Patrick Vieira
© Getty Images
If any team was to break Manchester United's dominance in the Premier League, they first needed to stand up to the Red Devils and take the fight to them.
In Patrick Vieira, Arsenal found the perfect man to lead the charge, and his battles with Roy Keane in particular are the most iconic memories of the defining rivalry in the Premier League era.
The France international was by no means just a midfield enforcer, though, and his partnership with compatriot Emmanuel Petit in 1997-98 helped the club to their first Premier League title in addition to the FA Cup.
Vieira would go on to play an integral role in another league and cup double in 2002 before inheriting the captain's armband from the retiring Tony Adams, lifting the FA Cup once again in his first season as skipper.
Vieira's finest hour as captain came when he led the club to their unbeaten Premier League season in 2003-04, though, and his final kick in an Arsenal shirt proved to be the winning penalty in the FA Cup final a year later - Vieira's seventh major honour for the Gunners.
The influential midfielder left Highbury for Juventus having scored 34 goals in 406 appearances for Arsenal, including 29 in 279 Premier League outings.
