Top 10 Greatest Arsenal Managers of All Time (Ranked)

The London-based club Arsenal has been one of the most successful clubs in the English Premier League. Their domestic and global success has been hugely dependent on some of the greatest Arsenal managers who have served the club over the years. In the history of the club, Arsenal have just been relegated once, which happened in 1913, exemplifying the standards set by Arsenal managers and players. Several great Arsenal managers have been instrumental in different decades to take the club to new heights.

From Arsene Wenger to Mikel Arteta, from Unai Emery to George Graham, multiple supervisors have played key roles in bringing glorious accolades like the Premier League title, the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup. After Wenger left the Gunners, they went through a dark patch for several years. However, in recent years, one of the best Arsenal managers, Spaniard tactician Mikel Arteta, has brought the English club back on the right track. The last 10 Arsenal managers have been influential in reshaping the club’s history this century. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the last 10 greatest Arsenal managers in the last 20 years.

List of Best Managers in Arsenal History

Here's the list of the top 10 greatest Arsenal manager to have taken charge of the North London giants, since its establishment to the current era.

How We Ranked the Greatest Arsenal Managers of All Time

In order to find out who is the greatest Arsenal manager of all time, and determine the other top names, we have a few ranking factors in mind. The four prominent factors are: Longevity, Legacy, win% and Trophies.

• Longevity: The primary ranking factor we considered is their longevity. How long they played at the club and how well the team performed during that time.
• Legacy: Legacy defines how dedicatedly a manager has served the club with their service, commitment, and etched their legacy among the fans. How big a legacy any manager has carved.
• Win Percentage: The second factor considered while compiling the list of the greatest Arsenal manager is their win percentage, although this might sound rather simple for a ranking factor.
• Trophies Won: The last parameter while ranking the best managers in Arsenal history is to look at the number of trophies they won during their time at the club.

Who is the Greatest Arsenal Manager of All Time?

It wasn't easy to compile a list as complex as ranking the top 10 managers, considering the rich history of the Gunners in the English football circuit. From the current Mikel Arteta, who will be hoping to lift his first league glory, to one of the greatest managers of all time, Arsene Wenger and George Graham, etc. We have included some of the greatest Arsenal managers who shared a vision for the overall growth of the club. Now let’s jump into it:

10. Phil Kelso - Scotland

The Scottish manager, Phil Kelso, had a long history with the Arsenal football club, which played a role in making him one of the greatest Arsenal managers. In fact, Kelso joined the North London club in 1904 before they clinched their promotion. He had stayed for over four years on the white sidelines as their coach. However, the club couldn't win a trophy.

During his brief yet impactful stay at the club, Phil had managed to lead Arsenal to 2 successive English FA Cup semi-finals. While the best position the Gunners attained under his leadership was a 7th-place finish. During the time when Arsenal was facing financial turmoil and results weren’t going his way, he resigned from his position in 1908.

9. Terry Neill - Northern Ireland

Terry Neill had an impressive tenure as an Arsenal manager. The Northern Irishman arrived at the club on 9th July 1976, becoming the youngest Arsenal manager to date. In his first season, with a few good signings and a couple of young talents, the club enjoyed one of its best seasons since 1971 and reached the FA Cup finals in three successive years (1978, 1979, and 1980).

Out of the three finals they played in the FA Cup, they only managed to win once, that time, against Manchester United in 1979. But many believe his best spell at the Gunners came in 1980, although he lost the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup Final that year. Terry had managed the club for 416 games, and the club secured 187 wins, while tasting defeat in 112 games. Thus, securing a place as one of the greatest Arsenal manager.

8. Harry Bradshaw - England

Our first English coach on this list is the legendary Harry Bradshaw, who was appointed as the new Arsenal manager after Arthur Kennedy left in 1899. Bradshaw stayed with the Gunners for a duration of five years as their head coach. His biggest achievement for Arsenal was to win them their promotion to the First Division (English Premier League now), but he couldn’t win a notable trophy as a manager for the Gunners.

Notably, the Englishman’s ability to inspire a struggling team and then guide them to the First Division in 1904 was nothing short of excellence. Moreover, Harry Bradshaw laid the foundation for the club’s upcoming success later on. With 235 games at the helm of Arsenal, he managed them to win 118 games and lose just 73 fixtures, making him one of the first-ever successful and greatest Arsenal managers.

7. George Allison - England

The renowned English journalist and manager George Allison arrived at Arsenal from Bolton Wanderers in 1995. He was given the task to continue the winsome momentum of Arsenal and continue the task of replacing the great Herbert Chapman, under whom the club had won their first-ever title. But who would have thought that not only would he meet the expectation but surpass it with two league titles and one FA Cup?

