6 Best Arsenal Kits of All Time
By Brandon Ross
Arsenal Football club. A team bled with passion, immersed in success, and labelled for decades as game changers.
Not many English Football clubs can represent culture and eccentricity quite like the Gunners.
Kings of creating classics, masters of mixing home and away kit designs within the culture of the club, as well as connecting with supporters.
That being said, behold six of the most influential kits worn by the Red Army:
1) Arsenal Home 03/04
One. One team which defied all odds. One manager who achieved greatness. One squad of legends, who made the impossible… possible. One football kit, so iconic, bleeding red alongside the purest of white, that quite simply is in a category of its own.
Of course, we are talking about THAT Arsenal 03/04 Nike home kit, in a season where the Gunners created history becoming the first English side to go a whole season undefeated (a record which they still hold).
The Gunners rocked an O2 sponsor throughout the early 2000’s , during arguably, their most successful 4 year period in club history. The simplicity and colour combination, which the sponsor aesthetically creates, makes this shirt look ‘invincible’.
This kit is quite simply… One. Of. One.
2) Arsenal Home 05/06
A kit which pours emotion, and tributes the brilliance that Arsenal achieved at the legendary Highbury ground before their departure.
The Gunners decided in ’05 to replace the classic red home shirt with a darker redcurrant, partnered with a striking gold sponsor and number printing.
Highbury was the fortress which held Arsenals greatest Domestic achievements under Mr Wenger and his players. In the space between the years 1989–2005, the Gunners achieved five FA cups, five league tables as well as two recorded domestic doubles.
The ‘Wenger Era’ was in full effect at Highbury; thus fans were heavily drawn towards the shirt, serving as a memory of the Stadium which had been “home” since 1913. Printed text of the Highbury era hugs the central badge in gold embroidery as history was sewn into the silky jersey.
A true classic, that painted a picture for the next generation of Arsenal supporters- of the North Bank, and Clock End…Highbury.
3) Arsenal Home 1997/98
Double Trouble! This Arsenal team was incredible, but their home kit of 98 deserves just as many plaudits.
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The rouge garment features an element of nostalgia, showcasing the retro Gunners Crest, inside of it the motto ‘Victoria Concordia Crescit’ which reads ‘Victory Grows Through Harmony’. Following their sixth season in the Premier League, the Gunners achieved the domestic double, becoming English champions alongside winning an FA cup title coached by a young Arsène Wenger.
A captivating white collar, accompanied by a smart red trim, demonstrates, and executes the class on display. JVC, Arsenal’s first shirt sponsor from 1981- 1999, present their logo, which perfectly harmonizes with the white features on both the shirt and shorts.
Legends such as Tony Adams, Lee Dixon and Martin Keown spring to mind when revisiting this absolute treasure of a kit.
4) Arsenal Away 2006/07
Yellow- a colour which can represent danger, hazards, or caution.
THAT night at the Santiago Bernabéu, 2006. Before the Champions League clash between Spanish Giants Real Madrid and Arsenal, no English team had beat the Galactico’s at their own stomping ground.
That was... until Thierry “Titi” Henry led a masterclass performance from himself and the Gunners to shock fans across Europe. 11 men, dangerously hunting for every loose ball, pressing in packs of yellow.
As for the kit, shades of grey alongside the yellow beautifully correspond. Arsenal boldly featured a central badge on the jersey with a classic Nike swoosh above the right shoulder.
Overall, a dangerously good kit.
5) Arsenal Away 1991/93
Like an art portfolio, this list executes how hard Arsenal have worked in creating away shirts, and number four may be the most iconic to date.
The Bruised Banana was once considered a questionable kit to say the least, by supporters in the 90’s, highly due to its bold blue pattern above a bright yellow base, with the clubs original red colour being the printing. Luminous yellow socks light up this kit below the pictured navy and yellow trimmed shorts.
Despite the confusion around the design at the time, the kit’s uniqueness enabled the away kit to age incredibly and become a classic. Famously labelled as a ‘marmite kit’, the majority of ‘gooners’ in today’s game would kill for a chance to cop this piece.
Legends such as David ‘Rocky’ Rocastle and Paul Merson wore the retro garment, and in that season George Graham’s new signing Ian Wright was the club’s top scorer with 26 goals. This kit featured in FA cup and League cup winning seasons, creating further legacy for the kit.
Looking at recent times, the Gunners took inspiration from the bruised banana kit when releasing their away shirt in the 19/20 season, to pay homage to the 90’s jersey, one which Adidas design director Inigo Turner labelled as ‘a symbol of Arsenal’.
6) Arsenal Away 22/23
Despite this last pick being a kit released recently, it doesn’t seem out of place alongside the classics.
Beautifully black and bronze, with grey trims embarking a new colourway in Arsenal kit history. A cannon replacing the modern-day badge, and recycled materials composing the shirt.
This shirt is without a doubt a fan favourite, as on its release day in 2022 the kit had broken records, selling a million pounds worth of away kits on launch day. An exciting jersey reflected an exciting season for the Gunners, who fought hard in a title race, with Mikel Arteta’s side slightly missing out on the League title to treble winners Manchester City.
Nevertheless, this shirt is an example of a modern-day classic by Adidas and Arsenal, with room to increase popularity in the years to come.
Some absolute greats have been mentioned in this list, but have we left any out?
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