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Arsenal Invincibles v Current Arsenal Combined XI
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Combined XI: Arsenal Invincibles v Arsenal 2025/26

Arsenal have been crowned champions of England for the first time in more than two decades. But how do they stack up against the famous 2003/04 Invincibles side?

Wenger's side are one of the most discussed teams in Premier League history after going a whole 38-game campaign without suffering a defeat, however, their achievements are sometimes played down because of their underperformance in other competitions.

Their team was a who's who of Gunners greats, but Arteta and his players have written their own chapter in Arsenal's history.

We evaluate how an XI would look if each player from either squad was available for selection...

Football

GK - David Raya

Fantastic as Jens Lehmann was, few have a greater impact on Arsenal's contemporary title-winning side than David Raya.

The Spaniard made the cross-London switch from Brentford in 2023 and has not looked back, picking up the Premier League Golden Glove in three of his four seasons at the club.

RB - Jurrien Timber

When fit, Jurrien Timber offers Arsenal an incredible amount of flexibility down the right flank.

Great in both boxes, quick, strong and tactically versatile; all the credit goes to the 24-year-old for overcoming a serious injury that he suffered very early on into his Arsenal career.

CB - Sol Campbell

Sol Campbell's move from Tottenham to Arsenal remains one of the most controversial transfers in the history of English football but it was one well worth making.

Undoubtedly one of the all-time great Premier Leaguer defenders, Campbell had effectively every attribute needed to act as an elite centre half during his era and, after moving to the red half of North London, has the trophy cabinet to back it up.

CB - William Saliba

It's a toss up between William Saliba and his partner in crime Gabriel but we've narrowly landed on the side of the Frenchman.

Still only 25, Saliba was arguably Arsenal's best player during the second half of the title-winning season and the perceived wisdom is that he has a higher ceiling than that of his partner.

Saliba is undoubtedly the least aggressive of the two, Gabriel also poses more of a threat in the opposition box, however, the Frenchman's raw ability just gives him the edge here.

LB - Ashley Cole

If Campbell's switch from Tottenham to Arsenal is the most controversial transfer in Premier League history, then he won't be far ahead of Ashley Cole's much maligned move to Chelsea in 2006.

But, regardless of what Gunners fans may now think about him, Cole was one of the best in his position on the planet at the time.

During his early days, he was very much seen as an attacking full-back but, as he matured, he became a fantastic one-on-one defender.

CM - Declan Rice

You can almost set your watch by Declan Rice performances.

Usually this is said of players putting in 'six or seven out of 10' performances from midfield but Rice is more like an eight or a nine, every single week at the absolute highest level.

The Gunners royally splashed out when paying £100m to acquire his services from West Ham in 2023; certainly money well spent.

CM - Patrick Vieira

The concept of a midfield pairing containing Rice and Patrick Vieira is something I'm sure plenty of Arsenal fans have pondered over the last few years.

Both extraordinarily important to their respective sides, they would both bring different skillsets almost entirely complementary to one another.

Vieira is considered to be one of the best ever to play his position, combining unrivalled grit, tenacity and aggression with a dangerous blend of athleticism, intelligence and incredible technical ability.

AM - Dennis Bergkamp

Although Dennis Bergkamp's best years may have been behind him by the time the 2002/03 season rolled around, he was still a player that possessed a wide-ranging and unique set of abilities.

Bergkamp was a player capable of creating something from nothing, often deciding games with a moment of unparalleled genius. Footballers able to conjure up these decisive moments don't come around all too often and, when they do, it is important to recognise just how crucial their impact can be.

RW - Bukayo Saka

We may not have seen the absolute best of Bukayo Saka over the last 12 months but he is still absolutely key to the way Arteta's side try to win matches.

His ability to retain possession, constant energy to challenge his man and width provision gives his team so much going forward.

It is entirely possible that Saka is currently paying the price for being so heavily used so early in his career, but that just goes to show how crucial he is to his boyhood club.

ST - Thierry Henry

Thierry Henry is an absolute non-negotiable in this XI.

Few can match his standing, not just within the English game, but worldwide. Scorer of 175 Premier League goals, Henry is right up there in the conversation for the Premier League's greatest ever player.

LW - Robert Pires

Henry and Robert Pires directly contributed to 62 goals during the Invincible season; arguably the most important factor to their success.

Another France international, Pires provided many decisive moments throughout the campaign but he will be most fondly remembered for his performances against rivals Spurs, scoring both at Highbury and White Hart Lane.

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