Patrick Vieira has made the comparison that Arsenal supporters always want to hear, and he did not stop at praise. He put five current Arsenal players into a combined XI with the Invincibles, including David Raya over Jens Lehmann, Bukayo Saka over Freddie Ljungberg, Declan Rice over Gilberto Silva and Gabriel Magalhães in place of Kolo Touré. He still gave the manager's job to Arsène Wenger.

Why Vieira's XI matters

That is a bigger endorsement than a routine compliment. Vieira did not say this side has already matched the Invincibles, and he did not try to force every current player into the team. He simply made room for five of them, which tells you where he thinks the strongest modern Arsenal cases are.

Rice's numbers help explain the call. His Premier League rating is 7.46 this season, and Saka's is 7.24. Raya is not being chosen on sentiment either, with a 6.95 Premier League rating of his own. Arsenal's 19 clean sheets across the campaign also fit the shape of a team Vieira clearly sees as more than just attack-minded.

The manager choice is the other revealing part. Vieira praised Mikel Arteta for taking the team a couple of years ago and seeing where it is today, but he still picked Wenger because of what Wenger did for him and Thierry Henry. That keeps the comparison honest. Modern Arsenal are getting serious recognition here, but the Invincibles remain the reference point.

Vieira's selections also say something about the players he left out. He kept Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp up front, kept Ashley Cole at left-back and kept Robert Pires on the left. This was not a broad gesture toward the current squad, it was a selective judgment, and the fact that five of today's players still got in is the part Arsenal will prefer to hear.

Wenger kept the manager's job

Vieira's explanation for the dugout was simple enough. “I think Arteta did a really good job, taking the team a couple of years ago and seeing where it is today. He also spent a lot of money,” he said. “Regarding Arsene, I think Arsene brought myself and Thierry on really good deals, so for that I'd say Arsene will be the manager.”

That lines up with the rest of his XI. He was willing to upgrade parts of the team with Raya, Saka, Rice and Gabriel, but not the man who built the original standard. For Arsenal, that is probably the right balance. It is praise without revisionism, and it gives Arteta's side a proper place in the conversation without pretending the old one never existed.

If this debate keeps going, that is because Vieira has actually sharpened it. Five current players in a combined Invincibles XI is not a throwaway line, and it is a stronger verdict on Arsenal's present level than any amount of generic admiration.

FAQ

Why did Patrick Vieira put five current Arsenal players into an Invincibles XI?

Vieira picked five current Arsenal players because he felt they deserved places in a combined XI with the Invincibles. He selected David Raya over Jens Lehmann, Bukayo Saka over Freddie Ljungberg, Declan Rice over Gilberto Silva and Gabriel Magalhães in place of Kolo Touré, while still keeping Arsène Wenger as manager.

Did Patrick Vieira say Arsenal are better than the Invincibles now?

No. Vieira did not say this current Arsenal side is definitively better than the Invincibles. His claim was narrower: five modern players would make a combined XI, which is a strong endorsement without being a direct ranking of the two teams.

Why did Patrick Vieira choose Arsène Wenger over Mikel Arteta?

Vieira praised Mikel Arteta for taking the team forward and said he had spent a lot of money, but he still gave the manager's job to Arsène Wenger. His explanation was tied to Wenger bringing him and Thierry Henry to the club on good deals.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 4 outlets. How we work →