03 Mar 2020 10:37:37
Interestingly Lee Dixon believes the 1998 double winning side was better than the invincibles. I tend to agree. Wondered what those old enough to remember both teams think.

1.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 11:20:55
Defeats points achieved and goals for and against don't back that claim up, the 97/ 98 team won the league by 1 point and went out of the uafa cup at the first hurdle, I don't remember all that I just Googled it :-)
But I remember enjoying that season and thinking how brilliant we were.
As for the 2003/ 4 team well Arsene stated Henry on the bench for the fa cup semifinal v United only bringing him on to try and save the game rather than starting him and then brining him off if and when the game was safe, I remember being baffled by that at the time and feeling it cost us the double that season.
Also I remember both champions league games v Chelsea and a feeling we bottled the second league through nerves and pressure of such high expectations of a team we all thought really were invincible.
I remember Ashley Cole saying in an interview in February/ March that season " of course I know one day we will lose a game, but I just can't see how it's ever going to happen " It's knew exactly what he was saying because I felt exactly the same way as he did.
The class of 2003/ 4 get my vote without hesitation but the boys of 97/ 98 were pretty fantastic too.

2.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 13:13:00
Both were clearly great teams. The thing that tends to make me favour the1998 team, was that they won the double, whereas the invincibles only won trophy.
Given the option of the PL unbeaten or the double, but suffer league defeats, it would be the double every time.
If I recall correctly the 98 team still had the legendary back 4 and Seaman. I was a great fan of Overmars and Petit.
My all time Arsenal 11 is:
Seaman
Anderson Campbell Adams Cole
Pires Vieira Petit Overmars
Henry Bergkamp

So many great players omitted!
I would have to check how many were in the respect squads, invincibles and 98.
Giving my age away with Viv Anderson! Not many on this site will have seen him play! However he was a great attacking RB, whom I think won a league title with Notts Forest and possibly a European Cup or two!

3.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 14:01:32
Yeah I think that would probably be my best 11 too RG although Oleary and Brady would push for a place too as both were class players.
Also I'd have to consider adjusting the formation to make room for Wrighty based on the fact he's just such an Arsenal legend and if you broke him in half he would have Arsenal football club running through every part of his body.
The Ian Wright statue campaign should start now, Bergkamp is my favourite player of all time but Wrighty is my absolutely favorite Arsenal ambassador ever both during and since his playing days.

4.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 15:34:12
I agree G62!
Also:
Brady, Keown, Samson, Charlie George, Alexi Sanchez, Armstrong, Jennings, Van Persie, Alan Ball, etc. So many quality players.

5.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 16:29:29
Pat Jennings! What a keeper Pat was, only man I've ever seen catch a football with one hand :-)

6.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 17:07:49
Yup, he was an amazing keeper and don’t tell Raver61, his best years were at Arsenal! Toot wrote him off and he played another 8 years at Arsenal. I seem to recall him scoring straight from a drop kick, possibly against Man U with Alex Stepney in goal.

7.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 17:49:14
Yup he did and he almost beat Sammy Nelson up for not defending a corner properly in a cup semifinal v Orient too :-) how we could do with someone to terrify our current players into sticking to what they're supposed to do when defending.

8.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 18:16:01
RG my brother who doesn't support anyone, always used to go mad for Nigel winterburn and always used to say he was one of the most underrated defenders ever.

9.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 18:20:05
Pat Jennings had a better career at spurs RG he won 2 league cups the FA cup and the ueafa cup he only won the fa cup at Arsenal.

10.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 19:04:49
Yeah but Raver Willie Young, Pat Jennings Sol Campbell all preferred to leave Spurs and join Arsenal, I'm struggling to remember any single professional player to make the opposite journey.
Makes you think mate doesn't it :-)

11.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 19:54:56
Harry kane, David Bentley, jamie o hara lol.

12.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 20:46:47
All of who never made the grade at Arsenal while Pat Sol and Willie were all internationals mate :-) and Bentley actually went to Blackburn from Arsenal mate.

David Bentley career at Spurs was quite bizarre as Harry Just seemed to not like him despite him always doing well when Harry was forced to play him, strange one that, not sure what your thoughts on him are Raver mate?

13.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 21:16:06
First game I went to see arsenal think it was against qpr and Jennings caught a shot with one hand still remember it clear as day now.

14.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 21:37:19
Never ever seen another keeper do it Wilf mate, incredible mate.

15.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 21:48:48
David Bentley had massive potential but never done it gunner, as for jamie o hara he was poor and was a championship player at best,

16.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 22:02:57
I actually thought O'hara had it in him to be a good DM player Raver but some how it all went really badly at Wolves after initially looking perfect for both club and player.

17.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 22:03:29
Remember being at Spurs away in the Milk Cup early 80’s and Pat Jennings being accosted by Eamon Andrews in a helicopter for This Is Your Life!

18.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 23:25:10
Seaman
Anderson Campbell Keown Cole
Pires Vieira Petit Overmars
Henry Bergkamp

Bench - Jennings, O’Leary, Lauren, Brady, Wright, Gilberto, Van Persie

Manager - Wenger

Plenty leaders, strength, bite, finesse, pace, power and goal scorers.

19.) 03 Mar 2020
03 Mar 2020 23:25:23
Wow Sussex that's an awesome memory mate, Pat catching the ball one handed, and just what a big deal this is your life was back then! Progress is wonderful thing in many ways but there are some really good things we left behind in the pursuit of progress too.
I know every generation must feel the sane but we were lucky to have been around to enjoy those times, and we had fools and horses Z cars and crossroads of course :-) :-) :-)

20.) 04 Mar 2020
04 Mar 2020 20:47:06
As a fellow keeper PJ was my absolute hero growing up in the 70’s. it bites that he was a Spurs player, but I forgive him 😀. He has massive hands (over a foot long from finger tips to wrist) which is why he could catch the ball with one hand. He was so calm, it must have been brilliant playing as a defender knowing he was there behind you. I also seem to remember him hitting an unbelievable shot or massive putt on A round with Alliss as well. An all round top bloke and brilliant keeper.