19 Apr 1999: Arsenal keeper David Seaman throws out against Wimbledon in the FA Carling Premiership match at Highbury in London. Arsenal won 5-1. \ Mandatory Credit: Gary M Prior/Allsport
Ranking the 5 best Arsenal goalkeepers of all-time
3. Pat Jennings
Pat Jennings. Arsenal. pic.twitter.com/1u3N8szCAt
— Nostalgia Futbolera ® (@nostalgiafutbo1) January 21, 2022
Pat Jennings’ allegiance to Spurs, whom he made almost 500 appearances for, doesn’t take away from the virtuosity he displayed during his eight years with Arsenal.
Remarkably, the Northern Irish goalkeeper is still adored on both sides of the bitter north London divide which is a testament to not only his character but his on-pitch brilliance as well.
Jennings is one of the 20th century’s all-time great goalkeepers and his spell with Arsenal was hugely successful. He helped the club to four cup finals between 1978 and 1980 on his way to 327 appearances with the club.
Spurs, who thought Jennings had entered the twilight of his career, were made to rue their decision to let him go in 1977.
Jennings was a fundamentally sound goalkeeper who didn’t have to pull off the spectacular to stand out. He was as traditional as it gets, although his ability in one-vs-one situations was special. The Alisson Becker of yesteryear. In 1983, he became the first player in English football to notch 1,000 senior appearances, and he celebrated the milestone in typical Pat Jennings fashion: with a clean sheet.
Continued on the next slide…
Greatest XI piece</a>. On this occasion, we’re going way back to the club’s inception in 1886.</p>
<p>A shortlist of icons at each position was distributed to each contributor of the PITA site, who then voted for their top five (in order). A fifth-place vote was worth a point, fourth was two points, while first was five points. Those points were added together to work out who we had voted to be the top five players at each position in Arsenal’s history.</p>
<p>Today, we’re starting with the goalkeepers and over the next six days, we’ll reveal our top five full-backs, centre-backs, central midfielders, playmakers (wingers/attacking midfielders) and strikers.</p>
<h2>Arsenal’s top 5 goalkeepers of all-time</h2>
<p>So, without further ado, let’s get this series underway! Here are our top five Arsenal goalkeepers of all time.</p>
<h2>5. Jack Kelsey</h2>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thread : Jack Kelsey was Wales' goalkeeper in the 1958 World Cup. A steelworker, he joined Arsenal straight from the Swansea amateur team, Winch Wen in 1949. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://t.co/5ZGyo4CEDR">pic.twitter.com/5ZGyo4CEDR
<p>— Ffwtbol (@ffwtbol) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/ffwtbol/status/1303674636950003713?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>September 9, 2020</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Steeldog Millionaire – a nickname I unabashedly just conjured up – Jack Kelsey had quite the rags to riches story.</p>
<p>Kelsey joined the club in 1949 from Winch Wen – a Swansea amateur team – and spent the entirety of his 13-year senior career with the Gunners. He was forced to retire in 1962 due to a back injury, but not before he’d established himself as a world-class goalkeeper.</p>
<p>His Arsenal career kicked off in dismal fashion and he was mocked for conceding five on his debut. But, it didn’t take long for the Welshman – amid a barren spell for the club – to win the hearts and minds of supporters. Kelsey became the club’s number one in the 1952/53 season and would go on to make 351 appearances between the Arsenal posts.</p>
<p>But perhaps his greatest influence came on the international stage. Starring for Wales at the 1958 World Cup, Kelsey was dubbed “the cat with magnetic paws” by the eventual winners, Brazil, who edged past the Welsh 1-0 in the quarter-finals.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Fourth best Arsenal GK ever </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>4. Bob Wilson</h2>
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<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-127495" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2243,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1130725689.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2243" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1130725689.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1130725689-768x538.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Scottish goalkeeper Bob Wilson of Arsenal FC at White Hart Lane during the derby against Tottenham Hotspur FC, London, UK, 15th August 1968. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)</p>
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<p>A year after Kelsey’s retirement in 1962, Arsenal signed Bob Wilson from Wolves in a move worth a meagre £7,500.</p>
<p>Like Kelsey, Wilson, who joined as an amateur, was forced to play second fiddle for several years before an error by then-number one Jim Furnell in an FA Cup tie against Birmingham in March 1968 gifted Wilson an opportunity he wouldn’t relinquish.</p>
<p>The goalkeeper would go on to be a cornerstone of Arsenal for the next decade, making over 300 appearances for the club. His first trophy with the Gunners arrived in the form of the 1969/70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup before he was named Player of the Season during the double-winning campaign of 1970/71.</p>
<p>Wilson remained the club’s first choice up until 1974 before he called it quits on a stellar career at the age of 32. He then went on to serve as Arsenal’s goalkeeping coach for almost three decades, passing on his wisdom to the likes of Pat Jennings and David Seaman.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Third best Arsenal GK ever </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>3. Pat Jennings</h2>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pat Jennings. Arsenal. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://t.co/1u3N8szCAt">pic.twitter.com/1u3N8szCAt
<p>— Nostalgia Futbolera ® (@nostalgiafutbo1) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/nostalgiafutbo1/status/1484333881813700610?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>January 21, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Pat Jennings’ allegiance to Spurs, whom he made almost 500 appearances for, doesn’t take away from the virtuosity he displayed during his eight years with Arsenal.</p>