Well, his statistical numbers as Arsenal manager weren’t lacking either, having led the club for 279 games. He secured a staggering 129 wins, while losing 76 in total. What’s more, the average position attained in the League under him was fourth. Allison led the Gunners to two First Division titles, two Community Shields, and the FA Cup, surpassing the expectations of delivering success.

6. Mikel Arteta - Spain

The former Manchester City assistant coach of Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta was brought in by the directors as the new Arsenal manager in 2019. The Spanish coach got his first victory on the sidelines of the Emirates Stadium against Manchester United after clinching a comfortable 2-0 victory. At Arsenal, after winning the FA Cup, Arteta became the first person to win the FA Cup trophy as both coach and captain of the Gunners.

He won his second trophy at the club after Arsenal beat Liverpool in the FA Community Shield. The former Everton player turned coach also led the Gunners to the UEFA Europa League semi-finals. The 2022-23 Premier League season saw a feisty fight between Arsenal and Manchester City, in which the latter came on top at the end. Arteta has been an influential figure in helping the club rebuild its stature as a competitive side in Europe.

5. Tom Whittaker - England

Another guy following the trend of becoming a manager after retiring as a player, the legendary coach Tom Whittaker played as centre forward. His vision and ability to guide the Gunners to the First Division title, that too, within a period of 2 years, was remarkable. He had a short career as a player, playing only 64 games. Unfortunately, he suffered a serious knee injury, but he had one of the best managerial careers as Arsenal manager.

Whittaker managed 430 matches as the head coach of the Arsenal team from 1947 to 1956. He won 2 First Division titles and one FA Cup. Although his spell ended in 1956 due to a heart attack, many believed he could have improved Arsenal even more through his vision. He played a vital role in the club's history in shaping it to make it big in the English football.

4. Bertie Mee - England

At the fourth position of this list, we have Bertie Mee, under whom Arsenal won the double (league and cup double) in 1971. We could have gone to some other managers, but we have reached a point where managers’ vision and hard work, which shaped Arsenal and the future of the club, are as important as statistical numbers. Lee was appointed in 1966, with the Gunners struggling to win a single trophy for over a decade.

Seemingly, the English manager didn’t take long to create an impact and led them to winning ways again. Betie, as manager, guided the London club to its first European trophy, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. His statistical numbers are as good as with work, with 241 wins, 150 losses and a total of 539 games at the club, truly one of the greatest Arsenal managers.

3. George Graham - Scotland

In the year 1986, George Graham immediately took over as the new Arsenal manager, replacing Steve Burtenshaw. The Scottish coach is one of the longest-serving managers in the history of the Gunners. He first began his coaching career at the top level with Millwall FC. After spending four years in the EFL Championship and League One, Graham eventually came to the English top flight with lots of promises.

Arsenal went on to win the 1987 League Cup by inflicting a 2-1 defeat on Liverpool. In 1989, with George Graham at the helm, Arsenal won their first English top-division title since 1971. The legendary goalkeeper David Seaman was one of his preferred signings. Off the back of a few good signings and a strong squad, the Gunners lifted another league title in the 1990/91 season.

2. Herbert Chapman - England

What a club legend Herbert Chapman has been for English football, he has left an everlasting legacy on football, not just on Arsenal. His idea to paint the jersey (red body and white sleeves), while making Arsenal a powerhouse, is still remembered by many. Chapman was known for his vision to bring in a fresh attacking style of play, which helped the club win two First Division titles and one FA Cup.

What’s more, the Englishmen was one of the first managers to consider signing non-English players (foreign as well as black players), highlighted by Walter Tull being signed to Northampton in 1911. He is regarded as one of the greatest Arsenal managers in the club’s history for what he has done. He was in charge of a staggering 411 matches for the club, securing 204 wins in total from 1925 to 1934.

1. Arsene Wenger

Arsene Wenger is the greatest manager in Arsenal’s history. He arrived at the Emirates Stadium in 1996 and stayed on the sidelines for 22 years. Two years after his arrival, he became the first foreign manager to win the FA Cup and Premier League title. In 2002, Wenger achieved the same feat yet again before lifting another Premier League title in 2004. Arsenal won the 2004 Premier League undefeated, a feat that has been achieved in football only twice.

Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners featured in the UEFA Champions League final in 2006, but lost to a high-flying Barcelona. His priority towards cutting costs saw Arsenal go trophyless for almost nine years. Nonetheless, he led the North London club to two consecutive FA Cup titles in 2014 and 2015, setting the record for winning the most trophies (7) in this competition. Wenger became a folkloric figure in the rich history of the club. He left an impressive mark on its history as one of the best Arsenal managers ever.