9 Greatest Individual Seasons From Arsenal Players (Ranked)

Arsenal are one of the most successful sides in the world. Despite not winning the Premier League since 2004, they have consistently found a way to claim the domestic cups at Wembley. Arsene Wenger, one of the greatest managers of all time, built remarkably strong foundations, and now Mikel Arteta is trying to take them back to the same level.

Wenger’s success would not have been possible without several world-class players at the club. The Gunners were the home for some of the best players in the world, who are now considered the greatest footballers of all time. They carried a confidence with them which proved pivotal as the trophies neared.

Due to this, we have decided to rank the nine greatest individual seasons from Arsenal players. Every player who features on this list played after 1990, showcasing how the Gunners have had more recent success compared to decades ago. Naturally, it was not easy, but it stretches from the famous Invincibles team to the struggling years at the end of Wenger’s reign.

Ranking Factors

• Goals – The number of goals and assists they registered is crucial when deciding their ranking.
• Overall play – It’s not all about goals though, so if they tormented defences, they have also been ranked on this list.
• Importance of goals – If the goals happened to win titles and trophies, they have been ranked higher.

9 Robert Pires

2001/02

Robert Pires was one of the most elegant and sophisticated players the Premier League has ever seen. He glided around opposition defenders weren’t there — and he played a key role in the side dominating at the top of English football. During the 2001/02 campaign, he was at his very best, picking up 18 assists in 45 matches. He wasn’t a natural goalscorer, but his partnership with the likes of Thierry Henry proved pivotal.

Even though an ACL injury ended his campaign early, forcing him to miss the FA Cup final and later the 2002 World Cup with France, he considers the 2001/02 campaign the best of his time with the Gunners. “I would say the 2001/02 season [was my best individually]. It was the year I got injured, rupturing cruciate ligaments in my knee, but it is true that everything I was doing at that time was working,” he previously stated.

8 Alexis Sanchez

2016/17

Arsenal’s 2016/2017 campaign was a volatile cocktail of emotions, leading to consistent inconsistency that frustrated their fans. Yet Alexis Sanchez remained a pleasure to watch throughout, scoring 24 goals and registering 11 assists in England’s top flight as part of one of the biggest one-man teams. The Gunners only finished fifth, one point off qualification for the Champions League, yet it would have proved far lower without the Chilean.

Alongside his stunning form in the Premier League, he added to it with strikes against Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich in Europe’s premier club competition, as well as decisive efforts in the FA Cup quarter-final, semi-final and final. Winning the FA Cup against Chelsea was down to Sanchez’s talent, while Arsenal’s Premier League campaign was ‘saved’ by him. It will never be forgotten by the travelling faithful in N5.

7 Ian Wright

1991/92

Ian Wright only joined Arsenal in September 1991 for £2.5m. At the time, it was a club record fee, and he quickly paid it back with one of the greatest first seasons the club has ever seen. He scored 30 goals in all competitions and, with 29 league goals in the First Division, Wright won the Golden Boot — one ahead of Gary Lineker. He scored a hat-trick on his league debut against Southampton, and epitomised his impact once more when he struck another hat-trick against the Saints on the final day of the season. Arsenal failed to win any trophies, but Wright’s performances acted as a beacon of light during a challenging period.

6 Robin van Persie

2011/12

Robin van Persie is often seen as one of the biggest traitors in football by Arsenal fans after leaving for Manchester United in the summer of 2012, yet it’s not surprising to see why Sir Alex Ferguson wanted him. The Dutchman shone during his final season in north London, firing in 30 of Arsenal’s 74 goals in the Premier League.

Van Persie, now one of the greatest Dutch players ever, was the only Arsenal player to reach double figures in the league and racked up more goals single-handedly than the squad’s next three highest scorers combined. The Gunners finished third, one place above bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, but it was mainly the Dutchman’s performances which did the talking, as he walked away with the prestigious Golden Boot.

5 Cesc Fabregas

2009/10

When you think of the greatest midfielders in the past 30 years, Cesc Fabregas always springs to mind. The Spaniard, who has also represented Barcelona and Chelsea, had everything needed as an energetic central midfielder. During his time with the Gunners, he was consistently world-class, yet his performances during the 2009/10 season will always be remembered. He averaged more than a goal or assist every match, dictating the middle of the park effortlessly. In March 2010, Fabregas suffered a leg fracture, which forced him to miss the final six league matches; it all but ended their title chances, proving just how important the Spaniard was.

4 Dennis Bergkamp

1997/98

Dennis Bergkamp was one of the most naturally gifted players the Premier League has ever seen. During the 1997/98 season, his stunning performances on a weekly basis helped Arsenal complete a domestic double. The Dutchman was the team’s top scorer with 22 goals, acting as the main man in the final third. He was named PFA Player of the Year and once you consider his goalscoring triumphs and sheer elegance, it was hardly surprising.

At the start of the season, he scored a stunning hat-trick against Leicester, with the final goal – one of his favourite for Arsenal – seeing him take just one touch to control the ball in the penalty box, another to flick it past his marker, Matt Elliott, before juggling it with his feet and shooting past goalkeeper Kasey Keller. Simply magical. He even missed the final section of the campaign after overstretching his hamstring in April 1998, but it doesn’t take away from his stunning overall season.

3 Thierry Henry

2003/04

Thierry Henry is one of the greatest Premier League players of all time. The striker, who is also regarded as one of France’s best players ever, was a thorn for so many defenders, as they could never truly predict what he was going to do. His unpredictability, pace, elegance and natural instinct in the final third often made him unstoppable — and, during the 2003/04 campaign, he scored 30 goals, alongside six assists, in 37 matches.

It was a remarkable run of form to help Arsenal win the title unbeaten, whilst his efforts in the other competitions were also crucial. The Gunners were knocked out in the semi-finals of both domestic cups, whilst Chelsea triumphed against them in the Champions League quarter-final. Even then, the Frenchman still comfortably added to his goal tally.

2 Patrick Vieira

2003/04

Unlike every other player on this list who scored countless goals and acted as the main man in the final third, Patrick Vieira was completely different. Acting as a defensive midfielder, the Frenchman was the crucial reliable force the Gunners needed time and time again. During the 2003/04 season, Vieira was the club’s captain — and, arguably for that reason alone, he features at the very top. He captained them to the Premier League title unbeaten, acting as an experienced and composed figure in the middle of the park. In doing so, he is now considered one of the competition’s greatest-ever captains. It was nearly impossible to get past him, as he used his strength and power to outmuscle the opposition.

1 Thierry Henry

2002/03

Finally, although Arsenal did not win the Premier League in 2003, Henry was at his very best throughout. He scored 24 goals, averaging 0.65 goals per match, all whilst assisting 20 goals. The attacker still holds the record for most assists provided in a single Premier League season, but it was equalled by Kevin De Bruyne in the 2019/2020 season.

The Frenchman did help Arsenal win the FA Cup, as they scraped past Southampton 1-0 in the final, meaning they did not walk away empty-handed for the campaign. However, Henry could have won nothing and still gone down in history for his spectacular quality.

Stats via Transfermarkt