The 10 Best Arsenal Kits Of All Time - Home & Away

Arsenal is a truly historic club. Their club size is largely attributed to significant moments throughout history, all of which contributed to bringing new eyes on the club. With no doubt, this has been aided by their incredible archive of beautiful kits throughout history. The kits have proven to make memories stick in the minds of Arsenal fans through iconography.

The inner-workings of Arsenal kits have been finely tuned to bring a sense of togetherness between the club, its players and most importantly, its fans. To this day, iconic kit-hunting remains a past-time for passionate football fans and it is often the case that Arsenal kits are included within this list of iconic kits.

This article will run though the 10 best Arsenal kits of all time and it will feature a mixture of home and away kits, not placing a particular emphasis or leaning on either of the two options.

Criteria for Selection

Everybody has their own criteria for grading kits. In many ways, this is what makes the football kit landscape excellent, since it is rare you will stumble across two people with the same favourite kit.

This list will grade kits based on four main elements - Popularity among Arsenal fans, design, performance during the season of the kit being worn & how well the kit has stood the test of time.

Since this is an Arsenal fan website, the "popularity among Arsenal fans" will be the most important criterion for analysing and grading these Arsenal kits. Next in terms of importance, the design of the kit itself will play the second biggest role. The third biggest role will come down to the performance of the team during the season of the kit being worn and fourthly, judging how well the kit has stood the test of time (in essence, does the kit still look great to this day?) will add a fourth lens.

That said, this list will also place a particular emphasis on presenting greater diversity in terms of eras, so we are neither pigeonholed to the most successful period in Arsenal history, nor simply the current era only.

The 10 Best Arsenal Kits of All Time

1. Home - 2005-06

It's fair to say that the 2005-06 Arsenal home kit will be cemented into this number one place forever. Remember how I mentioned earlier that no two people have the same favourite kit? Yeah, there's an exception to the rule here.

Arsenal played their final season in the incredibly historic Highbury Stadium in the 2005-06 and to commemorate it, kit sponsor of the time Nike paid homage to the season in the best possible way.

Nike was daring enough to ditch the trademark Arsenal red and white, to pay respect to a time before Arsenal even had a kit, let alone a recognised kit colour scheme. The history and iconography of it being Arsenal's last season at Highbury only emphasised that it was a beauty to look at.

A primary burgundy colour with impeccable gold outlines made this one of the classiest football kits of all-time, let alone in Arsenal history. With the iconic O2 sponsor presented in large letters, watching the likes of Thierry Henry, Robert Pires and Patrick Vieira do what they did best in this kit only added to the grace.

Arsenal won no trophies in this kit, but it was deserving of its place in this list and it was the easiest choice to place in on a very high pedestal at number one. It is the most popular kit among Arsenal fans for a reason, or many reasons. Nothing personified the grace and class of Arsenal football club as much as this kit.

2. Away - 1991-92

Known by many as the "bruised banana kit", the Arsenal away kit from the 1991-92 season was certainly ahead of its time period. It is the first away kit in this list and by a country mile, it is the most iconic Arsenal away kit of all time. It takes some doing to beat the number one spot, but the bruised banana certainly came the closest of any Arsenal kit.

The design of this kit is what sets it apart from the rest of the Arsenal away kits. Admittedly, Adidas took a risk by granting Arsenal this kit and at the time, players didn't know how to react to it. The only word one could use to describe the design of this kit is "vibrant", but the iconic Bruised Banana nickname painted the picture much better.

Recognised firstly for its whacky colour scheme of yellow and black but subtly for the triangular detail of the design, this kit has been the framework for many kits since then, which demonstrates that this kit has truly stood the test of time.

Again, Arsenal did not win anything while wearing this kit but it doesn't take away from how iconic this kit made the season. With Ian Wright being the top goal-scorer, David Rocastle being the engine in midfield and a defence of Nigel Winterburn, Tony Adams, Steve Bould and Lee Dixon, there's a reason why this kit will live forever in the Arsenal archives.

