Arsenal F.C.: History, identity, achievements and significance

Early period (1886-1910)

Arsenal was founded in 1886 as Dial Square by a group of workers employed in the workshop of the same name at the Royal Arsenal armaments factory in Woolwich, south-east London. The team was led by Scotsman David Danskin, who also purchased the first ball for the club. Fred Beardsley, a former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, also joined the team and later provided his new team with a set of red shirts from his old club, a colour still used in their kit today.

Dial Square played its first game on 11 December 1886 against Eastern Wanderers on an open pitch on the Isle of Dogs peninsula, winning 6-0. The club was renamed Royal Arsenal shortly afterwards, this taking place on Christmas Day according to historical records. Royal Arsenal initially played at a general admission ground in Plumstead, moving to the nearby Manor Ground in 1888. By 1890 the club had moved on to the neighbouring Invicta Ground before returning to the Manor Ground three more years later.

Royal Arsenal already won their first titles during this period, such as the Kent Senior Cup in 1890 and the London Senior Cup just one year later. For the first time Royal Arsenal took part in the FA Cup in 1889, where the big difference in performance between the club and the professional teams from the north of England became obvious. A further threat was increasingly the aggressive poaching of their own amateur players by professional clubs, which eventually led to Royal Arsenal becoming a professional club themselves. At the same time, the club changed its name to Woolwich Arsenal.

Woolwich Arsenal's rise to prominence was frowned upon by many amateur clubs in the south of England, resulting in the club being excluded from local competitions. When they could only play friendlies and FA Cup matches, the club attempted to create a southern equivalent of the Football League. This venture did not succeed and led to the club facing an uncertain future. The Football League saved Woolwich Arsenal, who in 1893 became the first southern club ever to be allowed to compete in the professional second division.

Woolwich Arsenal spent eleven seasons in the Second Division, mostly finishing in mid-table before the signing of Harry Bradshaw in 1899. Some spectacular signings - including Arsenal's first England international, goalkeeper Jimmy Ashcroft, and captain Jimmy Jackson - saw the club promoted to the First Division in 1904. Before the club had played a single game in the top flight, however, Bradshaw had moved to Fulham FC. Despite some successes in the FA Cup, when they reached the semi-finals in 1906 and 1907, the club developed negatively from then on.

The main reason for the decline was considered to be the ongoing financial problems that accompanied the club despite the boom in English football in the early 20th century. The problems were also due to the club's geographical location, which translated into low attendances and revenues due to the underpopulated region in Plumstead. In order to remain solvent, Woolwich Arsenal had to sell their best players such as Ashcroft, Tim Coleman and Bert Freeman, placing them further and further down the table, which in turn made the financial situation even worse. This led to a situation where the club was on the verge of bankruptcy, which was only averted by the buyout of businessman Sir Henry Norris in 1910.

Move to Highbury (1910-1925)

Norris was aware of the problems and the connection with the location of Woolwich Arsenal and acted desperately to increase the revenue side of the club. Initially, he intended to merge with Fulham FC, especially as he was involved in club management at both clubs. After this was prevented by the Football League, Norris abandoned this plan and looked at options for a move. In 1913, with the club relegated to the Second Division as bottom of the table, Woolwich Arsenal moved from south-east London to the Highbury in the north of the city. Despite major objections from both Woolwich-based club supporters and residents of the Highbury area, Norris persistently pushed through the move, which was accompanied by a donation from the Arsenal owner of what was believed to be £125,000 towards the construction of the new stadium. As an added side-effect, the move led to Charlton Athletic, also based in south-east London, becoming a professional club.

After dropping the 'Woolwich' tag in 1914, the club started to operate as 'The Arsenal' and rejoined the First Division in 1919, despite finishing fifth in the Second Division in the final season before the First World War in 1914/15. The reason for this was the expansion of the First Division from 20 to 22 entrants, which resulted in two additional clubs being selected for the First Division at the Football League AGM. One of the additional places awarded was to Chelsea FC, who previously should have been relegated as nineteenth in the First Division. The other candidates for second place were Tottenham Hotspur, originally bottom of the table, and Barnsley FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers, the third and fourth-placed clubs in the Second Division.

The Football League, however, placed historical reasons above sporting success and therefore decided in favour of The Arsenal, who had only finished fifth. Norris had argued that Arsenal deserved promotion on the basis of their long-standing contribution to league football and as the first league club from the south. The Football League's relevant committee agreed with this opinion and voted by 18 votes to just eight against to favour Arsenal over Tottenham, which would go on to be partly responsible for the long-running rivalry between the two clubs. In the process, Arsenal were accused of behind-the-scenes wheeling and dealing and taking bribes in the person of Sir Henry Norris. Also criticised at the trial was Norris' personal friendship with John McKenna, who was also chairman of Liverpool FC and the Football League. Although no reliable evidence has come to light, other aspects of various financial transactions by Norris that were not directly related to the promotion dispute have led to much speculation in the matter. Since their resumption in the top flight, Arsenal have remained in the league without interruption and hold the record for the length of time they have been in England's elite league.

Although the move to Highbury resulted in a larger crowd and greatly improved financial prospects, Arsenal's return to the First Division was not immediately crowned with success. Under Leslie Knighton, Arsenal never finished better than ninth, and came perilously close to relegation again in the 1923/24 season. The following season, despite a comfortable seven-point gap to the relegation zone, Arsenal finished 20th again and Norris sacked Knighton in May 1925, bringing in former Huddersfield Town manager Herbert Chapman in his place.

