Over the last three decades, Arsenal has had its fair share of ups and downs, but boast three Premier League titles (including their famous “Invincibles” season) and nine FA Cups, in that time. With Mikel Arteta shaping his wards into a team that consistently challenges for the Premier League now, we could yet see the best from this illustrious club.
Amid all the added attention on major clubs from the wealth of online bookmakers available to UK sports betting enthusiasts, Arsenal have secured better odds than Liverpool for this season’s title as they sit at 8/5 odds compared to Liverpool’s 7/2—despite Liverpool currently leading the table.
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For now, we’ll have to wait to see if Arsenal actually do their odds justice this year. In the meantime, it gives us a great excuse to mull over players from the past. Over the last three decades, Arsenal has remained one of the key English clubs with the kind of consistency that’s now seen being a part of the top flight for over 100 years. In that time, the club has had its fair share of superstars. However, Arsenal has also had some amazing players who contributed a lot to the club but flew more under the radar and never really got the recognition they deserved.
We’re gonna look at eight of these players and we’re starting with a player who was most prominent during the early ‘90s. Back then Arsenal was still transitioning under George Graham. The likes of Tony Adams and David Seaman were already well known but others like Steve Bould went about their business more quietly.
Nevertheless, Bould was a critical part of Arsenal’s famously solid defence back then. A no-nonsense defender, he partnered Adams to superb effect as his technical understanding of the role and his eye for picking up good positions made him one of the commanding defenders of the era. Despite Bould’s brilliant efforts, it was usually Adams or Seaman who got the attention.
Next up is Ray Parlour, another name that often gets overshadowed. He was known as the “Romford Pele” though he was never a dazzling player. However, what he did possess was a solid work rate, versatility, and commitment to the team.
After the transition to the Arsene Wenger era, Parlour came to the fore at the 2002 FA Cup final with a stunning goal that helped the Ginners win the competition that year. Despite his obvious talent, Parlour was often overshadowed by more flashy players like Patrick Viera and Robert Pires.
The now legendary Invincibles era of Arsenal is often remembered for the likes of Henry, Bergkamp, Vieira, and Pires. However, other players like Gilberto Silva often flew under the radar. A defensive midfielder, Gilberto didn’t score many goals or grab many assists, but his role was invaluable. His hard work often kick-started flowing moves that made the more advanced players look good as they provided the finished product.
On the other hand, Lukas Podolski was a player who was certainly capable of catching the eye. With a hammer of a left foot and some amazing finishing skills, he had many attributes that could have seen him right up among the best of his era’s attackers. However, he was often overlooked for bigger names and had to settle for coming off the bench or playing out of position a lot of the time.
By the mid to late 2010s, one of Arsenal’s most consistent players during some very turbulent times was Laurent Koscielny. A solid defender, he was often the team’s rock and was known for rarely ever making mistakes. He was one of the players who managed to keep Arsenal competitive during some very dark periods but never got the kind of praise and recognition he fully deserved for it.
Another very underrated player was Tomas Rosicky, a Czech player who often showed flashes of brilliance. However, while no one doubted his talent, his lack of recognition came as a result of being an injury-plagued player. Nevertheless, his quick feet and vision made him a joy to watch whenever he was fit.
As a name that divides many football fans, Olivier Giroud’s time with Arsenal was nothing if not memorable. He also had a knack for scoring crucial goals. His physicality and hold-up play made him a crucial part of attacks as his play enabled others to get forward more often. While he’ll always be remembered for moments like his Puskas Award-winning scorpion kick, his other contributions may not have always been recognized but were certainly significant.