3. Away - 2001-02

There are sometimes in life where an iconic kit sponsor is enough to drag eyes on it. Of course, the main responsibility of a kit sponsor is to, you know, provide money for the kits. However, if the sponsors can look good while doing it then everybody's a winner.

In the 2001-02 season, Japanese video game company Sega sponsored the Arsenal kits and to say they looked good while doing it would be an understatement. For lack of a better word, Arsenal just looked "cool" while they were sponsored by Sega.

The design of this kit is something to be admired, even to this day. It was golden in colour, which is an instant win for anybody let alone classy Arsenal fans, and featured perfect blue details such as the collar and the shorts.

Those who are into complimentary colour schemes will have noticed the fine red lines on this kit, best shown on Patrick Vieira's left shoulder on the picture above. It can be assumed that this red detail is a homage to Arsenal's primary colour, in the most subtle yet beautiful way.

It was also the first season in which the Premier League was sponsored by Barclays, so Arsenal did Barclays a solid service by including the infamous "Barclays Premier League" crest on its right arm.

Oh, it must also be mentioned that Arsenal won the double in this kit. Winning the double in a golden away kit has to count for something, right?

4. Home - 2002-04

Perhaps the most recognised Arsenal kit of all time is the 2002-04 home kit, which featured a solid red block colour, a shade of red which can only be described as "Arsenal red", and white details.

If you were to ask AI to craft the most "Arsenal" kit imaginable, it would be this one. It's simple, in the most beautiful description of the word. In terms of a kit which does not exactly punch you in the face but is good to look at, look no further than the 2002-04 home kit.

Contrary to popular belief, the Invincibles can't win anything. Well, not in terms of kits anyway but they can sure come close in that regard.

Admittedly, winning the season without losing a single league game (the only Premier League team to ever do it, I must add) boosts this kit's place in the rankings but can you blame me? After all, they could have done so wearing trash bags and they would've still made the trash bags look good.

Many iconic moments happened in this kit, not least forcing the Premier League to fork out on its only golden trophy in history. There were the iconic Thierry Henry knee-slides, the graceful Dennis Bergkamp touches and a former Tottenham captain winning his second league trophy... With Arsenal.

Therefore, make no mistake about it, this iconic kit is in the books through merit as well as being obliged. The Invincibles earned their way into the history books forever, so we'll have to grant them this beauty award as well.

5. Home - 1992-94

A centred crest is a feature of football kits which has been lost through the archives but it needs to be brought back. Not much screams class and sophistication more than a centred crest but the old Arsenal badge featured on the home kit of 1992-94 does a pretty good job to challenge that.

Featuring the iconic Arsenal term 'Victoria Concordia Crescit' which translates from Latin to 'Victory grows out of harmony', the former Arsenal badge was something to be admired. I won't argue that it should be brought back, it was classy for a different time period, but we can certainly look through the archives and appreciate the beauty of both the statement and the kit itself.

This kit was worn by some incredible players, including Ian Wright, during one of Arsenal's most degrading periods. They had just finished tenth in the Premier League, an unprecedented finish for a squad which oozed quality and was managed by one of the best in the business, George Graham.

However, it was in this kit where Arsenal lifted the FA Cup at Wembley Stadium against Sheffield Wednesday (a repeat of the League Cup final, which Arsenal also won). An extra time goal from Andrew Linighan saw Ian Wright in tears, showing the passion which still existed in the club and a sign of better things to come.

If anything says "Victory grows out of harmony", it's watching Arsenal bounce back from adversity and prove the doubters wrong, signalling better things to come for the future. They looked incredible doing it, in their iconic red and white kit, featuring a central crest and bold JVC sponsor, an iconic Arsenal sponsor which remains in the archives forever.