The Chapman Era (1925-1934)

Chapman introduced a number of reforms at Arsenal, most notably modernising training and physiotherapy. It was also due to him that numbers were added to the shirts for the first time and the colours changed, with the sleeves now white in contrast to the previously pure red shirts. Also during Chapman's tenure, the club dropped the "The" article and the pioneer was presumably behind the renaming of the London Underground stop "Gillespie Road" to "Arsenal". Chapman could now command a much larger transfer budget for new players, based on increased revenues following the move and a new philosophy from Henry Norris. Norris, previously a rather cautious club chairman, now instructed to increase investment.

Chapman's first signing was veteran Charlie Buchan of Sunderland FC, who played an important role both on and off the pitch. Following a 7-0 defeat to Newcastle United in October 1925, Buchan suggested a change in the team's tactics in response to the change in the offside rule, recommending a switch to the so-called 'World Cup system', which involved, among other things, strengthening the defence after the centre-back had moved back into the defensive formation and protecting against opposition attacks down the flanks by the full-backs. As the game progressed, Chapman continued to develop the formation, placing emphasis on a fast-paced attacking line with wingers moving inside and a creative midfielder who would be responsible for ball distribution. Chapman's ability to fill these positions with adequate players ensured that a team slowly developed that began to dominate football in England.

In Chapman's first season Arsenal won the vice championship, which was at that time the best result in the club's history. However, this upward trend could not be continued at first and Arsenal always moved in the midfield of the league. Chapman made fundamental changes to the team, signing new players including winger Joe Hulme, striker Jack Lambert and defenders Tom Parker and Herbie Roberts, who he immediately integrated into his new team. In 1927 Arsenal reached the FA Cup final for the first time, losing unluckily 1-0 to Cardiff City after Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis let a harmless-looking shot slip through his arms. Cardiff thus became the only non-English club in history to win the trophy.

Chapman was undeterred and continued to restock the side with future captain Eddie Hapgood and three other powerful attacking players in David Jack, Alex James and Cliff Bastin. Alex James in particular was hailed as a playmaker in midfield for his support of the wingers and the forward line as the engine of the team. Three years later Arsenal again reached the FA Cup Final, which became famous for the appearance of the low-flying German airship Graf Zeppelin. Arsenal won 2-0 against Chapman's old club Huddersfield Town after goals from James and Lambert to claim the first major title in their history.

That victory marked the start of a hugely successful decade in which Arsenal became the dominant club in England. Under Chapman, the club won the English Championship for the first time in the 1930/31 season, scoring 127 goals in the process. The following year, Arsenal controversially lost the FA Cup final to Newcastle United. Arsenal had already taken a 1-0 lead after a Bob John goal until a ball was kicked wide into Arsenal's half of the pitch and had already crossed the byline, which should have resulted in a goal kick. However, Newcastle winger Jimmy Richardson crossed the ball back onto the pitch and Jack Allen was able to head the ball in for the equaliser. Another goal from Allen gave the Magpies the eventual 2-1 victory. Arsenal suffered another setback in the championship when, after a very poor start to the 1931/32 season, the club steadily made up ground but ended up in second place, two points behind new champions Everton FC.

Just one year later, Arsenal won their second championship trophy in the 1932/33 season. This season was also marked by a slow start for Arsenal and a steady run of form, culminating in a 5-0 home win over second-placed Aston Villa in April 1933 to secure the title. By now the first generation of Chapman's player signings were getting on in years and the successful coach began to invest in the future with the transfers of George Male for Tom Parker and Ray Bowden for David Jack. This period also saw one of the biggest sensations in FA Cup history as Arsenal lost to third division side FC Walsall. Despite the absence of five players who had been forced to take time off with influenza, the team had enough quality players but still lost 2-0. Tom Black, who had conceded the penalty that led to the 2-0 defeat, was sold to Plymouth Argyle within a week by an angry Chapman.

The "Championship Hat Trick" (1934-1939)

After a solid start to the 1933-34 season, the club suffered a blow in January 1934 when Herbert Chapman died suddenly of pneumonia. Interim manager Joe Shaw took over and the club defended their title, although injuries kept Hulme and James out for much of the season and Arsenal's weakened attack resulted in a relatively low 75 goals. In the previous season, Arsenal had scored 118 goals.

The new full-time head coach was George Allison - formerly of the club's management - who added fresh blood to the team with the other new signings, including midfielders Jack Crayston and Wilf Copping and goalscorer Ted Drake. These new players enabled Arsenal to regain their former strength in attack, with Drake scoring 42 goals in the 1934/35 season. With high victories such as the 7-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers, the 8-1 win over Liverpool FC and the two 8-0 wins over Leicester City and Middlesbrough FC, Arsenal achieved their third championship title in a row. The exceptional performance was also demonstrated by the fact that in November 1934, seven Arsenal players were in the England national team for the match against the reigning world champions from Italy. England won this match 3-2, which went down in football history as the "Battle of Highbury". Seven players are still a record for the most players from one club in the starting eleven of an English national team.

Arsenal's continued success attracted ever larger crowds, so the club's home ground was continually rebuilt. The stands, originally built by Archibald Leitch, were demolished and replaced with new ones in the modern Art Deco style that still exist today. The North and "Clock-End" stands were also covered over. The new stadium saw the club reach its record attendance, which still stands today, of 73,295 for the match against Sunderland FC on 9 March 1935.

Arsenal's period of great dominance came to an end with the cup win in 1936, when Sheffield United were beaten 1-0 by a Drake goal. From then on, sporting performances regressed after Alex James retired and players like Bastin had already passed their zenith. Nevertheless, Arsenal still won the fifth league title in the club's history in the 1937/38 season.

