One of the largest and most well-supported clubs in the Premier League, the North London based team Arsenal has been home to some legendary players throughout their history.
Greats such as Tony Adams, Ian Wright, and Thierry Henry have all graced the field of both Highbury and the Emirates Stadium over the years.
Today though, we’ll be looking at the iconic kits that these players wore during their time with the Gunners and telling you what the 10 best Arsenal kits of all time are.
10. 2021/22 Away Kit
It has to be said that the past decade has been a barren period for the Gunners in terms of any real success, under Mikel Arteta the club are on an upwards trajectory and it may not be long before we start seeing Arsenal competing for major honors once again.
Despite this lack of success, there have been some stellar kits to come out of this era. The first of those being the 2021/22 away kit. The jersey features the classic canon that stands guard outside of the Emirates Stadium and is closely linked to the club’s identity as the Gunners.
The pale shade of yellow that the kit has is not popular with everyone but is something that makes this jersey different and that is always something to be aimed for when a kit is being designed.
9. 2000/02 Home Kit
Back in the early 2000’s, home kits were often used for two seasons rather than one in an effort to reduce production costs and make jerseys more affordable for fans. Arsenal were one of the clubs that did this and they had their Nike home jersey for two years between 2000 and 2002.
The jersey itself features a simple design with the traditional Arsenal red being the prominent color alongside the shades of white to the sleeves. Most importantly though, the legendary Dreamcast sponsor is loud and proud in the middle of the jersey and is simply exquisite.
On the field, it was a very good time for the club as stars like Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp helped fire the Gunners to the Premier League title in 2002 (the second year this kit was worn). Arsenal also enjoyed success in the FA Cup, with them completing a famous double by winning the competition in 2002.
8. 2007/08 Third Kit
After the best years of the Arsène Wenger era had come and passed, a long period of slow decline began to take hold, and by the mid, to late 2000’s it was becoming clear that something had to change in order for the success to return to the Emirates Stadium.
Despite this, there were still good times to be had in North London, and legends such as Robin van Persie helped to deliver this. The Dutch striker is one of the best forwards that Arsenal has ever had but is despised by fans over his move to Manchester United in 2012.
One of the kits that became synonymous with van Persie was the 2007/08 third kit, a stellar design that resembles the jerseys of old for the club. The jersey was designed to honor club hero Herbert Chapman who managed the team between 1925-1934 and who was immensely popular with the fans.
7. 2022/23 Home Kit
The current home jersey that is being worn during the latest season of the Mikel Arteta era, Adidas has once again looked to the past when designing this classy effort that would look in place during the 1990s and the modern day.
The jersey features a stylish-looking collar that has red and black trim, reminiscent to the glory days of the mid-1990s. The rest of the kit is relatively simple and features the now classic Emirates sponsor on the front as well as the three stripes of Adidas running down the sleeves.
Whilst they may not be as popular as they were in the past, this jersey comes available in long sleeved variant and this is something that enhances the jersey further. By having the white run down the sleeves, the contrast to the red is excellent and is finished off by the cuff.
6. 2005/06 Home Kit
One of the rare occasions that Arsenal actually diverged from their regular shade of blood red, the club opted for a burgundy home kit during the 2005/06 season.
The move was an interesting one at the time and raised many eyebrows, but it soon became iconic and much loved.
This was not a season of much domestic success as whilst the team did manage to claim a UEFA Champions League spot by finishing in 4th place in the Premier League, no trophies fell the way of Arsène Wenger’s men.
In Europe though, it was a different story as Arsenal enjoyed their greatest ever European campaign by reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League.
In terms of why this jersey is so iconic, it was one of Thierry Henry’s finest years in an Arsenal jersey and was the final year that the club played at their old Highbury home. It was emotional and this jersey has become synonymous with these feelings for fans.
5. 1997/98 Away Kit
The Gunners have a long-standing tradition of having yellow away kits and the 1997/98 effort by Nike is one of the finest examples of why they keep going back to the color scheme.
Yellow and black, with a touch of red on the collar make this a classy-looking jersey that is only improved by the famous JVC sponsor in the middle.
The black shorts and socks just top off one of the classiest kits on this list and it was worn by some of the classiest players to have ever graced the Highbury field.
Legends such as Patrick Viera, Marc Overmars, and an in his prime Nicholas Anelka helped to fire the Gunners to a legendary domestic double.
The French-inspired team won both the Premier League and the FA Cup, looking stylish whilst doing it. The club disappointed in Europe though, losing out in the first round of the UEFA Cup.
4. 2001/02 Away Kit
This kit is all about the sponsor for me because who doesn’t want to play Soccer whilst having SEGA plastered across their midriff? At the time the club was in its pomp and needed an away strip that lived up to the classy Soccer that they were playing.
Nike certainly delivered, with a now famous and rare golden jersey that symbolized the levels Arsenal was reaching at the time. There are also shaded of navy blue and the iconic blood red of the home jersey of the kit and this just gives it the balance that a gold kit needs to look good.
On the field, Arsenal won the Premier League title by scoring in every game that they played which isn’t surprising when you consider the level of attacking players they had at their disposal. They also took the FA Cup and left Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United scratching their heads at how to topple them.
3. 1995/96 Away Kit
When the club moved away from their usual yellow away kit in 1995 it was considered a risky move and was not popular with all of the fans, but this is a jersey that has aged really well and is now one of the most desired by Arsenal fans around the world.
The navy blue and black color scheme is melded into the lightning bolt effect that runs through the center of the jersey and is either garish or cool depending on your outlook, I stand with the latter opinion clearly.
The iconic JVC sponsor still stands proud in the middle of the jersey and the classic logo is still in use. The shorts also have a special touch, with a bizarre take on the club logo put onto them (a giant A).
2. 2004/05 Home Kit
Simple is always good when it comes to making iconic Soccer kits and it really doesn’t get any simpler than the 2004/05 kit by Nike. The jersey is just a block of red, with white shorts and socks.
The sponsor is prominent on the jersey though and this can either be a good thing or ruin a jersey completely. Thankfully for Arsenal, the famous 02 sponsor looks in place and is linked to the days of Thierry Henry.
It wasn’t an amazing season for the club as they faltered to second place in the Premier League, this pain was eased by another FA Cup triumph though alongside a token FA Community Shield that came at the beginning of the season.
1. 1991/92 Away Kit
The best Arsenal kit of all time is undoubtedly the legendary ‘Bruised Banana’ by Adidas. The boldest move that the German company has ever made with one of their major clients, this could have easily been the worst kit that the club has ever had.
The jersey is designed to blend the yellow and black colors that are almost always present on the club’s away kits and works to perfection whilst giving a bruised banana effect.
Today, the jersey alone is considered one of the rarest and most sought after by fans and collectors alike who want to own a piece of soccer history. Ian Wright wearing this jersey was iconic, with Jose Mourinho once stating that this kit was ‘Futbol Heritage’.
It wasn’t a stellar season for Arsenal, but it was clear they were on the rise as they took 4th place in the Premier League and shared the FA Charity Shield following a draw with bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
What do you make of our list of the 10 best Arsenal kits of all time? Would you put some different designs in there?
