Every German to play for Arsenal – ranked

@kaihavertz29 isn&rsquo;t the first German who wear #29 for our club. </p> <p>In 02/03 Moritz Volz wore #29 for Arsenal too. He only played 9min in an EFL Cup game against Sunderland that season for the Gunners <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://t.co/xuq02VvKWD">pic.twitter.com/xuq02VvKWD

<p>&mdash; Sim&atilde;o Jo&atilde;o (@simaojoao19) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/simaojoao19/status/1674346550397378560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 29, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <h2>11. Moritz Volz</h2> <p>Volz is best known for scoring the 15,000th Premier League goal for Fulham against Chelsea in 2006. The defender, who developed through the ranks at Arsenal after joining from Schalke, failed to make the grade in north London.</p> <p>With the likes of Lee Dixon and Lauren ahead of him in the right-back pecking order, Volz struggled for minutes and only made two appearances in an Arsenal shirt. He enjoyed several loan spells away from the club before eventually signing for Fulham in 2003.</p> <p><em>Continued on the next slide&#8230;</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/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span>&nbsp;#10, #9 and #8 Arsenal Germans </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Well done to all who got it – we beat tonight's opponents on penalties in <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/HectorBellerin?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@HectorBellerin's debut</p> <p>Our scorer that night? Thomas Eisfeld <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://t.co/ooNMybL7bP">pic.twitter.com/ooNMybL7bP

<p>— Arsenal (@Arsenal) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/Arsenal/status/912286444445736960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>September 25, 2017</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <h2>10. Thomas Eisfeld</h2> <p>Eisfeld honed his craft at Borussia Dortmund’s academy before joining the Gunners’ reserve squad in 2012.</p> <p>The versatile playmaker’s form for the reserves earned him a couple of appearances for Arsene Wenger’s first team, but he never notched a single Premier League minute and left the club two years after his arrival.</p> <div id="attachment_135222" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135222" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1073,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F525725136.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1073" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/525725136.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/525725136-768x515.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/525725136-1536x1030.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Potential: unfulfilled at the Emirates. (Photo by AMA/Corbis via Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2>9. Serge Gnabry</h2> <p>Gnabry should probably be a little higher on this list, but he’s all the way done at #9 because of what he became after he left the Emirates. The academy graduate scored once in 18 appearances for Arsenal and struggled mightily on loan at West Brom, where he never saw eye-to-eye with manager Tony Pulis.</p> <p>It wasn’t until he returned to Germany that Gnabry started to realise his potential. He showed promise at Werder Bremen before benefitting hugely from Julian Nagelsmann’s coaching at Hoffenheim, eventually earning a move to Bayern Munich.</p> <p>While the destructive winger has gone a little off the boil over the past 18 months, Gnabry remains one of the most sought-after players at his position and has won the lot in Bavaria. His world-beating form of 2019/20 helped Die Roten to another treble.</p> <h2>8. Alberto Mendez</h2> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">1161. Alberto MÉNDEZ </p> <p>Midfielder – 24.10.74 – GER </p> <p>Prem Debut: <br>18/10/1997 (Crystal Palace vs. ARSENAL, D 0-0 – sub 72 mins) </p> <p>Prem Clubs: <br>Arsenal (97-02) </p> <p>Prem Apps: 4 <br>Prem Goals: 0 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://t.co/g4nx9GTdrv">pic.twitter.com/g4nx9GTdrv