The Second World War (1939-1945)

With the outbreak of World War II in 1939, play in the British professional leagues ceased. From then on, the Highbury served as a so-called ARP station to protect civilians from air raids, operating a barrage balloon behind the Clock End stand. During the Blitz, a bomb weighing around 1.5 tonnes hit the North Stand, destroying the roof and causing a fire at the site. Arsenal played their home games during the war at White Hart Lane, normally home to Tottenham Hotspur. Matches during the war were not official in nature, mostly taking place in regional competitions only, and clubs did not usually finish seasons once they had started. Many footballers served in the army as coaches or instructors and were thus not available to their clubs in the long term, appearing only sporadically as "guest players" for other clubs. Arsenal won the Football League War Cup South in 1943 and also won regional championships in London and the south of England in 1941, 1943 and 1944.

In November 1945, Arsenal played one of the most unusual and controversial matches in the club's history when Dynamo Moscow were on a tour of the country. With many regulars still serving in the army, leaving a huge gap in the squad, Arsenal supplemented their team with six visiting players, including Stanley Matthews and Stan Mortensen. This led Dynamo to classify their opponents as an English side, despite the fact that Arsenal's starting eleven also included three Welshmen. The game itself took place in thick fog and the more technically skilful Dynamo side won the game 4-3 after Arsenal had already led 3-1 at half-time. Although there is widespread clarity about the final score, further detailed information about the actual course of the game differs. According to English reports, Dynamo used twelve players in the interim and also tried to get the referee to stop the game when the club was behind. In turn, the Soviets accused Arsenal of playing unfairly. The accusation that George Allison had bet money on the outcome of the game was later dropped. With the fog obscuring most of the action on the pitch - even the identities of the scorers are disputed - as well as language barriers and mutual suspicions - the match took place during the emerging Cold War - the exact events are likely to remain shrouded in mystery.

The post-war period (1945-1966)

The war ended the careers of many important Arsenal FC players, including Bastin and Drake. In addition, the club carried a heavy financial burden due to stadium construction costs and war damage repairs, which Arsenal struggled with in the aftermath once play resumed. In the third round of the FA Cup in the 1945/46 season, Arsenal lost to West Ham United by a total of 1-6 goals after two games. When the Championship resumed, Arsenal finished a disappointing 13th in the final table. George Allison resigned at the end of that season and was replaced by his assistant Tom Whittaker, who had also worked under Herbert Chapman.

The change to Whittaker brought the club immediate success with the win of the English championship in the season 1947/48. The team was led by the captain Joe Mercer and with the accuracy of the two attacking players Reg Lewis and Ronnie Rooke Arsenal took the league lead in October 1947, which they did not give up until the end of the season. Long-term success was not expected at this stage as the Arsenal team was already somewhat over-aged and possessed crucial players in Rooke and Mercer who were already over 30 years old. The response to this was for Whittaker to add new young players to the squad in the form of Doug Lishman, Alex Forbes and Cliff Holton. Although this still did not provide enough quality to compete in a Championship match again, this squad refresh ensured that the FA Cup was won again in 1950. Reg Lewis scored both goals in a 2-0 final win over Liverpool FC.

In the 1951/52 season Arsenal played for a long time for the double, but ultimately ended the season in disappointment after a series of injuries in the late stages of the season made the goals a distant memory. Arsenal lost their last two Championship games, including the away game at eventual champions Manchester United on the final day, and finished the season level on points with Tottenham in third place. A week later, Arsenal faced Newcastle in the FA Cup Final with many players previously injured. When Walley Barnes twisted his knee in the 35th minute and had to be taken off the pitch, Arsenal continued to play with ten men as substitutions were not allowed at the time. Newcastle took advantage and won the game 1-0.

Despite these setbacks, Arsenal won their seventh championship in the 1952/53 season after one of the most thrilling deciders saw Preston North End finish level on points and second only on goal difference, which was then used instead of the goal difference used today. That championship trophy was to be Arsenal's last title win for the next 17 years, and the sporting development curve pointed downwards from then on as they failed to recruit new players of match quality. Tom Whittaker died unexpectedly in 1956 and apart from a third place in the 1958/59 season Arsenal only finished in the midfield of the league. Also in the FA Cup Arsenal celebrated no more successes after the final of 1952 and didn't get beyond the quarterfinals until 1971.

The club's two former players Jack Crayston and George Swindin succeeded Whittaker in his post, but failed to match his success. In 1962, Arsenal made a bold move by signing English football legend Billy Wright, as Wright had no coaching experience. Like his immediate predecessors, Wright did not lead Arsenal to similar successes of the past, although under his aegis Arsenal's debut in a European club competition took place. Finishing seventh, Arsenal had qualified for the Exhibition Cup in the 1962/63 season. In his final coaching season, Arsenal's 14th place finish in the table was their worst in 36 years and recorded the lowest attendance in the Highbury's history at 4,554. Arsenal's only top player at the time was George Eastham, who was in the squad for the 1966 World Cup on home soil but did not appear in any matches there.

The first double (1966-1976)

In a surprise decision, the club promoted physio Bertie Mee to succeed Wright. This was to pay rapid dividends, helped along the way by a crop of young players who had won the FA Youth Cup for the club in 1966. There, talented attacking players such as Charlie George, John Radford and Ray Kennedy in particular had recommended themselves for the first team. Mee supplemented these attacking strengths with a number of experienced players, including team captain Frank McLintock, who was expected to provide security in the central defensive formation, and Peter Storey, a defensive midfielder who had great tackling strengths. With this newly-formed team, Mee achieved his first respectable successes by reaching the finals of the 1968 and 1969 League Cups. In both finals Arsenal lost 1-0 to Leeds United, who were then coached by Don Revie, and then sensationally 3-1 to third division Swindon Town.

