While things haven’t always gone smoothly of late, it’s still fair to refer to Arsenal as one of the most beloved and significant football clubs in Europe. And as such, as supporters well know, the club has turned out plenty of iconic teams and moments over the years. Along the way though, Arsenal’s kits’ designs have often been the stuff of legend as well –– and even help us to place those favorite moments and bits of nostalgia when we look back.
With that said, let’s take a look at some of the best kits Arsenal players have worn (at least by our estimation!).
1969 Home
When people think about classic football figures, this is the type of cut they imagine. Simple shapes and colors allowed fans to focus on the players’ skills above all else. That said, there’s something about the minimalistic design that transmits a feeling of greatness even all these decades later.
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1991 Adidas Away Jersey
This jersey somehow doesn’t get talked about very much, but it recently resurfaced in the “Kickin’ It” Adidas football series on SoleSavy, and certainly deserves a mention here. As that series noted, this kit’s eye-catching patterns are full of ’90s nostalgia for Arsenal fans –– although most of them would prefer to hang it on a wall rather than to wear it for a game. It is quite loud!
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1992 Adidas Home
The classic crest at the center and the Adidas logo on top represent both the ability to persevere in the face of challenge and the role that harmony plays in achieving victory. Arsenal players experienced both while wearing this kit, starting at the bottom but going on to win multiple cups. As a result, fans remember the JVC logo as well as the stripes on the sleeves with a lot of pride.
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1995 Nike Away
Nike decided to go against tradition and reject the club’s yellow color for away jerseys. In fact, it went in the opposite direction and ended up with a blue top with lightning bolts at the center. Fans got used to it however, and now it’s considered one of the classics. These kits even seem to have inspired one of the team’s current jersey options.
2000 Nike Home
The Dreamcast-sponsored kit is probably one of the most beloved among fans who grew up in the 2000s. During this period they were able to see players like Thierry Henry beat Chelsea while wearing the now-classic blue stripes and on the shorts and sleeves. Plus, something about broadcasting Dreamcast as a sponsor in 2000 just fits the era perfectly in retrospect.
2003 Nike Away
With this early-2000s away kit, Nike kept the tradition of yellow or golden colors for the away jersey, but threw in a twist. The players had to wear a vivid yellow jersey and blue shorts resembling those of the Swedish national team. However, fans had little to complain about. Not only did the jerseys look terrific, but they also became forever linked to The Invincibles
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2005 Nike Home
Arsenal hadn’t used dark red for any kit in a long time when this design was revealed, but the reason was very simple and even touching. It paid homage to a time where the club didn’t have official colors and had to ask Nottingham Forest to lend them their shirts. But most fans remember this kit as what the team wore the first time it got to play in the Champions League finals (against Barcelona).
Arsenal kits are among the most memorable in European football. However, it’s not just the beautiful designs that made these kits so popular, but the history behind them, and the emotions fans remember when these colors and patterns appear on the screen.
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