Having arrived at Arsenal the same year as the new Manager i.e. 96’, Patrick Vieira immediately stamped his authority on the Premier League. From a squad player in Milan to the club captain in London, his sojourn at N5 was to go down as one of the brightest periods in Arsenal’s history..

An 11Gunners appreciation of the best 'Holding-Midfielder' of our times..

At 6ft 4ins, coping with the physical rigours of the English game was never going to be a problem for the big Frenchman. But what made Vieira special was that his graft came hand in hand with craft. He could not only win those dirty battles in the midfield but was also equally adept in launching counter-attacks further down the field. He and Petit, the then ‘Club-Country’ duo, were influential in both France winning the World Cup and Arsenal doing the ‘Domestic Double’ in ‘98. He won two of them with the club, the other coming in 01’. But his finest hour came once he became the captain of the Gunners in 02’. In the 03-04’ season, Vieira, alongside Gilberto Silva, formed a mid-field pairing able enough to provide, both, the defensive cover for an often fiery Arsenal attacking line as well as help distributing the balls for the same. He was someone who always gave his cent percent while donning the Club’s colours. This became evident everytime Arsenal locked horns with their bitter rivals Manchester United. The duel between Patrick Vieira and Roy Keane often formed the sub-plot of many a game between the two sides, which in itself speaks highly of the importance he held in the team given that both the sides were packed with superstars. Although never a consistent scorer, his goals were either spectacular or vital in the context of the game. None more than in the ‘Title-clinching’ game against Tottenham or the final game of the season against Leicester, which helped Arsenal, keep their streak alive.

Arsenal won the League that year. Winning the league is one thing, doing so without tasting defeat is something else.  History was made and he became a part of it. Arsenal were the ‘Unstoppables’, the ‘Unbeatables’ and Patrick Vieira thus became an:

INVINCIBLE