However, towards the back end of Arsene Wenger's stunning reign and as Unai Emery took his place, that position faltered.
The Spaniard endured a torrid period in charge, filled with media mockery and transfer missteps, resulting in his dismissal and returning them back to square one. David Moyes had proved just how difficult it could be to take the place of a departing legend, with the ongoing struggles felt at Manchester United still shrouding Old Trafford today.
So, that makes Mikel Arteta's efforts all the more impressive, having come in, acted with incision, and enjoyed a truly enthralling title battle last term with one of the greatest club sides in history.
Arsene Wenger
They will be hoping to go one step further than their second-place finish this season, and are currently one of just two sides who remain unbeaten in the Premier League.
Looking back on their legends of the past, the Gunners will hope to inherit the spirit of their 2004 invincibles and emulate their unprecedented success. Although Thierry Henry stole the headlines for his offensive work, whilst Sol Campbell remained a rock at the back, it was Dennis Bergkamp who is remembered with similar fondness to the former, who is widely recognised as the club's and the division's greatest-ever player.
How good was Dennis Bergkamp?
Having joined from Inter Milan in 1995, there was much excitement surrounding his arrival, as an experienced international star with his best years ahead of him.
The Gunners had endured a slump in the mid-1990s, and were seeking to emerge from it with success. The fleet-footed genius was expected to be a spearhead to provoke such change, and upon Wenger's appointment, that vision was realised.
He was promoted to be their most influential player, with much of their attacking play surging through his magic feet. This saw him earn praise in 1998, claiming the PFA Player of the Year Award, before going on to win three English league titles alongside four FA Cups.the Bernabeu, which the legendary tactician had been made aware of.
Wenger would outline that in his interview when asked if he had tried to sign the forward: "Yes, because he was in competition with Higuain for a while. It was Higuain for three games, three games for Benzema. He played the game based on passing and connections, so he was an ideal player up front.Karim Benzema's years after failed 2015 AFC move
Appearances
Goals
Assists
2022/23 (La Liga)
24
19
3
2021/22 (La Liga)
32
27
12
2020/21 (La Liga)
34
23
9
2019/20 (La Liga)
37
21
8
2018/19 (La Liga)
36
21
7
2017/18 (La Liga)
32
5
11
2016/17 (La Liga)
29
11
5
2015/16 (La Liga)
27
24
8
"He’s a striker who makes people around him better and sometimes you have strikers who score goals but they make players around them worse. He’s not one of them. If you put Benzema in the team, I would want to play with him."
As that link between the defence and attack, immediately the Bergkamp comparisons could emerge. However, the Dutchman could not compete with the goalscoring figures posted by the 97-cap finisher, who now plies his trade in Saudi Arabia.
How good is Karim Benzema?
Benzema's talent really needs no explaining, but to compare him with Bergkamp is to truly emphasise the true levels of his brilliance.
After all, merely sticking around at Real Madrid for 14 years is enough to outline his quality, as few boast such longevity at the pinnacle of football. The 35-year-old would feature 648 times for Los Blancos before his departure in the summer, having scored 354 goals and assisted a further 165.
Not only was he a mainstay across one of the club's most successful periods, leaving having won five Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles among numerous other domestic honours, but he also stepped up in Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, going on to win the Ballon d'Or for his outstanding 2022 performances.
Journalist Zach Lowy would even outline his performances with Lyon during the start of his career as "the making of a legend", which was a notion certainly supported by these figures.
karim-benzema-real-madrid-ballon-dor
Meanwhile, for all his talents, Bergkamp would only manage 267 goals and 132 assists across his entire career, figures that Benzema surpassed for one club alone.
The 6 foot 1 marksman could have proved revolutionary for Wenger during a period where the title was there for the taking, and had he moved to the Emirates, perhaps they would have been the recipient of his golden years.
As such, they were forced to endure a quality of player that cannot lace Benzema's boots, with some of their finest-ever stars failing to come close to the levels of the current Al-Ittihad ace.
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