Five Arsene Wenger stalwarts that wouldn’t start for Arteta’s Arsenal

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It is always hard to compare and contrast eras in the fastest-changing division in world football but Arsenal’s former glories under Arsene Wenger are a perfect way of measuring exactly where Mikel Arteta’s title-chasing team are as a collective. There is no greater compliment for the Spaniard than the fact some of Wenger’s most-used Arsenal players throughout his tenure in north London would struggle to get into the current Gunners side. Express Sport looks at five former players that would miss out on Arteta’s starting XI…

Freddie Ljungberg

A tough call but it’s hard to make a case for Ljungberg starting ahead of Bukayo Saka on the basis of the youngster’s consistency and quality.

Saka is now one of the stars of the Premier League and he has also delivered on the world stage with England at the World Cup in Qatar.

At times, Saka has simply been unplayable – as seen most recently in the 3-2 win over Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.

Ljungberg was a staple under Wenger and although he had the silverware to match, you would like to think trophies will come in time for Saka both on a team and individual basis.

He has magic in his boots and if he continues, he could go down as one of the greatest players in Arsenal’s history.

Kolo Toure

Toure made a whopping 327 appearances for the Gunners but William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are currently thriving as part of the second-best defence in the Premier League.

The Ivorian was also right-footed, meaning he would have played in Saliba’s place and the Frenchman has barely put a foot wrong all season.

There will of course be some that will argue Toure’s consistency over an extensive period of time would earn him a spot ahead of Saliba but much like Saka, the 21-year-old could effectively remain at this level for the next decade and beyond.

Saliba has pace to burn and reads the game exceptionally whereas Toure was simply playing in a better defence, heightening his performance levels.

Laurent Koscielny

Koscielny’s Arsenal career finished with a whimper but he was a dependable figure under Wenger for the best part of six to seven seasons.

Yet still, there is just no way he would feature in Arsenal’s current backline with Gabriel and Saliba seemingly the perfect pairing.

The duo compliment each other excellently and provide the perfect balance of pace, leadership, composure and strength.

Saliba will be hoping to emulate the career Koscielny had for both Arsenal and France but there is no denying he has all the tools to achieve much more than the 37-year-old.

Theo Walcott

Walcott made a staggering 397 appearances for Arsenal and was signed by Arsene Wenger as a 16-year-old from Southampton back in 2006.

But despite all he achieved at the Emirates – including three FA Cups – Saka is still clear of his compatriot.

Saka’s skill set is totally unique and is the perfect blend of skill, speed, dribbling and attacking efficiency.

Walcott has enjoyed an excellent career but there is just no way he could produce some of the magic delivered by Saka this season.

The counter-argument would be that Saka couldn’t score some of the goals netted by Walcott but ultimately, he is consistently showcasing world-class quality on a weekly basis – something Walcott struggled with.

Aaron Ramsey

A really tough call to cast Ramsey aside as in his pomp – the 2013/14 season – he was among the best players in English football.

However, injuries prevented Ramsey from elevating his game to new heights and Martin Odegaard is currently on an upwards trajectory that is showing no signs of slowing down.

He is now the Arsenal captain at just 24 and he seems to be growing in stature with every game that goes by.

Still, he has some way to go before he matches Ramsey’s achievements but in terms of profile, Odegaard is the better player.

He is without doubt one of the most technically-gifted players in the Premier League and his numbers are now beginning to speak for themselves.

Ramsey was renowned for his ability to arrive in the box and score goals but the Norwegian can also do the playmaking side of the game, in addition to scoring.

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