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They started the decade as Champions League regulars and there was hope among the Emirates faithful despite seeing ambitions shift from mounting a serious title challenge to securing a top four finish.
For the most part Arsenal managed to qualify for the Champions League with the exception of the last three seasons where they could only manage Europa League qualification.
At the end of the 2017/18 campaign there was a change in personnel in the Emirates dugout for the first time in 22 years as Arsene Wenger said his goodbyes and was replaced by Unai Emery.
With the emergence of young stars at their most hated rivals, Tottenham, many claimed there was a shift in power in north London with the club failing to finish above their foes in the last three seasons.
However, the last ten years hasn’t been all doom and gloom as they have picked up three FA Cups, have endured successful Europa League campaigns and seen some of Europe’s best players don the famous red shirt.
So is this Arsenal’s team of the decade?
Goalkeeper – Wojciech Szczęsny
It was a tough choice between Szczęsny and veteran goalie Petr Cech but seeing as the latter will be more remembered for his time at Chelsea and didn’t arrive at the Emirates until later on in his career, the crown goes to Szczęsny.
The Poland shot stopper first arrived in 2006 and came through the youth academy and didn’t feature in the senior team until 2010 after a loan spell at Brentford.
From there he made 181 appearances for the club before being loaned out to Roma for two seasons between 2015 and 2017.
At the end of his loan spell he was sold to Juventus where he is currently the first-choice keeper.
Left-back – Nacho Monreal
Signing on January 31, 2013 the Spaniard made 251 appearances before departing for Real Sociedad last summer.
During his six and a half years at Arsenal he became a fan favourite who was often deployed out of position in centre-back when required and always gave his all for the shirt.
Centre-back – Per Mertesacker
Immediately after losing 8-2 to Manchester United in 2011 Mertesacker was signed from Werder Bremen.
The ‘Big Friendly German’ hit the ground running in an Arsenal shirt and formed a nice partnership with Laurent Koscielny.
The 6ft 6in centre-back spent seven years at the club and was captain upon his retirement in 2018 and he now works as Arsenal’s academy manager.
Centre-back – Laurent Koscielny
Over the past ten years Arsenal have had some less than convincing centre-backs but Koscielny wasn’t one of them.
Right up until his controversial departure in the summer he was an ever presence in the heart of the Arsenal defence making 353 appearances, helping the club to three FA Cup wins before he was given the captains armband for his final season.
Laurent Koscielny spent nine years at Arsenal
Right-back – Bacary Sagna
The Frenchman was once described by Wenger as the best right-back in the Premier League.
During his seven year spell at the Emirates he made 284 appearances, found the back of the net four times and was included in the PFA team of the year on two occasions before ending Arsenal’s trophy drought in his last appearance for the club in 2014.
Centre-midfield – Aaron Ramsey
Ramsey was another Arsenal player whose career was hit with injury but despite all of that he became the highest scoring midfielder in their history after netting 64 times in 369 appearances.
The Welshmen always delivered when it mattered, most notably when he scored the winners in FA Cup finals against Hull and Chelsea respectively.
Aaron Ramsey left Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer
Centre-midfield – Santi Cazorla
The Spaniard was a fan favourite from the moment he signed.
He picked up the man of the match award on his debut and was voted Arsenal’s player of the season after his first year at the club.
Cazorla continued to be an important figure at Arsenal and was crucial in their first FA Cup win in almost ten years when his free-kick got the Gunners back into the game against Hull in 2014, but his Arsenal career was plagued with injury and he left for Villarreal at the end of the 2017/18 season.
Attacking-midfield – Mesut Ozil
Ozil became Arsenal’s record signing in 2013 when he signed from Real Madrid for £42.5 million.
Despite an Arsenal career that lacks consistency from time to time, when the German is on form he is quite simply unplayable.
The German has appeared 236 times in an Arsenal shirt and found the back of the net 43 times and picked up the Arsenal player of the season award in 2016.
Forward – Alexis Sanchez
The Chilean joined from Barcelona in 2014 and instantly became a hit in north London.
Sanchez spent three and a half seasons at Arsenal, scoring 80 goals in 166 appearances and was often the star player appearing in the 2014/15 PFA team of the year before departing for Manchester United in January 2018.
Forward – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
The final signing of the Wenger era and he has not disappointed.
The Gabon international scored on his debut against Everton and hasn’t stopped finding the back of the net since, picking up a joint golden boot with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah in his first full season at the club.
Aubameyang has scored 50 goals in 78 appearances for Arsenal
Forward – Robin van Persie
RVP, as he became known, signed for Arsenal in 2004. It took a while for the Dutchman to break through, but he showed moments of brilliance such as his stunning volley against Charlton.
Once Thierry Henry had left for Barcelona and Emmanuel Adebayor for Manchester City, Van Persie was the main striker and he took the no.10 from Dennis Bergkamp upon his retirement.
RVP continued to set the league alight for Arsenal and picked up the Golden Boot in the 2011/12 season where he netted 30 goals in the Premier League before he departed for Manchester United ahead of the 2012/13 season.
Manager – Arsene Wenger
Arsenal have only had two managers in the past ten years and Wenger brought many years of happiness to the club including three FA Cups in the last decade before he stepped down in 2018 after 22 years at the helm.
Arsenal XI of the Decade
And here’s what they used to look like…
The previous decade proved to be more successful for Arsenal.
In the Noughties, Arsenal won two Premier League titles, one of which was the famous ‘Invincibles’ season when they remained unbeaten in the Premier League, while they also made it to the Champions League final in 2006, losing 2-1 to Barcelona.
Here is how Arsenal’s team of the decade looked between 1999 and 2009, understandably ‘The Invincibles’ feature heavily.Arsenal 1999/2009 XI
