Arsenal
Interlull fun - Guess the line up
By Jonny Kipper
October 12 2025
I've probably annoyed people on here with my talk about Olivier Giroud over the past few weeks. It's a disgrace really because Arsenal are doing very well, and there's quite a few current players who deserve my praise. Some might argue that I spend too much time in the past, re-living the glory days of Giroud which you could argue weren't all that glorious. I said you could argue this, not that you'd be right.
And to this, allegations that I spend too much time in the past, I say fair enough. Genuinely. No complaints. It's true that I talk too much about the past in an Arsenal context. So to put this right we're going to talk about this very day. We're going to talk about October 12. Yep. October 12 in 1996 when Arsene Wenger took charge of his first-ever game as Arsenal manager.
It was a 2-0 victory away to Blackburn Rovers, with Ian Wright scoring both goals - a wonderful brace, perhaps bettered only by the double Giroud scored in an FA Cup win over Middlesbrough in 2015.
We know Wright scored the two goals, but 11 other players took part in Wenger's debut game - just one sub, oddly - and as an international-break teaser, go ahead and see if you can name the other players in the first XI and the substitute.
Googling is forbidden.
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StumbleuponInterlul fun - Guess the line up
Discussion started by Arsenal Times , 12/10/2025 09:57
Arsenal Times
12/10/2025 09:57
12/10/2025 09:57
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:15:22:01:53 by Flava.
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:15:22:01:53 by Flava.
I would have to search that up. Im not young as my oldest memory as an Arsenal fan is Alan Smith's goal in the Cup winners Cup final. Seaman, Bould, Adams, winterburn, Dixon, Bergkamp, merson is my best guess.
Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.
Seaman
Dixon
Adams
Bould
Winterburn
Parlour
Vieira
Grimandi
Merson
Bergkamp
Wright
Subs
Garde
Dixon
Adams
Bould
Winterburn
Parlour
Vieira
Grimandi
Merson
Bergkamp
Wright
Subs
Garde
Subs Hughes?
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Flava
Seaman
Dixon
Adams
Bould
Winterburn
Parlour
Vieira
Grimandi
Merson
Bergkamp
Wright
Subs
Garde
I thought Wenger brought in Grimandi and Garde, so don't think they're have been in first ever line up?
An up and coming Hughes had a run under Wenger, so I'm thinking maybe him in for Grimandi, but otherwise I'd go with the rest of that team I reckon.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
I cheated.
But there are 3 players to get in that team above yet who played that day.
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
But there are 3 players to get in that team above yet who played that day.
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Quote:Flava
How about one of my least favourite Arsenal players ever, David Platt?
That volley for England l. I can't tell you the number of times I practised that.
Quote:GS1Quote:Flava
How about one of my least favourite Arsenal players ever, David Platt?
That volley for England l. I can't tell you the number of times I practised that.
It wasn't quite Marco Van Baston, but it wasn't a million miles away either.
Platt is a shout for the original lineup question though. Don't know why you dislike him so much either Flava? I thought Platt was decent for us, the winner against Utd in that famous 3-2 win at Highbury being the main highlight.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
Quote:Flava
How about one of my least favourite Arsenal players ever, David Platt?
๐๐๐๐๐
Another Clue: think ginger.
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:13:12:23:41 by Boston Gooner.
John Hartson!
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
No idea why I've never liked David Platt. I was appalled when we signed him 
.
He was a double winner, too.
.
He was a double winner, too.
Quote:BootyDaddy
John Hartson!
If Hartson is right that's a great guess. I wouldn't have got it even from BGs clue.
Quote:FlavaQuote:BootyDaddy
John Hartson!
If Hartson is right that's a great guess. I wouldn't have got it even from BGs clue.
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Quote:BootyDaddyQuote:GS1Quote:Flava
How about one of my least favourite Arsenal players ever, David Platt?
That volley for England l. I can't tell you the number of times I practised that.
It wasn't quite Marco Van Baston, but it wasn't a million miles away either.
Platt is a shout for the original lineup question though. Don't know why you dislike him so much either Flava? I thought Platt was decent for us, the winner against Utd in that famous 3-2 win at Highbury being the main highlight.
Flava dislike one of our players ๐ฑ๐ซจ๐ฑ
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Another clue.
BT Sport/TNT Sport
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:13:14:13:33 by Boston Gooner.
BT Sport/TNT Sport
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:10:13:14:13:33 by Boston Gooner.
Seaman
Dixon Keown Adams Winterburn
Parlour Groves Merson Overmars
Bergkamp Wright
Arsenal Times | [www.gov.uk]
Dixon Keown Adams Winterburn
Parlour Groves Merson Overmars
Bergkamp Wright
Arsenal Times | [www.gov.uk]
Quote:GS1Quote:Boston Gooner
Another clue.
BT Sport/TNT Sport
Keown
๐๐๐๐๐๐
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Flava is the winner of the first and last Guess the Lineup competition because he's the only one with a valid entry.
The correct answer is: Seaman; Dixon, Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn; Vieira, Merson, Platt; Hartson, Wright.
The sub was Ray Parlour.
The correct answer is: Seaman; Dixon, Bould, Adams, Keown, Winterburn; Vieira, Merson, Platt; Hartson, Wright.
The sub was Ray Parlour.
So Wenger played a 5-3-2 in his first game in charge then? That's news to be, I thought he was an avid 4-4-2 man in the glory years.
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
- Albert Einstein
So Vieira was there when AW arrived was he? thinking back, thats probably correct, I remember he may have advised Arsenal to get him from Milan when he was still talking to Arsenal and not the actual manager. Vieira had been at Cannes, I remember there being a furore in France when Milan didnt play him then let him go because they knew how good he was. I know this because I used to be an avid reader of France Football, probably the best football dedicated publication of the time. It was in French of course, but that was no issue for yours truly, because I lived in France at the time.
I remember Paddy playing as a sub a few weeks be fore Wenger arrived. We were most puzzled as to who he was.
Wenger had got the club to buy Vieira, Remi Garde and Grimandi in advance, not so sure of his purchase of Petit.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Wenger had got the club to buy Vieira, Remi Garde and Grimandi in advance, not so sure of his purchase of Petit.
"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.
Quote:Padre Pio
I remember Paddy playing as a sub a few weeks be fore Wenger arrived. We were most puzzled as to who he was.
Wenger had got the club to buy Vieira, Remi Garde and Grimandi in advance, not so sure of his purchase of Petit.
Wasn't Petit on his way to Spurs in a Taxi or something and we nipped in.
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฟ๐๐. ๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด."
Quote:Boston Gooner
............................................
Wasn't Petit on his way to Spurs in a Taxi or something and we nipped in.
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