Arsenal and Arsene were a match made in heaven, not least because they were just two syllables away from sharing the same name. Joining the Gunners in 1996, Wenger enjoyed quite the elongated honeymoon period in North London, with the Arsene x Arsenal collaboration scooping three Premier League titles and four FA Cups in its first nine years.

Despite regularly qualifying for Europe and reaching the 2006 Champions League Final, the good times invariably faded, and his career, like that of a football match, was a tale of two halves. The Arsenal and Arsene relationship ended in divorce, and while it certainly didn't come to an acrimonious conclusion, it was clear to see the glory days in Islington were long gone.

Parting ways amicably in 2018 for the sake of the kids, or in this case, the sake of the Arsenal faithful, the love, dreams, and memories shared between the parties will live on forever. What perfectly encapsulates the contrast between the beginning of the Wenger years and the end of his tenure are the sides he fielded, with his final starting XI away at the John Smith Stadium in Huddersfield resembling a confusing amalgam of misfits.

From the team that started in West Yorkshire on Sunday 13th May 2018, only one remains in 2023. Which begs the question, where are Wenger's Class of 2018 now?

GK - David Ospina

Remarkably, despite seeming like he has been around since the dawn of man, David Ospina is still only 34 years old and is currently turning out for Saudi Arabian side, Al-Nassr alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The Columbian shot-stopper made 70 appearances for Arsenal before moving on to Italy, where he spent four years at Napoli.

RB - Hector Bellerin

Speaking after Bellerin signed a new six-year contract in 2016, Wenger claimed: "He has integrated the values that are important and also, because he is a carrier of the values that are important for the club, I think he will be one of the strong members of this club in the future".

Even the wisest can get it wrong when predicting the future, and five years on from that final game, the Spanish cockney finds himself back in his homeland, sporting the green and white of Real Betis. Having left Arsenal permanently in 2022 for Barcelona, the player fell out of favour under new boss Mikel Arteta, and is now looking to rebuild his career.

The player's stance on the environment, war, equal rights, and homophobia have all been well-publicised, and while his football career hasn't panned out as predicted, his moral conscience is something to be particularly proud of.

CB - Shkodran Mustafi

Fairly or unfairly, Shkodran Mustafi was well-known for his stark lack of pace and susceptibility to defensive blunders. However, the big German featured 20 times for his country and was a part of their 2014 World Cup-winning squad.

Leaving Arsenal during the 2021 January transfer window, Mustafi has played for Schalke as well as Spanish club, Levante, although at the time of writing is now without a club at just 31.

CB - Rob Holding

The one and only remaining member of the team that was fielded in Wenger's last game, the last five years for Rob Holding have been relatively unspectacular, and aside from a fresh head of hair courtesy of our friends in Turkey, the centre-back has added little to his game, with rumours pointing toward a possible exit.

LB - Sead Kolasinac

The most impressive thing Sead Kolasinac achieved at Arsenal was fearlessly confronting armed robbers who had targeted him and former-teammate Mesut Ozil. While he didn't win a medal for valour, he did for the 2020 FA Cup, the club's first post trophy post-Wenger. Currently at Atalanta, the left-back departed Arsenal in 2021 for French giants, Marseille.

CM - Granit Xhaka

Gunners fans had a love-hate relationship with midfield-man, Granit Xhaka. The Swiss international's career in North London seemed dead and buried following an explicit outburst while being substituted. However, the ex-captain gradually won around his critics, and despite his hot-headed temperament featured heavily for Arsenal in their title-chasing campaign last term.

With much speculation surrounding his future at the club, it was announced this summer that he would be leaving to join up with Xabi Alonso's Bayer Leverkusen.

CM - Aaron Ramsey

Since Wenger's departure, the Welsh wizard has had an eventful time. Qualifying and playing in another European Championships with Wales, as well as a World Cup, Aaron Ramsey's international success has been notable, however, his subsequent club career paints a different picture.

The central midfielder left the Emirates in 2019 for Juventus, and following a spell hampered by injury and below-par performances, the Serie A giants offloaded him to Rangers where he famously skied a penalty in the club's Europa League final defeat to Frankfurt.

After a forgettable stint at Nice in Ligue 1 last season, the player has returned to where it all began; Cardiff City in the Championship, and will be seeking to end his career on a high.

CM - Alex Iwobi

A product of Arsenal's prestigious Academy, big things were expected of attacking midfielder Alex Iwobi while he was rising through the ranks. After Wenger left, Iwobi was deemed surplus to requirements, and sold to Everton for £35 million. Now entering his fifth season at Goodison Park, the Nigerian international has fashioned a solid Premier League career for himself, racking up 138 appearances for the Toffees.

RW - Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Arsenal stint fell almost as flat as his time at Manchester United, and he lasted just 18 months at the club before leaving for Roma. Now plying his trade in Milan for Inter, the 34-year-old winger has been a vocal defender of Artsakh, and has spoken out against the shelling of its people during the Nagorno-Karabakh war.

LW - Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

The Gabon international divided opinion at the Emirates, and was reportedly a divisive figure in the changing room, especially with boss, Mikel Arteta. Frozen out of the first-team at Arsenal, the prolific striker officially left North London in January 2022 for FC Barcelona.

After six months in Catalonia, the player headed back to British shores, joining Thomas Tuchel's Chelsea for the 2022-23 season, a move that was invariably, unpopular with Gunners supporters. Now at Marseille, the 34-year-old may well have one eye on retirement.

ST - Alexandre Lacazette

The Frenchman was among Arsene Wenger's last few signings as Arsenal boss having signed in 2017, and spent a total of five years at the club, making 158 appearances and recording 84 G/A contributions. As of July 2022, the player moved back to his native France, joining up with his old club, Lyon.