The era of Patrick Viera and David Seaman will always be fondly remembered at Arsenal.

The pony-tailed goalkeeper and buccaneering midfielder played massive roles in what was one of the most successful times in the history of the club.

For many a year, Viera was at the heart of everything good about the Gunners as they consistently picked opponents apart all over England.

Seaman proved to be a formidable force in goal as well, becoming a vital cog in the menacing Arsenal defensive machine.

Those days have long since been replaced though, with Arsenal recently falling out of the Champions League places before the legend that was Arsene Wenger was shown the door.

Gunners squads of late have become synonymous with having a lack of fire in their belly, being too easily rolled over on far too many an occasion.

It is something that Arsenal fans have sadly become accustomed to.

However, it hasn’t always been like that.

Seaman reveals training ground bust-up with Patrick Viera

Speaking on talkSPORT, Seaman revealed the kind of fierce competitiveness that made the Arsenal squads of old so great.

The former England keeper revealed one such incident between himself and Viera on the training ground that resulted in quite a bust-up.

“We’d be playing 8 v 8 [in training] and everytime I’d go up for the ball he’d have a little niggle with an elbow. It was funny to start with and then he carried on,” he said.

“I’d be like, ‘okay, just to take it easy’ but then I went up for a cross and his elbow hit me on the side of the head and I just saw the red mist.

“When I came back down I landed on him, pulled my fist back to punch him, but thought I’d better not so I just gave him a little, tap shall we say, on his forehead and he wasn’t happy.

“He didn’t speak to me for two weeks.”

Incredible.

Arsenal players of that era were known to be no-nonsense kind of players and this just reiterates that point.

It is hard to imagine the likes of Mesut Ozil and Petr Cech getting caught up in such a falling out and perhaps that is where the problem lies.

Unai Emery still has a lot of work to do if he wishes to restore Arsenal to their former glories.

Addressing the hardiness of his playing staff might be a good place to start.