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Arsenal icon Gilberto Silva has named two players from the Gunners' current squad who would make it into the starting lineup for the famous Invincibles side. The Brazilian claimed that English sensation Bukayo Saka and current club captain Martin Odegaard have the quality to make it into the legendary squad.
The Gunners' 2003-04 squad was christened the 'Invincibles' after going an entire Premier League season unbeaten. They were awarded a specially-made golden EPL trophy after their historic season, which saw them win 26 and draw 12 of their 38 league encounters.
The squad consisted of some of the most iconic players of the early 2000s. The likes of Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Ashley Cole and, most notably, Thierry Henry dominated every opposition in an extraordinary campaign.
On Sky Sports, Silva, who played as the midfield anchor for the Invincibles, was asked to make a combined XI between the iconic 2003-04 side and the current Arsenal first team. While he kept the core of the team intact, he swapped himself and Swedish winger Freddie Ljungberg out for Odegaard and Saka, respectively.
The 48-year-old praised the pair's styles of play, saying (via TBR Football):
"Yeah, those guys I really like. I really like the way they play, the style, I like very much Saka, Odegaard, the way he can make the combination."
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Saka and Odegaard are considered to be among the best players in the world in their position. They have been crucial to Arsenal's domestic and continental success over the past few seasons.
Overall, the Englishman, who came through the Gunners' famed Hale End academy, has racked up 70 goals and 71 assists in 261 games across all competitions. Meanwhile, the Norwegian, who was signed from Real Madrid in 2021, has 40 goals and 37 assists in 196 appearances.
"Change your attitude" - Gilberto Silva claims that Arsenal have to be 'angry' to win silverware under Mikel Arteta
Arsenal legend Gilberto Silva has claimed that the Gunners' current side have to show more aggression to lift some silverware under Mikel Arteta.
The north London side finished as runners-up in the two previous Premier League campaigns and are on track to do so in the 2024-25 season as well. They also made it to the UCL quarter-finals and semi-finals in the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, losing out to Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) respectively.
Speaking to former EPL forward Troy Deeney on TalkSPORT, Silva said that Arteta's side need to 'change their attitude' to win trophies after prolonged domination. He said (seen at 3:45 in the video below):
"You have to be angry by everything, because when you are so close and not win, you can look back (at) what you did and what went through. It's so tough, because you spend the whole season training, go to the games, (keep) fighting and being close but not win - it's tough... You have to then change your attitude, change your mentality to improve it and not let the opportunity pass by."
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Up next, Arsenal will be seen in action in their Premier League fixture against Newcastle United on Sunday, May 18.
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Aaryan Nagraj
Aaryan has been covering European football at Sportskeeda since the start of 2024. He is pursuing an integrated M.Sc. degree in Chemistry at NIT Rourkela, and tends to rely on his proclivity for numbers and statistics for his content, making the most of websites like Transfermarkt and FotMob. He is also a district level basketball and table tennis player.
A Borussia Dortmund fan, Aaryan had his first tryst with football during the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite his young mind being influenced by Lionel Messi's exploits, his favorite World Cup moment is Cristiano Ronaldo's stunning free-kick against Spain from the 2018 version. He strongly believes that Jude Bellingham and Florian Wirtz can replicate the Messi-Ronaldo rivalry due to their respective potentials.
Aaryan, who has been on commentary panels for football and cricket tournaments at his university, is a huge admirer of Achraf Hakimi for the Moroccan's loan stint in Dortmund between 2018 and 2020. His favorite manager is Jurgen Klopp, who impressed him with his excellent tactical nous and benignant man-management skills.
When he is not scouring the internet for unique statistics, Aaryan follows the Indian Super League, the A-League, and the Saudi Pro League among others. He is an avid quizzer and debater, and a trained classical and western musician who likes to rock out for his college band, Euphony, as lead vocalist and guitarist.
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Edited by Sankalp Srivastava