Is This Arsenal's Greatest XI?

ML. Robert Pires

Saying Arsenal fans love Robert Pires is like someone proclaiming that people love chocolate as if it's a revelatory statement. There's no need to say it because everyone knows it. How could fans not fall in love with the French winger who dazzled them for years with his silky skills, deft touches, outlandish goals and, of course, the fact that he ran down the pitch like a duck being chased by an axe-wielding maniac.

It was the little things about Pires that endeared him to Arsenal fans so much. He had a knack for scoring goals against arch-rivals Tottenham, he had propensity to put the ball in the back of the net. in FA cup finals and he was part of the dynamic left-sided trio of Thierry Henry and Ashley Cole during the early 2000's. In his prime, there's only one word you can use to describe the man succinctly - and that was devastating.

Which is funny because with all the praise Pires has received over the years for his performances at Arsenal, no one ever talks about how rough he had it when he first joined the club. Like many foreign players, he needed time to adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League and it took awhile for that to happen.

However, once he was able to deal with the aggression of the league and overcome a damaged cruciate ligament injury, his true game began to emerge. That goes to show that not only did Pires have all the skills to be a wonderful player, he also had the determination to get past any obstacles put in his way.