Patrick Vieira says one member of the Invincibles was seriously underrated

There aren’t many Arsenal players from the Invincibles era who you could describe as underrated.

Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell. They are some of the greatest players in Premier League history.

Even players like Jens Lehmann, who was hardly short of a personality, has his place in Arsenal folklore.

But Vieira has picked out one player he believes didn’t get quite enough credit for what Arsenal achieved in 2003/04.

Speaking to Stadium Astro, Vieira was asked which member of the Invincibles squad he felt was underrated.

“I think everybody gets credit for what we achieved,” Vieira said. “But if there’s one name that I will have to give you, I will say it’s Lauren.

“As a right back, he was a tough one to play against. He was a warrior on the field. Yes, maybe I would say Lauren.”

It’s a pretty good shout. Lauren was never going to attract the same attention as Henry or Bergkamp, and even within that defence it was Campbell, Cole, and Kolo Toure who tended to get more recognition.

But the Cameroon international was such an important part of why Arsenal were so difficult to play against.

The right-back made 32 Premier League appearances during the unbeaten campaign, in a team that conceded just 26 goals across the entire season.

He might not have been the most glamorous player in that squad, but his aggression and tenacity made him such a difficult opponent for a winger.

Of course, that Arsenal side had plenty of players capable of winning games through sheer individual quality, but Arsene Wenger’s side were also so effective at going to difficult grounds and grinding out results thanks to their defensive resilience. Sound familiar?

Lauren was a huge part of that, and for those who are old enough to know both teams well enough, a Lauren-Jurrien Timber debate is an interesting one. Vieira himself interestingly edged it to Timber back when he made a guest appearance on Monday Night Football in May.

Lauren spent six-and-a-half seasons at Arsenal, winning two Premier League titles and two FA Cups before leaving to join Portsmouth in 2007, where he won another FA Cup.

So while he might not be the first name that comes to mind when you think of the Invincibles, if anyone from that side deserves a little more appreciation from Arsenal fans, it’s Lauren.