The hardest Arsenal players of the last 20 yrs - and no Adams, Sol or Vieira in sight...

[One Wilf Copping]

#2 - Lauren with his Medusa gaze:

http://i826.photobucket.com/albums/zz185/bhlltks/arsenal/F_200609_september1_129882a.jpg



and...



#1 Nelson Vivas - the smiling assassin. 5'4" of pure devilry.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/slides/photos/001/728/015/1215311_display_image.jpg?1325248145

[TRENT COLTON]

[CrossGun]

[TRENT COLTON]

The likes of Winterburn and Keown should rank far higher, as actual hard players imo.

[CrossGun]

Some people unfairly took the piss out of him for this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TFVuHrwgyY

[One Wilf Copping]

Definitely dirty, but I remember him being badly fouled once by an accidental late challenge and him lying there with a dementedly happy smile as he was being treated.

As if he was already savouring the imminent retaliation if he managed to play on.

Not quite right.

[Islington Exile]

[Nicosia Gooner]

[One Wilf Copping]

... he struggled to catch up with the opponents to stick the boot in.

[CrossGun]

The Lee Bowyer assist :cloud9:

[Nicosia Gooner]

[CrossGun]

Vieira has to be on any list.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WA6mAChNIAg

f**k taking on Keane, he'd flake Keane. But to then go for Jaap Stam! :yikes:

[One Wilf Copping]

or Peter Nicholas.

But, yes, obviously PV4 was tough, no doubt there...

[Supermac1976]

[seasider7]

[One Wilf Copping]

In the mid-80s Barnet striker Steve Ragan - a seriously crazy character - missed a cross and headed the crossbar at Yeovil Town. Ragan picked himself straight up and cursed himself for missing the cross, at the same time the crossbar cracked, snapped and the match had to be abandoned. Crazy.

[CrossGun]

[IUFG]

[CrossGun]

It's just the original post said players of the last 20 years and I also found the #1&2 slightly without justification. That's why I was thinking perhaps you had posted this from a site.

[CrossGun]

1-1 v West Ham in a game we need to win. Bergkamp being hacked and fouled one time too many absolutely rinses Bowyer, Dennis opens his face with an elbow, ref waves play on, Dennis looks up and plays a peach of a cross on a plate for Henry, 2-1 to the Arsenal. f**k yeh.

Cameras cut to a bloody faced Lee Bowyer. :-)

[One Wilf Copping]

Steve Ragan had a 'reputation' in Barnet and Hertfordshire and wasn't to be messed with...

[One Wilf Copping]

Remember John Fashanu saying that they never bothered to try and rough up Arsenal because they knew Adams, Keown, Bould, Parlour and the rest were more than happy to match them.

He said something like Arsenal were the toughest opponents because if you wanted to play football they'd destroy you and if you wanted a fight they'd destroy you too.

Never understood why Wenger abandoned the physical side of the game after buying the likes of Paddy, Manu, Lauren, Sol etc when he started. Strange.

[Chief Arrowhead]