Despite this defeat to Swindon Town, the season ended in partial success as Arsenal qualified for the Fairs Cup again on the back of their fourth place finish in the Championship. Arsenal also won the competition in 1970, claiming their first European trophy and first title in seventeen years. The club beat Ajax Amsterdam in the semi-finals and, after going 3-0 down in the first leg of the final at RSC Anderlecht, Ray Kennedy reduced the score to 3-1 shortly before the end of the match. The 3-0 scoreline in the second leg, after goals from John Radford, Eddie Kelly and Jon Sammels, turned the tie into a victory.

Arsenal's greatest achievement in this era was winning their first FA Cup and English Championship double in 1970/71. Although Arsenal started the season poorly with a 5-0 defeat to Stoke City in September, they performed at a consistently high level from that point on and had a close title race with Leeds United. To win the championship and leave Leeds behind, Arsenal needed to win at Tottenham on the final matchday. This was achieved with a 1-0 win after a Ray Kennedy goal. Just five days later Arsenal beat Liverpool FC 2-1 in the cup final at Wembley Stadium. Arsenal had been 1-0 down in extra time but equalised through substitute Eddie Kelly and won the game with Charlie George's decisive goal.

The double proved to be an early peak in a decade that was a string of narrowly missed opportunities. Despite the signing of world champion Alan Ball, Arsenal began the 1971/72 season on a low note, losing three games by August and struggling to catch up with the leaders. Arsenal ultimately finished the season in fifth place in the table. Arsenal's debut in the European Champions Cup began promisingly, until they were beaten in the quarter-finals by Ajax Amsterdam, who were at the peak of their powers under the leadership of Johan Cruyff. Arsenal again reached the FA Cup final, losing 1-0 to Leeds United in a game that was at times unfair and undisciplined.

A runners-up finish followed in the 1972/73 season, but the double-winning side had fallen apart within a year and Mee tried in vain to rebuild. Sporting fortunes deteriorated dramatically and Arsenal delivered their worst results for more than 40 years in the following two years, finishing 16th and 17th in the table. The sacked Mee was succeeded by Terry Neill, a former Arsenal player, as Tottenham coach, although he had never been able to lead Spurs into the upper midfield.

Changeable times under Neill and Howe (1976-1986)

Neill saw a return to the top half of the table, with emerging top Irish player Liam Brady playing a major part in that upward trend. Brady was part of a large Irish faction in the squad that also included Pat Rice, Frank Stapleton, Pat Jennings and young David O'Leary. Despite failing to break Liverpool FC's dominance at this time, Arsenal continued to underline signs of sporting consolidation by the end of the decade with good results in the FA Cup. The club reached three finals in a row from 1978 to 1980, but could only win the middle one against Manchester United. Another fine game from Brady gave Arsenal a 2-0 lead after goals from Brian Talbot and Frank Stapleton, and they looked certain winners with five minutes of normal time remaining. However, United levelled with a double strike to make it 2-2 and Alan Sunderland scored the winner in stoppage time to make it 3-2 from Graham Rix's cross.

The following season, 1979/80, became very exhausting as Arsenal reached a record number of 70 compulsory games by reaching two cup finals, in the wake of which Arsenal nevertheless remained without any countable success in the end. Most disappointing of all was the 1-0 defeat to second division side and underdogs West Ham United in the FA Cup Final, which was sealed by a Trevor Brooking header. Meanwhile, Arsenal had also reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, where they faced Spanish side Valencia FC thanks to Paul Vaessen's decisive goal in the semi-final win over Juventus Torino. The final ended goalless in normal time and Arsenal lost the encounter on penalties, with Brady and Rix missing their spot-kicks.

Liam Brady left Arsenal for Juventus Torino in the summer of 1980, and Arsenal entered another period of stagnation. The club were among the top four English sides at the start of the 1980s, but never seriously challenged in the Championship or repeated past successes in the FA Cup. Their best FA Cup series came in the 1982/83 season, when they were beaten only in the semi-finals by Manchester United.

During his tenure, Neill always had problems with team management and fell out with many of his players, such as Alan Hudson and Malcolm Macdonald, and was unable to get to grips with the drinking problem in the squad, which is still prevalent in many English teams today. On top of that, many new signings, including that of Charlie Nicholas, did not immediately help to improve the quality. Neill was sacked in December 1983 after a poor start to the season - culminating in a sensational League Cup defeat to bottom club Walsall FC.

Arsenal's new manager was Don Howe, who had already served the club in a number of roles, including as a player, but who never came close to winning a title with Arsenal. Although the club did not have an overly poor record under Howe, finishing sixth and seventh in the Championship, they again lost surprisingly to a third division side - in this case York City - in the FA Cup for the 1984/85 season. Supporters began to express their disappointment at the lack of success and attendances fell below the 20,000 mark. When Howe became aware in March 1986 that the board were in negotiations with Terry Venables to coach Arsenal FC, he resigned.

The years under George Graham (1986-1995)

In the summer of 1986, the club brought in George Graham, a former Arsenal player and the former Millwall FC coach, to replace Howe. This laid the foundations for the next successful era, as Graham weeded out many of the club's old players and replaced them with new signings as well as increased promotion of young Arsenal talent. Tightening discipline both on and off the pitch was also among Graham's first tasks. Arsenal's form curve rose sharply as a result of these measures, and the club returned to the top of the table on Christmas Day 1986 for the first time that decade, a symbolically opportune moment given the club's centenary.

