Top 10 centre-back duos of all time

#9 Tony Adams and Steve Bould

Adams and Bould were responsible for the defensive resilience the North Londoners possessed

There was a time in the game, when the very mention of the name “Arsenal” brought about shudders and frowns. Back in the “1-0 to the Arsenal” days under the tutelage of George Graham, the team was reputed to be defensively resilient and unimaginative attacking-wise, the opposite of what it is today. And leading the defensive pack of the oh, so boring, Gunners squad back then, was the dominant duo of Tony Adams and Steve Bould.

Now, little needs to be said about the legendary Adams, who is a club icon like no other. Captaining the team for what seemed like an eternity, Adams is exactly the defender that Gooners are yearning for today. However, his compadre, Steve Bould, has often seen overshadowed by the other great partner of Adams during the latter stages of his career, Martin Keown.

While Keown was indeed an incredible defender, it was during the time of Bould, that the North London club reached a level of world class, or even Italian class, of defending. Hardly the Arsenal we know today, isn’t it?