6. Home - 1970-71

Winning the league on the final day is enough to make any season look great in hindsight. However, for Arsenal, they will always list White Hart Lane, the former Tottenham Hotspur stadium, as their favourite place to win the league.

This was exactly the fate in 1971, when an away match against Tottenham awaited Arsenal, who had the potential to win the league with a win or a 0-0 draw. The side managed by Bertie Mee would never settle for a draw, though, and they went out to win. They then lifted the First Division title at White Hart Lane, a picturesque moment which will live on forever.

That said, the clean design of the kit made the league title win look all the better. It is yet again a kit which personified the club and everything the club stands for. A traditional kit, which captured the club's already rich history heading into the 1970s.

This home strip was a perfect example of a simple design done right. It doesn't invoke awe or wonder but it does make you think "yeah, that's Arsenal."

The trademark red body with pure white details demonstrated the class which Arsenal had built up to that point. It also featured a simplistic badge, which was the outline of the infamous Arsenal cannon, on the right hand side of the chest. There was no sponsor on this kit.

With brilliant players such as Pat Rice, Sammy Nelson and George Graham, it really is no surprise that the performances on the pitch did this kit justice.

7. Away - 1997-98

Yellow away kits have oftentimes been a go-to for Arsenal. While it isn't a mandated secondary colour, it has worked the best for them and become synonymous with many of their players throughout history. However, not many scream "Arsenal in... Yellow?!" than Dennis Bergkamp.

Not only was Dennis Bergkamp majestic with the ball at his feet, he looked good while doing it. However, not much more so than the 1997-98 season, whereby the Dutch striker won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award and was the top goal-scorer for Arsenal both in the league, and all competitions.

As mentioned earlier, the JVC sponsor became an iconic kit sponsor for many years at Arsenal and it was yet again the pride and centre of this iconic away kit in the 1997-98 season. The JVC sponsor stood out among many of its other kits, as it was the only detail on the front of the jersey which was bright white.

Besides the sponsor, this kit was a nice mixture of the iconic yellow and navy blue. There was no fancy pattern, it was a nice and simple midrib effect whereby the navy blue contrasted nicely with the iconic yellow. This kit also featured a collar, which always wins points, and a homage to Arsenal's primary colours, with hints of red on the collar, arm and hem.

8. Away - 2005-06

The 2005-06 season was bound to be an iconic season in Arsenal history. Even if they won no trophies, which was the unfortunate outcome, the campaign was the final one hosted at Highbury Stadium.

That said, Arsenal did reach the 2006 final of the Champions League. Along the way, a pretty iconic moment occurred, whereby Thierry Henry scored an incredible solo goal against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu stadium. This is known as one of Arsenal's best goals of all-time and with Henry donning the away kit, making it an iconic strip, it HAD to make this list.

The second kit from the 2005-06 season to make this list, it is a personal favourite kit. Not just for the Thierry Henry moment, but admittedly, that did help. Still, no Arsenal fan is any position to complain about Thierry Henry swaying the rankings. After all, he is the best Arsenal player of all-time.

The kit itself was simplistic but it more than did the job. The bold and iconic Arsenal yellow, contrasted by the black details made this a wonderful colour scheme. The iconic O2 sponsor, which Thierry Henry did wonders for, partnered by the central crest is also a joy to watch.

This kit certainly invokes a sense of nostalgia and for that reason, it has to go down as one of Nike's best ever kits.

9. 2019-20 - Home

After years of unfortunate Puma disappointment, the 2019-20 season finally gave Arsenal fans a reason to fall in love with their kits again. Adidas had taken over, for the first time since 1994.

The season was a strange one and it wasn't because of the football. The season was put on halt midway through the season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This meant that the final third of the season was played to an empty stadium. However, in the first half of the season, Arsenal fans could see the kit up close and personal and of course, the return to Adidas was received very well.