As well as finishing fourth in the Championship in Graham's first season, he won the 1986/87 League Cup at the first attempt with his new club, with the side turning around many games they had thought lost. Arsenal were already two goals down in the semi-final second leg against Spurs before two goals of their own forced a decider. Tottenham again took a 1-0 lead, which Arsenal converted with two late goals from Ian Allinson and David Rocastle. In the final, Charlie Nicholas turned a 1-0 deficit into a two-goal win to ensure Arsenal won the League Cup for the first time.

Although Arsenal lost their next League Cup final in a surprise defeat to Luton Town, their performances in the English Championship steadily improved. Graham's side developed an exceptionally disciplined defence, epitomised by Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, Steve Bould and Nigel Winterburn, and in this form formed the basis of the defensive line for a full decade. Despite public opinion to the contrary, Graham's side was not exclusively defensive and produced powerful midfielders such as David Rocastle, Michael Thomas and Paul Merson, as well as striker Alan Smith, who consistently finished with a goal tally of over 20 per season.

At the end of Graham's third season, Arsenal won their first championship since 1971 in dramatic fashion in 1989. Having topped the table since Christmas 1988, Liverpool moved past after an Arsenal defeat to Derby County and a draw against Wimbledon FC in May. Arsenal looked to have squandered the championship by the time the club went into the final matchday showdown at Anfield Stadium on May 26. Arsenal needed a win by two goals difference and Liverpool, as newly crowned FA Cup winners, were favourites to win the double. After Alan Smith made it 1-0 early in the second half, Arsenal were unable to add the second goal they needed as the 90 minutes ticked away. Only seconds remained in stoppage time when Smith passed the ball to young Michael Thomas, who then calmly lifted the ball over Bruce Grobbelaar and into the net to help Arsenal to the championship.

Arsenal failed to defend their title the next season, finishing fourth behind new champions Liverpool, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal were also banned from participating in European club competitions due to the ban on English clubs in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster.

Graham continued to strengthen the squad, signing goalkeeper David Seaman and Swedish winger Anders Limpar. Both players fitted into the team and Arsenal won the championship again in the 1990/91 season, although the club suffered two setbacks in the process. In October 1990, Arsenal were deducted two points after ten of the club's players were involved in a scuffle with Manchester United opposition players. In addition, Tony Adams was sentenced to four months in prison for drink-driving in December 1990. However, this did not stop Arsenal from performing consistently well in a season in which the club lost only one Championship game. Arsenal also reached the FA Cup semi-finals, where they faced Tottenham Hotspur. Paul Gascoigne's long-range free-kick gave Arsenal the lead after just five minutes, and Tottenham's 3-1 win put an early stop to Arsenal's potential double.

In October 1991, Arsenal signed Ian Wright from Crystal Palace, the second-highest goalscorer in the club's history, and entered a European competition for the first time since the 1971/72 season. There they lost to Benfica Lisbon in the second qualifying round of the Champions League and missed out on progressing to the group stages. The season continued to be mixed after Arsenal lost to lowly AFC Wrexham in the FA Cup and finished fourth in the Championship.

After that season, Graham made a tactical change to play more defensively. This more cautious approach meant that the team relied almost exclusively on Wright's goals and the other parts of the team became less attack-minded. After averaging 66 league goals between 1986 and 1992 - including 81 in the 1991/92 season alone - Arsenal scored just 48 between 1992 and 1995, the minimum being 40 in 1992/93, when Arsenal finished tenth in their first Premier League season and scored fewer goals than any other club in the league.

Arsenal's form in the league was disappointing, but they performed much better in the cup competitions, becoming the first club to win the "FA and League Cup double" in the 1992/93 season. In the League Cup final Arsenal faced Sheffield Wednesday and, led by Merson, came from 1-0 down to win 2-1 with Steve Morrow's decisive goal. In the FA Cup semi-final Arsenal beat Spurs, taking revenge for their defeat in 1991. In the final Sheffield Wednesday again awaited Arsenal, who cancelled out a Wright goal through Chris Waddle. When no further goal had been scored after 120 minutes, Andy Linighan's header from a corner decided the game and gave Arsenal a cup double.

Arsenal won their second European trophy in the 1993/94 season, struggling in the European Cup Winners' Cup final with injuries to key players John Jensen and Martin Keown and the suspension of Ian Wright. Nevertheless, defending champions and favourites AC Parma were beaten 1-0 in Copenhagen with a very defensively-minded display, Alan Smith's volleyed left-footed strike in the 21st minute. That success was to be George Graham's last title win as the Scot was sacked the following February after nine years for Arsenal. He had been found to have taken an illegal payment of £425,000 from Norwegian player agent Rune Hauge in 1992 in connection with the purchase of players Pål Lydersen and, most notably, John Jensen.

Bruce Rioch - The Intermediate Period (1995-1996)

By the end of the 1994/95 season, Stewart Houston, the former assistant coach, had temporarily taken over as manager. Arsenal finished the season in a disappointing twelfth place, but reached another European Cup Winners' Cup final after beating Sampdoria Genoa on penalties in the semi-finals - both sides having won 3-2 after normal time. They faced Spanish representatives Real Zaragoza, whose opening goal through Juan Esnáider was cancelled out by John Hartson for Arsenal, before midfielder Nayim's last-gasp 120th-minute long-range strike from the halfway line decided the game for Zaragoza. David Seaman, who had won the penalty shoot-out in the semi-final, was unable to rush back into his box quickly enough and only lightly touched the ball with one hand as it fell into the net. The final defeat thus represented a low point in a poor overall season.

