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Throughout history, Arsenal have been blessed with some incredible squads. The distinction between what’s considered a “good” squad and an “incredible” squad involves one pivotal role, the wearer of the captain’s armband.
Over the course of the Premier League era, Arsenal have had 14 different captains. So, in true Pain in the Arsenal fashion, we thought we’d rank all 14 of them from the very worst to the very best.
Before we jump into the list, we should first address the ground rules. Firstly, we are ranking where they stand in this list as CAPTAINS, not as players. This means that while number one might not be a better player than number two, number one may have certain characteristics which made them a better captain.
Secondly, we are basing the ranking system based on the time period in which the players wore the captain’s armband only. This means that if a player on this list played for Arsenal for 10 seasons, but only filled the captain’s role for one season, then their position in this ranking will be based on one season out of 10.
Lastly, this ranking will only include Arsenal captains from the Premier League era. The Premier League was founded in 1992-93, so it will only include captains during and after this season.
Every Arsenal captain from the Premier League era ranked from worst to best
Without further ado, prepare to be taken for a trip down memory lane…
14. Granit Xhaka
I know, I know. Arsenal fans love Granit Xhaka and rightly so. However, looking at this list from a captain's perspective, it’s hard to think of another player who had a worse tenure while wearing the armband.
He only played 10 games as Arsenal captain, after being given the role courtesy of a fan vote. The reason he was stripped of captaincy is the exact reason why he is bottom of this list - He swore at the Arsenal crowd after being taken off as a substitute, appearing to lose his future at the club.
However, a few seasons later and thanks to the help of former captain (hold that thought) Mikel Arteta as manager, he won back the love of fans. In his final game as an Arsenal player, he scored a brace and received a standing ovation from the supporters he had fought hard to win back. Therefore, Xhaka without the armband beats Xhaka with the armband.
13. William Gallas
It’s hard to choose between the worst two but Gallas just about makes it as a better captain than Xhaka… Just.
Gallas wasn’t the most popular figure at Arsenal, despite winning captaincy in 2007. After THAT woeful captain’s performance against Birmingham, where he sat on the floor and refused to do anything about the poor result, this leaves a worse taste in Arsenal’s mouth than when he joined Spurs.
If anything, Gallas had the armband for too long before Arsene Wenger finally had enough of him. Again, a quality player, but a bad captain.
12. Alexandre Lacazette
The Frenchman scored some great goals for Arsenal and, in fairness, probably shouldn’t have been given the captain’s armband but alas, he makes this list in a poor number 12 spot.
He only played half a season as Arsenal captain, when his good friend and strike partner Aubameyang lost his captaincy. The manner in which he left will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of Arsenal fans as he left on a free deal.
Still, this isn’t entirely the fault of the player as better contract management would’ve fixed the issue.
11. Laurent Koscielny
Thinking back, Koscielny is one of my favourite Arsenal defenders of the Premier League era. He was consistent and always gave his all. However, he is low in this list because his time as captain was shambolic.
He only played one season as Arsenal captain under the management of Unai Emery. It was by no means his best season and towards the end of it, he flat out refused to play any games and pushed for a move back to France. For this reason, Koscielny can stay low on this list.
10. Thomas Vermaelen
No reason to hate Vermaelen, but no reason to love him as a captain either. After all, he was a colossal centre-back but it didn’t make sense to have him as a captain due to how injury prone he was. Even when he went on a rare spell without injury, he was often a backup defender for the Gunners.
9. Robin van Persie
Okay, this one still hurts.
Robin van Persie is one of Arsenal's best strikers in history but as a captain? No, he simply cannot make it higher than 9th on this list (which is a compliment, given the reputation he has amongst a lot of Arsenal fans).
If you’re living under a rock and aren’t familiar with Robin van Persie, he was Arsenal’s captain for one season and scored some great goals to qualify for the Champions League. However, his decision at the end of the season is how he is remembered at the Emirates Stadium.
He signed for the club’s biggest rival at the time, Manchester United. He would go on to win the Premier League under Sir Alex Ferguson, even scoring goals against Arsenal. Sigh.
8. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
In hindsight, Arsenal fans should've questioned the decision to hand Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang the captain's armband. His disciplinary issues at other clubs could've acted as a major red flag but, in all honesty, those red flags were ignored since he was an incredible player during his time at the Emirates Stadium, serving as one of the best strikers in the world at the time.
It was more the way his captaincy ended which leaves him at eighth in this list. After all, he served well as the captain and even leaded the Gunners to FA Cup glory, scoring in the semifinal and the final against two big opponents.
Those who have seen the All or Nothing documentary are still just as confused about what went down between Mikel Arteta and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Let's just say, a difference in leadership style and opinion meant that Arteta stripped the Gabon international of captaincy duty after two years, then sold him.
7. Per Mertesacker
Per Mertesacker only played one season as Arsenal captain but his final performance of the season was enough to warrant a higher position in this list. Mertesacker was injured for a large chunk of the season but injuries and suspensions elsewhere meant that in the 2017 FA Cup final, Mertesacker started against Chelsea.
That FA Cup final performance is one of the best I can recall seeing from any Arsenal defender. Although he wasn't the quickest, his defensive knowledge to cover the right areas at the right time meant that he would steal the show, single-handedly winning the FA Cup final for his side.
6. Martin Odegaard
As the current Arsenal captain, to come this high in the list is a testament to the impact Martin Odegaard has already had. When Martin Odegaard was appointed as the captain, a section of Arsenal fans were quick to question his leadership skills at a young age.
However, the skipper soon put those doubts to bed as he demonstrated a clear leading-by-example style. Martin Odegaard can be seen everywhere on the pitch and his teammates can trust him to carry an attacking charge and notice things any untrained eye would overlook.
Hopefully, Arsenal have bright years ahead with Martin Odegaard as their skiper.
5. Cesc Fabregas
Deserves an honourable mention for being Arsenal's second youngest captain in history. In truth, when thinking about the best young Arsenal players in history, it's the Spanish maestro who pops up first, every time.
Cesc Fabregas had a successful tenure as Gunners skipper, routinely being the best player on the pitch when he played. Although he didn't deliver any silverware, he was a worthy captain and goes down as one of the greatest Arsenal midfielders of all-time (if you ignore his decisions later in his career, that is).
4. Mikel Arteta
Mikel Arteta was an absolutely tremendous midfielder in his day and was granted captaincy towards the end of his career. Still, Arteta had a great impact on his teammates and led by example not only on the pitch, but off the pitch too. Under the captaincy of Arteta, the Gunners won two FA Cup trophies.
The Spaniard clearly loved being a leader as after he hung up his boots, he spent his time dedicated to learning from the best footballing mind in the world, Pep Guardiola. Then, he took on the job at Arsenal, where the future begun to look bright.
3. Thierry Henry
One of the stars of the invincible team, but Thierry Henry wasn't the captain during this infamous season. Still, he didn't have a bad run-out as Arsenal captain as he became the club's leading goalscorer in the season after he became captain. Furthermore, he led the Gunners to the only Champions League final they have ever played in.
Thierry Henry is widely regarded as the best player to ever represent Arsenal and it's clear to see why. Fans certainly love the Frenchman, who has a statue outside the Emirates Stadium. In many ways, they still have dreams of Henry returning to the club for a leadership role of some kind.
2. Patrick Vieira
Patrick Vieira is rightfully mentioned in the "best midfielder in Premier League history" conversations. The French midfielder who could do it all will be remembered by his career highlight, captaining the Arsenal team who went unbeaten for the first, and only time in Premier League history.
Vieira was an exceptional captain who had some great attacking involvements. The way he would drive forward with the ball at his feet should be used as an example for box-to-box midfielders today. A revolutionary captain, who would've topped the list if it wasn't for the captain before him...
1. Tony Adams
Who else but Mr Arsenal?
Tony Adams is a legend at the club, being one of the best examples of a one club man. Tony Adams represented the Gunners across three different decades - 80s, 90s and 00s, being the captain for 14 years out of his 19-year tenure with the club.
An absolutely incredible portfolio is displayed by Tony Adams, who has never been mentioned sourly by any Arsenal fan. His captaincy reign is going to take some beating.
Who is your favourite Arsenal captain throughout history?