When Arsenal supporters reflect on the club’s best midfielders of the modern era, names such as Cesc Fàbregas, Patrick Vieira and Declan Rice often dominate the conversation. Yet the 2010s produced a number of talented midfielders who played key roles in the club’s successes and delivered moments that still live long in the memory.
From FA Cup heroes to creative maestros and dependable workhorses, these midfielders all left their mark on Arsenal during an important decade for the club.
Cup Heroes And Creative Geniuses
Aaron Ramsey
A vital presence in Arsenal’s engine room until his free transfer to Juventus in July 2019. Ramsey was the definitive hero of Arsenal’s modern FA Cup success, scoring the cheeky extra-time winner against Hull City in the 2014 final before heading home the decisive goal against Chelsea in the 2017 final.
Santi Cazorla
A fan favourite renowned for his sublime technical ability. His brilliant free-kick sparked Arsenal’s comeback from 2-0 down against Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup Final. The two-footed Spaniard frequently wore the captain’s armband as vice-captain alongside Mikel Arteta and Per Mertesacker.
Jack Wilshere
A force of nature whose peak years at the Emirates were sadly disrupted by injuries. Arsenal fans will never forget his involvement in the stunning team goal against Norwich City during the 2013/14 season, a move that showcased the club’s attacking football at its very best.
Mesut Özil
The German playmaker broke Arsenal’s transfer record in 2013 when he arrived from Real Madrid for £42.5 million. He made an instant impact with two assists on his debut against Sunderland. While his creativity and vision thrilled supporters under Arsène Wenger, his reluctance to contribute defensively eventually saw him frozen out under Mikel Arteta.
Unsung Servants And Cult Favourites
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Blessed with blistering pace and versatility, “The Ox” often found himself battling injuries and fierce competition for places. Despite never fully cementing a starting role, he remained a valuable squad member before departing for Liverpool in 2017, where he would later win the Champions League.
Granit Xhaka
A fierce and passionate midfielder who became one of the most divisive figures of the Emirates era. Across seven seasons, Xhaka served as a combative presence in the centre of the pitch and was capable of producing spectacular long-range strikes that left goalkeepers with little chance.
Mohamed Elneny
Signed from FC Basel for around £5 million, Elneny proved to be a reliable and tireless servant during his eight-year spell in North London. His most memorable moment came against Barcelona at the Camp Nou in 2016, when he curled a stunning first-time effort past the reigning Champions League holders. It was his first goal for the club.
Dani Ceballos
The Spanish midfielder spent two seasons on loan from Real Madrid between 2019 and 2021. While his time at Arsenal produced mixed performances, he secured his place in club folklore by scoring a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, helping send Arsenal to the 2020 FA Cup semi-finals.
Arsenal’s history is often defined by its biggest stars, but these midfielders all contributed important moments, memorable performances and silverware during the 2010s. Whether through creativity, leadership, determination or cup-winning heroics, each played a significant role in keeping Arsenal competitive throughout the decade.
Which of these midfielders do you think deserves more credit from Arsenal supporters? Let us know in the comments below.
Liam Harding
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Those midfielders were mostly good, but none of them is as good as our EPL winning and UCL runner-up midfielders
Having said that, Arsenal could look for new midfielders whose abilities akin to theirs as squad rotation players, to back our main midfielders up
Perhaps Danilo Oliveira will be a much cheaper option than Mateus Fernandes and Eliott Anderson
Gotanidea,
You say none of the midfielders are as good as our EPL winning and UCL runner-up midfielders.
I beg to differ, Cazorla was a magician. You could give him the ball in tight spaces and he’d still find a way out. And still to this day I don’t know which foot he preferred, he seemed to be just as effective with either foot.
Jack Wilshire could have been right up there to, but injury’s kept him back from fulfilling his obvious talent. When he did stay fit, he still showed glimpses of the player he could have become.
And I believe that Chamberlain could have mixed it with our current midfield. Remember he mainly played out wide for us, but it was always mentioned that he could eventually have been made into a central midfielder. An example of this was when we lost the first leg of a CL game 4-0 to AC Milan. We won the home leg 3-0, and although we lost 4-3 on aggregate, Chamberlain ran the central midfield that night particularly in the first half.