In June 1995, Arsenal hired Bruce Rioch, who had just led Bolton Wanderers to the League Cup final and back to the top flight, as their new manager. The purchase of Dutch striker Dennis Bergkamp from Inter Milan for £7.5 million broke the transfer record in English football up to that point. Bergkamp went on to form the prolific attack with Wright in a side that redeemed themselves by reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup. A fifth-place finish in the Championship also earned them a place in the UEFA Cup competition, fuelling hopes of a return to the title race in the future. The Rioch era ended prematurely in August 1996 after Rioch fell out with the club's management over transfer policy, resulting in months of turmoil. Stewart Houston again took charge of the team on an interim basis for a month before resigning to join Queens Park Rangers.

The Wenger Era (1996-2018)

Two more doubles (1996-2003)

Until the signing of Frenchman Arsène Wenger in September 1996, youth coach Pat Rice took charge of the team for a few games. The team improved rapidly under Wenger's guidance, finishing third in the championship and qualifying for the UEFA Cup, missing out on Champions League participation only on goal difference. Wenger incorporated a number of mostly little-known French players into his squad. These included the talented Patrick Vieira, who was still at the start of what would become a great career, as well as Nicolas Anelka and Emmanuel Petit. Wenger also signed Marc Overmars, a highly talented Dutch winger, in the summer of 1997. These new players merged with many established players from the "old guard", including Adams, Dixon, Winterburn, Keown and Bould. Pat Rice was appointed by Wenger as his assistant coach.

Wenger won his first title with Arsenal the following season, when he became the first foreign coach to win the English Championship, which he extended to the second double in the club's history. In the championship race, Arsenal appeared to have bowed out early in December after a 3-1 home defeat to Blackburn Rovers. They eventually closed a 12-point gap on league leaders Manchester United and ended up securing the trophy before the penultimate matchday after a 4-0 home win over Everton FC on 3 May. Arsenal went on to beat Newcastle United 2-0 in the FA Cup final on 16 May, and Ian Wright surpassed former club record goalscorer Cliff Bastin to leave the club in the summer of 1998 after scoring 185 goals.

Despite the purchase of Freddie Ljungberg in 1998 and Thierry Henry a year later, another period without title wins awaited the club in the following years, although several opportunities were narrowly missed. In the 1998/99 season, Arsenal led the table for long periods until a 1-0 defeat to Leeds United saw the club overtaken by Manchester United. Despite a last-day win over Aston Villa, United's victory over Tottenham Hotspur meant Arsenal FC were left with only a runners-up finish. Arsenal also lost out to their Manchester rivals in the FA Cup semi-final, with Bergkamp initially missing a penalty and Ryan Giggs scoring the decisive goal in injury time after a solo run through the entire Arsenal defence. Arsenal's return to the Champions League after seven years also ended in disappointment as the club failed to progress past the group stage.

Arsenal were runners-up again in 1999/2000, never seriously threatening Manchester United in the title race and finishing 18 points behind the old and new champions. In the Champions League, Arsenal again failed to live up to expectations, although third place in the group stages at least allowed them to continue in the UEFA Cup. There, the team advanced to the final and met Galatasaray Istanbul in Copenhagen. The match ended in an action-poor 0-0 draw after extra time. Arsenal lost the penalty shoot-out after Davor Šuker and Patrick Vieira missed their spot-kicks.

Another runner-up finish awaited Arsenal in the 2000/01 season, in this case just ten points behind Manchester United. The title race had been open until February 2001, when a 6-1 Arsenal defeat at Old Trafford brought a preliminary decision. The club concentrated more on the cup competitions from then on, defeating Spurs in the FA Cup semi-final to face Liverpool FC in Cardiff in the final. Arsenal were mostly dominant in the game. Liverpool's Stephane Henchoz palmed away a ball that would have led to a goal, but the referee did not penalize him. Nevertheless, Arsenal took a 1-0 lead through a Ljungberg goal, but lost 2-1 after two late goals from Michael Owen. In the Champions League, the club reached the quarter-finals, where they lost to eventual finalists Valencia FC only on the away goals rule. Nevertheless, their place in the last eight was their best result in Europe's premier club competition since 1972.

Wenger was now forced to rebuild much of his 1998 double-winning side after Anelka, Overmars and Petit had moved to Spanish clubs for large transfer fees and the renowned defensive formation was clearly ageing. Bould and Winterburn had already left the club and Adams as well as Dixon were also only due to feature for one more season until their retirement. Wenger re-stocked the defensive positions with the likes of Sol Campbell and Lauren, and promoted Ashley Cole from the club's youth set-up to the first team. The midfield was bolstered by the addition of Robert Pirès, while compatriot Sylvain Wiltord was brought in to bolster the attack, with Thierry Henry adapting to the English style of play and becoming one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

The attack was now Arsenal's undoubted showpiece and the team won the third double in the club's history in the 2001/02 season, setting a record in English football in this respect. The "Gunners" were the only team to score at least one goal in every match and remained unbeaten in all away games. Until February 2002, the battle for the championship was exciting and the top four teams were separated by a total of only three points. Arsenal then pulled away with an eleven-game winning streak to secure the championship by seven points from Liverpool FC, with a 1-0 away win at Manchester United on the penultimate matchday after a Wiltord goal had decided the tie. The weekend before, Arsenal had clinched their eighth FA Cup title with a 2-0 win over Chelsea FC in the final, Ray Parlour and Ljungberg providing the goals.

