players
It's only
right to include a member of the successful team Wenger is currently
trying to mould at Arsenal and Ramsey would certainly be the choice of
many. The Welshman has really kicked on over the last two seasons,
scoring a lot of goals and turning in consistently influential displays.
He was the club's player of the season in 2013-2014 and capped it with
the winning goal in the FA Cup final, ending the club's embarrassing
nine-year trophy drought.
Cesc Fabregas
Cesc Fabregas left Barcelona for Arsenal and then returned to Spain in 2011
One
of Wenger's biggest success stories, taking a rough diamond of a
16-year-old from Barcelona and turning him into a dynamic midfielder and
club captain. Fabregas had the Spanish flair and the grit required to
succeed in the Premier League and Arsenal were sorry to see him return
home in 2011.
Ashley Cole
Ashely Cole established himself as one of the best left backs in the world at Arsenal before leaving in 2006
The
youth graduate who became the best left back in the world, Cole may
have been more successful at Chelsea but he was made at Arsenal. He won
the Premier League twice and the FA Cup three times, making 228
first-team appearances in all. His rampaging runs down the left side and
crossing, not to mention his tireless defensive work, were vital during
the Invincibles season.
Robert Pires
French midfielder Robert Pires holds of Tottenham's Robbie Keane during a London derby in 2006
Arsenal
fought off competition from Real Madrid and Juventus to sign the
elegant French attacker Pires and he was worth it. Imperious during the
2001-2002 Double season, he created more goals than anyone else in the
league. His polished technique, passing and finishing skills were also
very much in evidence during the Invincible years.
Robin van Persie
The sight of Robin van Persie celebrating was a familiar one during his eight seasons at Arsenal
One
of the most prolific strikers of the Wenger era, Van Persie scored 132
goals in 277 matches during his eight seasons at the club. Arriving from
Feyenoord in 2004 for a mere £2.75m, the Dutchman wasted little time in
showing his predatory instinct and was particularly impressive in the
2008-2009 (20 goals) and 2011-2012 (37) seasons.
Sol Campbell
Signed on a free transfer from Tottenham, Sol Campbell went onto become a legend at Arsenal
His
transfer from rivals Spurs in 2001 certainly ruffled a few feathers but
Campbell dispelled all criticism by winning the Premier League and FA
Cup in his first season. A natural successor to the retiring Adams and
Keown, Campbell produced regular commanding performances at the heart of
the Arsenal defence.
Freddie Ljungberg
Freddie Ljungberg scores for Arsenal against Panathinaikos in the Champions League in 2004
His
£3m fee back in 1998 was a Swedish record but it proved a bargain for
Wenger. Ljungberg scored and created many important goals during the
Double season and filled many roles across the midfield and in attack.
He made in excess of 300 appearances for the club, winning two league
titles and three FA Cups.
Ray Parlour
Ray Parlour is tackled by Toony Taggart of Barnet during a pre-season friendly
The
ultimate 'unsung hero', Parlour put in scores of pivotal performances
for Wenger's teams. He stunned Chelsea with a 30-yard goal in the 2002
FA Cup final and captained the side to a 5-1 win over Inter Milan in the
San Siro. He made 339 league appearances for the club between 1992 and
2004.
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