This season was Unai Emery's final season in charge, before Mikel Arteta took charge in the second half of the season. The former Arsenal player Mikel Arteta had to endure the Puma torment, so he was likely jealous of his players for donning a classy kit.

This season, Arsenal won the FA Cup. They beat Man City in the semifinal and Chelsea in the final, showing that they were capable again of beating the big teams. It was in this season where Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was at his peak, scoring 22 league goals and 29 across all competitions.

The kit itself was a smart concept by Adidas, who shone upon their return. It was a darker shade of red, showing they had modernised Arsenal in a way which Puma failed to. It featured the iconic three stripes down both sides of the kit, with white features. It was a nice touch to include the cannon on the socks too, showing that Adidas still embraced Arsenal tradition.

10. Away - 1995-96

The iconic lightning bolt is probably unlucky to not make it higher in this list but in truth, it was both the lack of it being worn and the poor season it hosted which made it hard to justify placing it higher.

If you were to judge this kit on its design alone, it would certainly be higher, though. The kit featured many details which made it stand out above the rest. The most obvious is the geometric pattern on the left-hand side of the jersey, which shown a contrast in the two shades of blue, marked by the lightning bolt.

This away kit broke the tradition of being yellow until that point. At the time, it was met with criticism, which is to be expected when any change is made from the tradition. However, in hindsight, the decision from Nike must be applauded. It was a bold move which produced a wonderful kit and one that certainly stood the test of time.

As mentioned, Arsenal did not have a great season in 1995-96. It was a season where they finished fifth in the Premier League and won no other trophies. The top goal-scorer was Ian Wright, who scored 15 Premier League goals this season.

So, for the incredible design of this kit alone, it broke into the top ten.

Honorable Mentions

As mentioned, Arsenal have been blessed with some truly incredible kits throughout the years. Therefore, pinpointing ten leaves many to be admired but not ignored. Firstly, there is the iconic 2000-02 home kit, sponsored by Dreamcast, - You know, the one that Freddie Ljungberg made iconic with his red hair? Yeah, that one deserves a mention.

Also, there was the away kit of the 2020-21 season. This kit was particularly nice to look at for its incredible "paint splatter" feel. It was the most daring kit which Adidas had produced since their return to Arsenal and while thinking about the likes of Willian and Alexandre Lacazette in this kit doesn't fill Arsenal fans with joy, nobody can deny it was a nifty-looking kit.

Also, recency bias tends to draw fans towards the 2022-23 season, which was Arsenal's best season in a long time. In this season, they qualified for the Champions League again and came close to the Premier League title. Many pinpoint their black and gold away kit of the time as being the kit they had the best performances in.

Conclusion

Deciding the top three of this list was easy. The iconic burgundy-gold kit, the bruised banana and the golden Sega kit did not require any thinking at all. Then, there were a handful of other kits which required a bit more thinking, in order to fairly rank them.

As mentioned at the start, a combination of design, test of time, performance in the season and popularity among Arsenal fans was used to decipher this list. While some of the key rankings, including number one, may come across as obvious, it is surprising that many fans forget about this option. Therefore, older Arsenal fans should be happy to educate the upcoming fanbase on its legacy.

Arsenal have always prided themselves on their exceptional kits throughout time. In many ways, it has added to the club culture. Hopefully for many years down the line, this only continues to be the case.

FAQs

What is the most iconic Arsenal kit of all-time? The 2005-06 home kit.

How were the best kits chosen for this list? A combination of design, test of time, performance in the season and popularity among Arsenal fans was used to decipher this list

Are there any recent kits which made the list? Yes, the 2019-20 home kit made the list at number 9. Also, the 2022-23 away kit made the honorable mentions list.

How do fans influence the popularity of a kit? Team performance has the most external impact. However, fans influence the popularity of a kit by educating younger fans on what made a certain kit from a past season so iconic. Social media has also played a part, with the game becoming more picturesque.

Where can I buy classic Arsenal kits? On the club official website.