<p>Remarkably, the Northern Irish goalkeeper is still adored on both sides of the bitter north London divide which is a testament to not only his character but his on-pitch brilliance as well.</p>
<p>Jennings is one of the 20th century’s all-time great goalkeepers and his spell with Arsenal was hugely successful. He helped the club to four cup finals between 1978 and 1980 on his way to 327 appearances with the club.</p>
<p>Spurs, who thought Jennings had entered the twilight of his career, were made to rue their decision to let him go in 1977.</p>
<p>Jennings was a fundamentally sound goalkeeper who didn’t have to pull off the spectacular to stand out. He was as traditional as it gets, although his ability in one-vs-one situations was special. The Alisson Becker of yesteryear. In 1983, he became the first player in English football to notch 1,000 senior appearances, and he celebrated the milestone in typical Pat Jennings fashion: with a clean sheet.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Second best Arsenal GK ever </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>2. Jens Lehmann</h2>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127496" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1523,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F80779140.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1523" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/80779140.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/80779140-768x731.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Arsenal’s German Goalkeeper Jens Lehmann gestures during their Premier League match against Reading at the Emirates Stadium in North London, on April 19, 2008. (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)</p>
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<p>German shot-stopper Jens Lehmann was between the sticks as Arsenal completed their historic Invincibles campaign in 2003/04. He played in every Premier League match that season and was subsequently awarded the Golden Glove award.</p>
<p>After joining from Borussia Dortmund the previous summer, Lehmann couldn’t have asked for a better debut season.</p>
<p>Inconsistency plagued his 2004/05 campaign but he had a huge say in Arsenal’s 2005 FA Cup victory; saving from Paul Scholes in their penalty shootout triumph over Manchester United in the final.</p>
<p>Lehmann carried on that momentum into the 2005/06 season, which was arguably his best in an Arsenal shirt. The German helped the Gunners reach their first-ever Champions League final as he notched a record ten consecutive clean sheets and didn’t concede a goal for a staggering 853 minutes in the competition. Despite the bitter end to Arsenal’s European journey, Lehmann was still named UEFA’s Goalkeeper of the Year.</p>
<p>The German’s career in north London slowly petered out before he departed in 2008, but his apex was as good as anything we’ve seen.</p>
<p><em>Continued on the next slide…</em></p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #c01f2f" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The best ever Arsenal GK </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><h2>1. David Seaman</h2>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127497" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2550,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1087782.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2550" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1087782.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1087782-768x612.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">21 Aug 2000: David Seaman of Arsenal in action during the FA Carling Premiership match against Liverpool played at Highbury, in London. Arsenal won the match 2-0. \ Mandatory Credit: Phil Cole /Allsport</p>
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<p>David Seaman is synonymous with the most successful period in the club’s modern history. Of course he’s the greatest Arsenal goalkeeper of all time.</p>
<p>Although, very few – apart from George Graham – projected the impact Seaman would have in north London following his rather acrimonious arrival from QPR in 1990. The signing of Seaman ended the vastly popular John Lukic’s tenure between the sticks.</p>
<p>“We all agree… Lukic is better than Seaman!” supporters cried amid links to the QPR shot-stopper, but 13 years, 564 appearances and eight major trophies later and it’s fair to say that it was Graham who had the last laugh.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">On this day in 2003: David Seaman produced this stunning save in a 1-0 win over Sheffield United as Arsenal reached their third consecutive FA Cup Final. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/afc?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#afc</a> <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://t.co/Fp2QaRi9Vl">pic.twitter.com/Fp2QaRi9Vl
<p>— afcstuff (@afcstuff) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2022/07/07/ranking-the-5-best-arsenal-goalkeepers-of-all-time/3/"https://twitter.com/afcstuff/status/1382049732428726276?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>April 13, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Seaman is the epitome of a legend and one of Britain’s greatest-ever goalkeepers. He was brave, commanding in the air, blessed with cat-like reflexes and somewhat of a penalty-saving specialist. His performances for England, especially at Euro ’96, saw him earn greater notoriety, and it was wildly unjust for his international career to end with <em>that</em> Ronaldinho goal at the 2002 World Cup.</p>
<p>However, his unforgettable spell at Arsenal would end on a happier note as Seaman registered a clean sheet in Arsenal’s 2003 FA Cup final win over Southampton. The Gunners had been helped into the competition’s showpiece by their goalkeeper, who pulled off one of the greatest saves ever to deny Sheffield United’s Paul Peschisolido in the semi-final.</p>
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<p>David Seaman is, without question, Arsenal’s greatest ever goalkeeper.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">