So I think the three mentioned could have held their own in the current midfield.
The others have their merits to, but the three I mentioned were top for me.
Good list. Cazorla was a very good deep-lying playmaker and a true ambidextrous creative midfielder, but Oxlade-Chamberlain tried a central midfield role at Liverpool and he failed to stay consistent
@gai
Besides Rice, none of our current midfielders hold a candle next to Santi Carzola.
I really liked Cazorla’s technical skills, but his stamina isn’t on a par with Odegaard’s
Odegaard’s high press was a major factor of our final league position in the last four seasons
Without him pressing like a mad man, our CBs would’ve encountered more pressure from the oppositions
@gai
Santi was 27 when he signed for us. Martin was 22. And even then, Santi was breaking up play, turning defence into attack at the drop of a hat. Something Martin does not and cannot do. Well at least. Just sayin…
I believe it was because Odegaard was always tasked to press up high the pitch for more than seventy minutes in every game, whereas Cazorla could focus on playmaking and dictating the tempo from our deep midfield area
If Odegaard can focus on creative works from no 10 position and let someone else does the pressing job, we might see more creative passes and through balls from him
@gai
Sound…👍🏾
gotanidea,
Don’t even go there, Cazorla was light years a better player than Odegaard.
The amount of people that wax lyrical about Odegaard’s stamina and his closing down. For a player who’s meant to be our most creative player, he certainly doesn’t show it.
Now Cazorla was a very creative player. I know which player I prefer.
GAI
if u look back on some of the footage of santi
When he wasn’t injured
He could press, tackle like a demon drive forward and skip past players , not 1 but 2 3 4 in a driving run that had your eyes popping out.
Injury robbed him of playing time
Looks like I am bigging him up as a messi but for me he could have been just as good if had kept Injury free
Different era but as good as MO is at times he isnt a patch on santi
Alanball08,
I couldn’t have put it better myself. 👍
What a fantastic array of names and all with their own “claim to fame” apart from Ceballos and I wonder why Liam included him? Just my opinion of course!!
If one judges the names by natural footballing talent, then I suggest it should be Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere and Santi Cazorla.
If one judges it on dedication and loyalty to the squad and club, then I suggest it should be Mohamed Elneny and Granit Xhaka.
If one judges it on fighting back from adversity, scoring vital goals and love for our club, then I suggest it should be Aaron Ramsey.
Can’t really find a spot for AOC, but he was a good player and is still our record transfer out of the club.
OT – Liam, I’m reading your “Poems of the Arsenal” book and am up to the George Swindon and Jack Kelsey pages.
Really enjoying your descriptive poetry of our past players and you bring them to life.
Poetry in Motion one might say!! 👍
Ken1945,
I agree with most of you’re post, except we’ll have to differ on Chamberlain.
Cazorla was an amazing midfielder
He was a top tier player when he wasn’t injured
He would easily get on this current team in his prime
Wonderful list up there.Ozil the genius,Cazorla the magician.
Wilshere was one of the most overrated midfielders due to glimpses of talent. He was good at running into danger and getting free kicks. Cazorla was excellent, but he should have been our playmaker directly behind the front line. In the 2010’s, we were very good on the eye, but sadly, we were too naive. Ramsey could have played in a lot of eras. He was an all-rounder
@Break on through
Spot on regarding Wilshere. I never understood the praise he got for turning up in 2 or 3 matches.
“glimpses of talent”😳
Best bang for bucks midfielders. Flamini and Elneny.
Imo
Santi was a person who was had magic in his boots
For a little fellow he had a heart of lion, skill to match the best of them and a leader on the pitch
We let him him go to early and he proved after his injury he could still produce the good in Spain
I saw his little boy at the time who couldnt have been more then 4 or 5 have a kick about at the end of the season on the last game of the season and and he looked like a mini santi
with bags of skill
@Alanball08
RealTalk. I wish we would have signed him earlier, to be honest.
One that just missed the 2010 so doesn’t fall in To this category was helb
So disappointed when he was sold off to Barcelona
Bags of skill
Alanball08,
I agree with you regards Hleb. He later admitted that he regretted leaving Arsenal.
😮💨
For a short period we had such a magical midfield