Arsenal became the first club in over 20 years to defend their FA Cup title in 2002/03, beating Southampton FC 1-0 in the final with a Pirès goal. Their joy was marred by narrowly missing out on the championship. Arsenal had already topped the table with eight points ahead of eventual champions Manchester United, but their form dipped significantly towards the end of the season. After leading 2-0 at Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal drew 2-2 and lost 3-2 at home to Leeds United in the following game.

The "Invincibles" and a Champions League Final (2003-2006)

However, that defeat to Leeds was to be Arsenal's last in the Championship for a period of over a year. The 2003/04 season set a record of 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats. The last time Preston North End had gone without defeat was in the 1888/89 season. Arsenal finished eleven points ahead of second-placed Chelsea FC, who in turn gained revenge in the Champions League quarter-finals. In addition, Arsenal lost to Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinals. After these setbacks, Arsenal bounced back from 1-0 and 2-1 down to win 4-2 with three goals from Henry in the following match against Liverpool FC, and then secured the championship with a 2-2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Arsenal failed to defend their title in the 2004/05 season, finishing twelve points behind Chelsea FC in second place. Nevertheless, the Gunners extended their English unbeaten record to 49 games in total. Firstly, the record was set by a thrilling 5-3 win over Middlesbrough FC after trailing 3-1 at half-time, then surpassed with a 3-0 win over Blackburn Rovers, before being ended by a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. Thereafter, form deteriorated and Arsenal lost crucial ground in the title race until a renewed positive run, sealed by a spectacular 7-0 win over Everton FC, secured the runners-up spot. In the Champions League, Arsenal were again unlucky, losing to FC Bayern Munich after the group stage by a total of 2 goals to 3 after the first and second legs. Nevertheless, Arsenal ended the season with a title win when they won the penalty shootout against Manchester United 5:4 after a goalless regular season and thus won their third FA Cup in four years.

Weakened by the sale of captain Patrick Vieira to Juventus Turin in the summer of 2005, the 2005/06 season was relatively disappointing, with Arsenal also failing to make an impact in the domestic cup competitions. In the Championship, poor form in away games meant that despite some good home results - including a 5-0 win over Aston Villa and a 7-0 thrashing of Middlesbrough FC - Arsenal were mostly fifth or worse in the table and looked set to fail to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 1997. After winning their last three games, including a 4-2 win over Wigan Athletic at Highbury, Spurs' defeat at West Ham United on the final matchday ensured Arsenal finished fourth and gained entry to the Champions League.

In considerable contrast to their poor domestic form, Arsenal performed much better in Europe, reaching the Champions League final in 2006 for the first time in their history and the first London club ever to do so. Arsenal won their group ahead of Ajax Amsterdam, FC Thun and Sparta Prague and went on to beat Real Madrid, where they became the first British team to win at the Santiago Bernabéu stadium, Juventus Torino and FC Villarreal in their subsequent elimination matches, before facing FC Barcelona in the final after a record ten games without conceding a goal. Arsenal played with only ten men early on after goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for a foul. Nevertheless, Arsenal took the lead through a Sol Campbell header in the 37th minute and held on for a long time until Samuel Eto'o and Juliano Belletti scored twice late on to give Barcelona a 2-1 win.

In June 2006, following a request from FIFA, the Football Association launched an investigation into Arsenal's relationship with KSK Beveren. The inquiry was in response to allegations made by the BBC on Newsnight. There had been speculation as to whether Arsenal's £1 million payment to a consortium bidding to buy the Belgian club may have breached FIFA statutes. On 23 June 2006, the FA cleared Arsenal of the allegation, announcing that they had found no evidence of a breach of FA or Premier League rules regarding an improper community of interest or collaboration between the two clubs.

Move to Emirates Stadium, record cup winners (2006-2018).

Despite numerous successes in the 1990s and 2000s, stadium capacity has always been very limited at 38,500 at Highbury, particularly due to Taylor Report restrictions. As a result, the club has never been able to maximise the revenue side of this segment. In 1999, after an expansion of Highbury Stadium proved impossible, Arsenal informed the public of plans to move to neighbouring Ashburton Grove and build a new stadium there. Construction of the stadium began in December 2002 and, once completed, the Emirates Stadium was opened in July 2006 for use from the 2006-07 season.

Although the team made a promising start to the season, finishing just four points clear at the top of the table, Wenger said in November 2006 that it was not possible to intervene in the championship race. As the season progressed, Arsenal continued to finish in the top four, but Wenger's increased use of reserve and youth players, particularly in the League Cup, saw them reach the final, where they lost 2-1 to Chelsea FC. Arsenal were less successful in other cup competitions, losing 2-1 on aggregate to PSV Eindhoven in the last 16 of the Champions League and also losing out to Blackburn Rovers in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

In 2007, speculation increased regarding two possible takeover scenarios. Firstly, US sports tycoon Stan Kroenke took over a large proportion of the shares and, as of August 2007, owns 12.2% of the stock, having acquired the majority of it from ITV subsidiary Granada Ventures in April of that year. This led to David Dein, who owned 14.6% of the shares and was considered a Kroenke sympathiser, withdrawing from the board on 18 April due to "irreconcilable differences". Dein later sold his shares to "Red & White Holdings", owned by Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov and London businessman Farhad Moshiri, and in turn became president of that company. However, in a statement, chairman Peter Hill-Wood said that no other board member was willing to sell his own shareholding, which totalled 45.45%, until at least April 2009. In addition, all members of the board held options on each other's shares until October 2012.

