The Spaniard had a difficult task on his hands.
Santi Cazorla has been at Arsenal for four years now and despite the club failing to end the wait of their fourteenth English title during that time, the midfielder remains a fan favourite at the Emirates. He was this week given the chance to select his greatest ever Gunners eleven by Unscriptd Sport.
The playmaker wasn’t short of choice when it came to selecting his side from the red half of North London, with an array of icons and legends littered through the club’s history.
While the current Arsenal side are considered title contenders after blitzing their London rivals Chelsea 3-0 on Saturday, Cazorla believes only one member of the 2016/17 squad is worthy of making his all time XI.
Speaking to Unscriptd Sport, the former Villarreal and Malaga man overlooked the likes of superstar Alexis Sanchez and the ever-reliable Laurent Koscielny but chose Mesut Ozil as part of a four-man midfield, picking only two players with whom he has played alongside in the red shirt.
Cazorla currently plays with one of the best goalkeepers to grace the Premier League, yet opted for Ex-England international David Seaman, who won three domestic titles as well as four FA Cup’s under Arsene Wenger, between the sticks.
Ashley Cole and surprisingly Bacary Sagna made up the full-back positions in the side, with the latter playing alongside Cazorla before his transfer to Manchester City.
There was no question over his central defence pairing, comprising club icons Tony Adams and Sol Campbell, both pivotal to Arsenal’s glory days a while ago. He described them as “both amazing players for the club,” speaking to Unscriptd Sport.
Predictably, Cazorla’s midfield boasted of the ‘invincibles’ captain Patrick Vieira — “for me he was an amazing player, strong guy…I love him” — and Brazilian Gilberto Silva.
There was also a place for Robert Pires, who Cazorla played with in Spain when the duo dictated play for La Liga side Villarreal and said was “one of the best players in the world.”
There was no doubts for Cazorla in the striking department. Probably the easiest decision was his last, picking the iconic pairing of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp to lead the line.
Between the two strikers, they scored a total of 262 goals for the Gunners, winning three Premier League titles and four FA Cups.
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