<p>— Premier League Players (@premlgeplayers) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/premlgeplayers/status/1662529099087380482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>May 27, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <p>Mendez, the first German to represent the club, spent five years at Arsenal yet only made 11 appearances for the club as he enjoyed several loan spells elsewhere.</p> <p>The creative midfielder scored on his Gunners debut in a League Cup clash against Birmingham in October 1997, but did little else in an Arsenal shirt.</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/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #7, #6 and #5 Arsenal Germans </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_135223" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135223" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1025,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1216961.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1025" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1216961.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1216961-768x492.jpeg 768w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1216961-1536x984.jpeg 1536w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Malz played 14 times for Arsenal. (Mandatory Credit: Mike Hewitt /Allsport)</p> </div> <h2>7. Stefan Malz</h2> <p>Malz arrived from 1860 Munich for a modest fee and enjoyed a bright enough debut season considering the low expectations. The German scored twice in 11 games, but breaking into Arsenal’s midfield was always going to be an uphill battle.</p> <p>As a result, after a quiet second season, Malz returned to the Bundesliga and signed for Kaiserslautern.</p> <h2>6. Shkodran Mustafi</h2> <p>For many, Mustafi has come to symbolise the bleakest period of Arsenal’s modern history. The 2014 World Cup winner was signed for a pretty hefty fee in 2016 and immediately cemented himself as a cornerstone of the Gunners’ backline under both Wenger and Unai Emery.</p> <p>The chaotic German was equally capable of pulling off the majestic as he was the utterly stupid, and the wise Mikel Arteta was quick to ship him off once he took charge in November 2019. Mustafi ended his Arsenal career having made 151 appearances.</p> <div id="attachment_128236" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-128236" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1239332538.jpeg" alt="" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1239332538.jpeg 3200w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1239332538-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Leno succumbed to the Mikel Arteta project. (Photo by James Williamson – AMA/Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2>5. Bernd Leno</h2> <p>While many believed the time was right to move on from the unreliable Mustafi, Leno had done little to suggest an upgrade was needed at goalkeeper. However, the German’s issues in possession rendered him untenable as Arteta’s number one, and Aaron Ramsdale was signed for big money as his replacement.</p> <p>Nevertheless, Leno was a solid performer in north London for several years before his departure to Fulham in 2022.</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/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #4 and #3 Arsenal Germans </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_127404" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127404" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_994,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fpaininthearsenal.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F156805938.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="994" srcset="https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/156805938.jpeg 1600w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/156805938-420x260.jpeg 420w, https://paininthearsenal.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/156805938-768x477.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Cult hero. (Photo credit should read ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2>4. Lukas Podolski</h2> <p>Okay, Leno was solid, but we’re getting into the good stuff now. Coming in at number four is Podolski, who immediately endeared himself to the Arsenal fanbase and cemented cult hero status in north London.</p> <p>Revered for his rocket of a left foot, supporters were excited by the forward’s arrival, and he certainly didn’t disappoint even if he wasn’t overly productive.</p> <p>Podolski quickly fell in love with the club, and that adoration was undoubtedly reciprocated by the Emirates faithful. However, his time with the Gunners was relatively brief and he made just 82 appearances for the club, scoring 31 times and adding 17 assists.</p> <h2>3. Per Mertesacker</h2> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">Random Arsenal Goal of the Day:</p> <p>Per Mertesacker vs Wigan, April 2014 <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/mertesacker?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@mertesacker 🔴⚪<a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://t.co/ST22A7bJ7o">pic.twitter.com/ST22A7bJ7o

