As is the case with every club of their size, Arsenal have had some truly special players represent them in the Premier League era.
The likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pirès terrified defenders, while Sol Campbell and Tony Adams did the same to opposition attackers.
The Gunners have also been blessed with some incredible midfielders over the last 25 years or so, such as the legendary Patrick Vieira.
Nobody has quite been able to live up to the Frenchman since, but there is one player in Mikel Arteta’s side who’s starting to emulate him.
Arsenal’s best midfielders in the Premier League
As the list of Arsenal’s best Premier League midfielders could be a long one, this top three includes only central and defensive midfielders.
Additionally, the players must no longer be at the club, as currently, Arteta’s side are yet to win anything significant.
With that out of the way, coming in at number three has to be the incredible Gilberto Silva.
The Brazilian monster joined the club in the summer of 2002 and went on to make 244 appearances over the next five years, scoring 24 goals and providing 14 assists.
Once described as the man who “carried the piano for Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo to play their tunes on” by the outlet Veja, the often underappreciated titan carried out a similar role in North London that saw him leave with one league title, two FA Cups and two Community Shields.
Just pipping Gilberto into second place is Cesc Fàbregas, as while he was no stranger to playing higher up the pitch, he spent most of his time in North London playing centrally.
The Spaniard may have left on poor terms, but he did so with an incredible record of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 games, in which he won one FA Cup and one Community Shield.
Finally, first place simply had to be for Captain Fantastic himself, Vieira.
Arriving from AC Milan in the summer of 1996, the French international would go on to help transform the Gunners’ midfield and leave as a bona fide legend.
In addition to captaining the side during the Invincible season, the monstrous midfielder eventually left the club after making 405 appearances, during which he scored 32 goals, provided 47 assists, won three league titles, five FA Cups, and three Community Shields.
The Arsenal star becoming Arteta’s Vieira
While they need to win something significant first, there are several stars in this Arsenal team who could easily become legends in their own right over the coming years.
However, when it comes to the player who could, and looks like they will become Arteta’s own Vieira, it has to be Declan Rice.
The Gunners’ £105m has been a brilliant player for them since his mega money move in the summer of 2023, but over the last year, and especially this season, he has really stepped it up and is now starting to emulate some of the Frenchman’s best qualities.
For example, while he is no longer an out-and-out six, he remains a defensive and physical powerhouse and someone who is more than happy to throw his weight around to disrupt opposition attacks.
For example, Fbref still ranks him in the top 16% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for the percentage of aerial duels won per 90 minutes.
Moreover, while he does not have the armband for the club, he is still one of the most vocal players on the pitch and is one of the five players in the manager’s leadership group.’
Finally, in addition to possessing the attitude and physical characteristics of the Gunners legend, the former West Ham star is also comparable in terms of footballing ability.
Rice’s Arsenal record
Appearances
118
Starts
107
Minutes
9442′
Goals
18
Assists
24
Goal Involvements per Match
0.35
Minutes per Goal Involvement
224.80′
Whether it’s a dead-ball situation or during play, the Englishman is one of “the best in the world,” per Thomas Frank, and has the ability to ping the ball exactly where he wants it, and over the last couple of campaigns has become far more of a goal threat.
Both of these traits were on full display against Burnley at the weekend and will undoubtedly be again for the next game.
Ultimately, while the comparison won’t be truly appropriate until he lifts a title with Arsenal, it is clear that Rice is becoming Arteta’s own Vieira.
