Patrick Vieira’s top 5 moments for Arsenal

#1 Captained the Invincibles to a historic Premier League triumph

Many exceptional moments have caused Vieira to be revered as one of football’s greatest performers, but perhaps none are quite as remarkable as his part in inspiring Arsenal to complete an entire league campaign undefeated.

The Gunners faced several stern tests that threatened their indomitable streak in 2003/04 – such as Ruud van Nistelrooy’s astonishing late penalty miss at the Theatre of Dreams and a controversial tumble by Robert Pires to snatch an equaliser from the spot against Portsmouth – while incredible character was required to maintain ‘Invincible’ focus in the final weeks when the title race had already been decided.

But when the going got tough, Arsenal kept going and they even survived a scare in the last match to immortalise themselves in English football history, with the skipper stylishly quelling the Leicester challenge with a cool finish midway through the second half.

Vieira embodied the collective mixture of elegance and steel that fuelled his team’s journey to the domestic summit, and his extraordinary commitment to the Arsenal cause rightly earned him induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Happy birthday to Patrick, a true great of the modern game.