In sporting terms, a number of experienced players had already left the club within the 2006/07 season and immediately afterwards with Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Lauren, Freddie Ljungberg and, most notably, long-time captain and top scorer Thierry Henry. As a result, the team went into the season with just three players who had won the last championship four years earlier. With a new crop of young players, including Cesc Fàbregas, Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Eboué and Gaël Clichy, the rebuilt team got going surprisingly quickly and went unbeaten between April and November 2007. This also set a new record in terms of all compulsory competitions. They led the Premier League for a long time, eliminating defending champions AC Milan in the Champions League last 16 (becoming the first English side to win at the San Siro), before going past Manchester United and Chelsea FC in the league.

In an all-English quarter-final, the Gunners also lost 5-3 on aggregate to Liverpool FC. In the 2008/09, 2009/10 and 2010/11 seasons, too, the young team was not yet able to play consistently for the top places after promising starts in each case. Highlights came in the Champions League in 2009 and the following year, when the team was defeated in the semi-finals and quarter-finals by defending champions Manchester United and FC Barcelona respectively. Hopes of a first title in six years were also dashed in the 2011 League Cup, where the Gunners were surprisingly beaten 2-1 in the final by eventual relegated Birmingham City. Following the departure of a number of key players in mid-2011, including Cesc Fàbregas and Samir Nasri, and under the impact of an 8-2 defeat to Manchester United on 28 August 2011, Wenger signed four players in Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, André Santos and Yossi Benayoun on the final day of the transfer window. Performances eventually stabilised and Arsenal finished third after initially finishing in the bottom half of the table. Further rebuilding followed in 2012 in the form of the departure of goalscorer Robin van Persie and the signing of the likes of LukasPodolski, Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla. A year later, Arsenal signed Mesut Özil for a new club record transfer fee. Results in the Premier League remained consistent with fourth place finishes in both the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons. However, the club managed to win the FA Cup after nine years, defeating underdog Hull City in extra time in the final on 17 May 2014. The Cup win qualified Arsenal for the Community Shield, which they won 3-0 against league winners Manchester City on 10 August 2014. After a slow start, Arsenal finished the 2014/15 season in third place in the table thanks to a strong second half, achieving direct and eighteenth consecutive Champions League qualification. This was followed by a successful English Cup title defence on 30 May 2015 with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa. Arsenal FC thus briefly became the sole record winners of this trophy, before Manchester United equalled them again in terms of titles the following year.

Present (since 2018)

For the 2018/19 season, the Spanish coach Unai Emery, who already successfully coached Valencia FC for four years, Sevilla FC for three years and most recently Paris Saint-Germain for two years, was hired as the successor to Arsène Wenger, who resigned after 22 years in charge. In his first season, he finished 5th in the Premier League with Arsenal FC, thus missing out on the UEFA Champions League once again and having to settle for the UEFA Europa League once more. In the Europa League, he reached the 2018/2019 final, which he lost to rivals Chelsea FC 4-1.

In Emery's second season, the club fell short of expectations. They were only 8th in the Premier League and were already ten points off the Champions League places. A 2-1 UEFA Europa League defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt and recent poor performances in the Premier League saw him sacked in November 2019 after just under a year and a half in charge. It took over for 6 games as interim coach former Arsenal player Freddie Ljungberg. But even under the Swede, the success did not return and the club did not get on track, so he did not become the permanent solution at Arsenal FC.

Thus, Arsenal FC signed the former co-coach of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Mikel Arteta, at the end of December 2019. The latter already played as an active footballer for Arsenal FC. He was also traded to Everton FC, but Liverpool opted for former AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti (previously FC Bayern Munich and SSC Napoli).

Under Arteta, they regained the sole record of winning the FA Cup in 2020 by beating local rivals Chelsea FC 2-1 in the final to win their 14th title and qualify directly for the Europa League group stage, but in the league they finished in 8th place, their worst result since 1994/95.

At the start of the 2020/21 season, the club parted company with previous sporting director Raul Sanllehi following an analysis of their recent transfer policy, which also led to the departure of talent scout Sven Mislintat at the start of 2019, and Arteta was promoted from head coach to first team manager - a title most recently held by Arsène Wenger.

Arsenal FC unveiled its first coat of arms in 1888, featuring three north-facing cannons viewed from above, similar in arrangement to the arms of the Metropolitan Borough of Woolwich. The cannons are sometimes mistaken for chimneys, although the carved lion's head on each, and the back button of a cannon, indicate that they are cannons. In 1922, the club developed its first coat of arms, which showed only a cannon pointing east. In 1925, it was replaced with a variant showing the cannon pointing west. In addition, the cannon barrel was much narrower and the nickname "The Gunners" appeared on the left side. In 1949, the club modernised this coat of arms, retaining the basic cannon style but now placing the club name above it and adding a scroll with the new Latin club motto "Victoria Concordia Crescit" (meaning "Success comes from harmony", literally "Victory grows with unity") on the underside. Below the cannon is the coat of arms of the London Borough of Islington. For the first time, Arsenal FC thus also developed a colourful coat of arms in the colours red, green and gold, which was only changed in details during its period of use until 2002.

Due to the numerous changes in the crest, Arsenal FC failed to establish a copyright on it for a long time, although the club tried to have it protected as a trademark and won a long legal battle against a local street vendor who sold "unofficial" Arsenal merchandise. In 2002, in order to gain more extensive legal protection, the club adopted a new coat of arms whose simplified style - with rounded edges - seemed more suitable for the purpose. The cannon was now once again facing east, and the club's name was placed above it in a sans-serif font. In addition, the designers replaced the green color with a dark blue. These changes led to very mixed reactions from the club's supporters. A large proportion criticised the club's history and tradition for being ignored in favour of a radical modern design, and that supporters' opinions were not sufficiently taken into account.