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#3 Ian Wright
Despite spending just seven years with Arsenal, Ian Wright quickly established himself as the club's all-time highest scorer. His record was later bested by none other than Thierry Henry.
The forward joined the Gunners in 1991 for a club-record fee of £2.5 million. Wright found most of his success at Arsenal while playing under George Graham. He regularly topped the scoring charts and helped the North London club reach the finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.
The arrival of Dennis Bergkamp in 1995 and Wenger in 1996 helped Wright sustain his scoring streak even as he entered his thirties. The English forward was a clinical finisher. Wright finally won the Premier League with Arsenal at the age of 34 in the 1997-98 season.
Wherever Wright was, there would be goals. Although the striker was not as prolific for the England national team, his accomplishments at club level were extremely impressive. This certainly warrants Wright a place among the five best Arsenal players in Premier League history.
#2 Thierry Henry
Thierry Henry is without a doubt, one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time. The striker had two spells with the Gunners - from 1999 to 2007 and a short loan spell in 2012. When Henry first joined Arsenal from Juventus, not much was known about him.
Wenger, however, already knew about the forward from their time together at Monaco. Costing £11 million at that time, many critics did not believe Henry was worth such a price tag.
In the Ballon d'Or winner's first season at Arsenal, he scored 26 goals and helped the Gunners finish second in the Premier League. Henry's hard work soon paid off as he lifted the Premier League title and FA Cup trophy in the 2001-02 season. The French international finished the season as the league's top scorer and scored 32 goals in all competitions.
Having set high expectations for all Arsenal fans, Henry once again played an influential role in the club's Invincibles season (2003-04). In that season alone, the former Barcelona man netted 30 times in 37 Premier League games.
Fans will continue to wonder if there will ever be a player like Henry at Arsenal again.
#1 Dennis Bergkamp
Without Dennis Bergkamp, Henry and Wright might not have been as successful as they had been. In 2015, the 43-year-old Belgium assistant coach named Bergkamp as the best player he has ever played with.
Henry said:
“He could score but he could pass, past, pick the right moment. He was always trying to respect the game when he could do other stuff and that’s why I respected him a lot for that."
Bergkamp played for Arsenal between 1995 and 2006. Regarded as one of the most technically gifted players in England, Arsenal's second striker was quick and possessed an excellent first touch.
In his 407 appearances for the Gunners, Bergkamp scored 111 goals and provided 93 assists. Although he netted far fewer goals than Henry and Wright, the Dutchman's contributions to the club are no less significant.
Today, Arsenal have a statue outside the Emirates Stadium to serve as a reminder of what Bergkamp has done for the club. He is the first and only Dutch international to be named in the English Football Hall of Fame. Additionally, Bergkamp was inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame earlier in 2021.