<p>— TheArsenal1913 (@TheArsenal1913) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/TheArsenal1913/status/1626480314506788868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>February 17, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <p>Big Per has taken on the task of revolutionising Hale End and the club are already starting to reap the rewards from the German’s uniform model. As a player, Mertesacker lacked pace but his astuteness, aerial dominance, and positional sense more than made up for it.</p> <p>The German defender battled injuries during the formative stages of his time at the club, but he blossomed into a reliable option for Wenger and played a crucial role in Arsenal’s trio of FA Cup triumphs while he was at the club – scoring in the 2014 semi-final and the 2015 final. Antonio Conte then lauded Mertesacker’s “unbelievable attitude” after the German produced an excellent performance in the 2017 final against the Italian’s Chelsea.</p> <p>The towering centre-back formed a stout partnership with Laurent Koscielny and was described as the consummate professional during his playing days at the club. Nobody has ever said a bad word about Per since he joined the club in 2011.</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/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> #2 and #1 Arsenal Germans </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_127496" class="wp-caption alignnone"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-127496" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"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">Lehmann emerged as an excellent successor to David Seaman. (Photo credit should read GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)</p> </div> <h2>2. Jens Lehmann</h2> <p>Wenger thought he’d signed David Seaman’s successor in 2001 when Arsenal prised Richard Wright from Ipswich Town, but the Englishman proved to be a disaster at Highbury. Instead, the club had to wait two more years for Seaman’s true successor to manifest.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia"> <div id="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-position="slideshow_inline" data-slot="inline_135221" style="width:300px;margin: 0 auto;"> <script> googletag.cmd.push(function () { googletag.defineSlot("/175840252/fansided.com/PainintheArsenal/mpu",[300, 250], "minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet") .addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.enableServices(); googletag.display("minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet"); }); </script> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The tempestuous Lehmann certainly doesn’t boast the same legacy as his predecessor, but the German shot-stopper was part of some historical moments in Arsenal colours. He started every game during the club’s Invincibles campaign, saved Paul Scholes’ penalty to win the 2005 FA Cup final, and later set a record for most consecutive Champions League clean sheets (ten) as Arsenal made the final.</p> <p>We won’t discuss what happened in Paris.</p> <p>Nevertheless, while there were some low moments, as every keeper endures, Lehmann was regarded as one of the very best goalkeepers around during his stellar five-year spell in north London. But, he didn’t quite do enough to make it to number one on this list.</p> <h2>1. Mesut Ozil</h2> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"> <p lang="en" dir="ltr">So many special Ozil moments during his time at Arsenal. Not sure anything encapsulates what he was about more than this goal though. Just ridiculously good. </p> <p>It might have turned a bit sour at the end, but it was a lot of fun before that. Special player. <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://t.co/XMdiWdXisu">pic.twitter.com/XMdiWdXisu

<p>— Charles Watts (@charles_watts) <a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://twitter.com/charles_watts/status/1638507753067913216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>March 22, 2023</a></p></blockquote> <p><script async src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div> <p>That’s right, the greatest German to represent this great club is Mesut Ozil. Has a signing generated as much hype as this man did in 2013?</p> <p>Supporters were rightfully excited by Ozil’s arrival after he emerged as one of Europe’s leading playmakers during his time with Real Madrid. The crafty creator dazzled during the first few years in an Arsenal shirt, producing some truly otherworldly moments of magic – none more so than the solo effort against Ludogorets in 2016.</p> <p>He really should’ve smashed Thierry Henry’s Premier League single-season assist record in 2015/16, but he faded down the stretch and ended up just short. Ozil was utterly mesmeric (but often inconsistent) throughout his time at Arsenal, and he was another who succumbed to Arteta’s project. The languid German, who offered little without the ball, failed to adapt as the game moved beyond the creative genius of #10s and into a world of aggressive pressing.</p> <div class="embed "> <blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="b14vsuQMLL"><p><a href=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/3-ways-arsenal-can-deploy-declan-rice-next-season/">3 ways Arsenal can deploy Declan Rice next season</a></p></blockquote> <p><iframe class="wp-embedded-content" sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" style="position: absolute; clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);" title="“3 ways Arsenal can deploy Declan Rice next season” — Pain in the Arsenal" src=https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/every-german-to-play-for-arsenal-ranked/4/"https://paininthearsenal.com/2023/06/30/3-ways-arsenal-can-deploy-declan-rice-next-season/embed/#?secret=AnJ0ANr8Vj#?secret=b14vsuQMLL" data-secret="b14vsuQMLL" width="500" height="282" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no"></iframe></p></div> <p>His eventual departure was acrimonious, but that shouldn’t taint his legacy his north London.</p><!—pageview_candidate—></p>">