So, our team of the decade is well underway, with Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna, Per Mertesacker, Laurent Koscielny and Nacho Monreal comprising our backline.
Now onto our midfield and our attack. Despite our much-vaunted woes during this decade, and our slide away from constant contention, we have still been blessed with many talented players. So picking our best midfield and attack will be no easy task. If you disagree with any choices, let me know – this is very much down to opinion!
So, first up, our wingers.
Here’s the pool to choose from:
Theo Walcott
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Tomas Rosicky
Samir Nasri
Andriy Arshavin
Gervinho
Alex Iwobi
Reiss Nelson
Bukayo Saka
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
Yossi Benayoun
The winners? Theo and Rosicky.
The reason this list isn’t longer? It comes down to the adaptation of the players in the squad. So many times we’ve had midfielders and strikers playing the wide roles, and with the use of 4-2-3-1, the conventional wideman has been replaced by wide forwards.
But the two above are more than deserving. If it weren’t for injury. Both would have an even higher standing amongst the fanbase.
Still, some will point to Walcott’s profligate finishing and lack of end product. Some will point to the meagre amount of games Rosicky played thanks to aforementioned injuries.
The stats don’t lie though. Theo amassed one game shy of 400 games for us, and scored 108 times, with 78 assists. That is nearly a goal involvement every two games – not bad for an inconsistent, one-dimensional player. He was much more than a speed merchant.
Then we come to Tomas. We all adored the little Czech, and for good reason. When free from injury, he would grace the pitch with beautiful touches and instinctive play that added to attacks effortlessly. He still made 248 appearances for the Gunners, scoring 29 times and making 22 assists, but it was the way his style embodied the way we aspired to play that we will remember.
Now for the engine room. It has been a bit ropey at times in the centre of the pitch, as the majority of the decade was taken up by a search for an effective defensive presence. Here’s what we have to choose from:
Santi Cazorla
Granit Xhaka
Aaron Ramsey
Jack Wilshere
Mohamed Elneny
Jo Willock
Lucas Torreira
Mesut Ozil
Mikel Arteta
Francis Coquelin
Lassana Diarra
Denilson
Alex Song
Mathieu Flamini
Cesc Fabregas
The judges choices? Santi and Aaron.
There were a few here who could have justified their place in the team of the decade. Jack Wilshere’s injuries left his impact far smaller than it should have been, but when fit, he was one of our best. Then there is the enigmatic Ozil, who can go from sublime to ectoplasmic in seconds.
But the chosen two were the most impactful. Ramsey scored 65 goals and registered 65 assists in his 371 games in our colours, and his specialty was scoring in big games. We’ll never forget his FA Cup final winners of 2014 and 2017, and while his midfield play was occasionally errant due to roving forward, he contributed far more than the others on the list – and is a missed player in our current ranks.
Santi is beloved for good reason. His first full season saw him pick up our player of the year award and wreak havoc in the Premier League. With Ozil’s introduction, he had to find another position but such is Santi’s talent, he repurposed himself as a box to box man, and he excelled. Truly two-footed and always played with a smile on his face, Cazorla made 180 appearances, scoring 29 times and making 45 assists.
Lastly, we have our strikers.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Eddie Nketiah
Alexandre Lacazette
Lucas Perez
Olivier Giroud
Lukas Podolski
Marouane Chamakh
Chuba Akpom
Yaya Sanogo
Danny Welbeck
This is a toughie. Aubameyang is in with a shout as his goal ratio since joining in 2018 is extraordinary. LAcazette’s goal involvement too is pretty impressive and was last season’s POTY. I’ve always had a soft spot for Welbeck and he always put in a shift whenever he played, but the two strikers for our team of the decade are;
Olivier Giroud and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Just imagine these two as a pairing. Giroud excelled at incorporating others into our attack and Auba would thrive from the little flick-ons that Giroud specialised in.
Giroud may have sullied his name with his post-Europa League Final exploits, but let’s not forget what he did. 105 goals and 41 assists in 253 Arsenal games – that’s a ratio of a goal involvement every 1.73 games. His highlight reel is a glorious one too, he scored so many beauties for us.
Auba is the man keeping us afloat right now. 43 goals in just 67 PL games, with 10 assists. That is perilously close to a goal involvement in EVERY game. 18 goals in 33 Europa League games. His goal threat cannot be underestimated and if it weren’t for Auba right now, we would be much further down the table. His instincts are sharp, his contributions are huge, Auba has to be in the team.
So, our team of the decade is:
Wojciech Szczesny
Bacary Sagna
Per Mertesacker
Laurent Koscielny
Nacho Monreal
Aaron Ramsey
Santi Cazorla
Tomas Rosicky
Theo Walcott
Olivier Giroud
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Not bad.
What do you think? Drop me your shout in the comments below!
#UTA
Up The Arsenal 