Arsenal's best ever XI ... the holding midfielder 🧠 | OneFootball

With football postponed for the moment, we’ve been thinking about who gets in Arsenal’s all-time XI.

Today we’re choosing the holding midfielder.

Here are the nominees …

3rd – Emmanuel Petit

Having agreed personal terms with Tottenham, it took one afternoon with Arsène Wenger for Emmanuel Petit to swap to the other side of the north London divide.

And it was his partnership alongside Patrick Vieira that took Arsenal to new heights, winning a Premier League and FA Cup double in his first full season.

Petit only stayed for three seasons before joining Barcelona in 2000, but few could rival his consistency, physicality and skill during those 110 appearances for the club.

2nd – Michael Thomas

Michael Thomas is responsible for arguably the greatest, most dramatic moment in Arsenal history.

First v second. The Gunners needed two (unanswered) goals against Liverpool to secure their first domestic title in 18 years.

Leading 1-0 through Alan Smith, Thomas suddenly breaks through midfield and dinks Bruce Grobbelaar in INJURY TIME to send the travelling support into pandemonium.

Thomas was a reliable performer during his time at the club, making 173 appearances across seven seasons, but he will always be remembered for that night in 1989.

And the winner is … Gilberto Silva

Arsenal have a mixed history of signing players from Brazil but Gilberto Silva – brought in from Atlético Mineiro – was a resounding success.

Nicknamed “The Invisible Wall” for his positional awareness, strength in the tackle and smart distribution, he allowed the more creative players to excel without worrying about their defensive work.

His presence provided a base for the famous Invincibles side to excel, and he left the club in 2008 with a Premier League title, plus two FA Cups under his belt.

Here’s how the team is looking so far …

GK: David Seaman RB: Lee Dixon CB: Martin Keown CB: Tony Adams LB: Ashley Cole DM: Gilberto Silva

Check back tomorrow when we will be choosing the second midfielder.