Arsenal Football Club is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England, that plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (including one unbeaten title), a record 14 FA Cups, two League Cups, 16 FA Community Shields, the League Centenary Trophy, one European Cup Winners' Cup, and one Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. Arsenal was the first club from the South of England to join The Football League, in 1893, and they reached the First Division in 1904. Relegated only once, in 1913, they continue the longest streak in the top division, and have won the second-most top-flight matches in English football history.
Introduction
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal F.C. | Introduction
Thirteen 49. 13 league titles 13 league titles
when did arsenal last won the fa cup
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2005
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how many league titles have they won?
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Seasons in bold are seasons when the club won a Double of the league and FA Cup, or of the FA Cup and League Cup. The "2003–04" season was the only 38-match league season unbeaten in English football history. A special gold version of the Premier League trophy was commissioned and presented to the club the following season. As of "29 August 2020".
Arsenal F.C. | Honours
Arsenal's tally of 13 League Championships is the third highest in English football, after Manchester United (20) and Liverpool (19), and they were the first club to reach a seventh and an eighth League Championship. As of June 2020, they are one of seven teams, the others being Manchester United, Blackburn Rovers, Chelsea, Manchester City, Leicester City and Liverpool, to have won the Premier League since its formation in 1992. They hold the highest number of FA Cup trophies, with 14. The club is one of only six clubs to have won the FA Cup twice in succession, in 2002 and 2003, and 2014 and 2015.
Arsenal F.C. | Statistics and records
Arsenal won their second Premier League title in five seasons, as well as their second double in the same period, after a remarkable season in which they fought with the rest of the top six for the title right up until the final stages. They scored in every Premier League game, were unbeaten away from home, and finished the league season with 13 successive wins - and also had the satisfaction of clinching the title with a win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in their penultimate game. Liverpool's second-place finish was their highest for 11 years, ironically ending Manchester United's top-two run which had started after theirs had ended.
2001–02 in English football | FA Premier League
Arsenal became only the second club to have won two doubles after they beat Newcastle United 2–0 and added the FA Cup to their Premiership title triumph.
1997–98 in English football | FA Cup
The club's biggest win in all competitions was 6–0 against Sunderland in the league; in all competitions, Reg Lewis scored the most goals, netting 24.
1949–50 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
In the 1930s, Arsenal won five League Championships and two FA Cups, and another FA Cup and two Championships after the war. In 1970–71, they won their first League and FA Cup Double. Between 1989 and 2005, they won five League titles and five FA Cups, including two more Doubles. They completed the 20th century with the highest average league position. Herbert Chapman, who changed the fortunes of Arsenal forever, won the club its first silverware, and his legacy led the club to dominate the 1930s decade; Chapman, however, died prematurely of pneumonia in 1934. He helped introduce the WM formation, floodlights, and shirt numbers; he also added the white sleeves and brighter red to the club's jersey.
Arsenal F.C. | Introduction
However, they gained just three points from their next eight games, which included a four-match run of defeats and didn't include a single win, which left Arsenal's title hopes looking dead by the turn of 1993. However, they were still in the Football League Cup, and now had the FA Cup to play for.
1992–93 Arsenal F.C. season | Premier League
Nonetheless, a 3-1 win over Liverpool on 18th April ensured Arsenal won the league for the first of thirteen times in their history.
1930–31 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
In response, Whittaker had brought in younger players such as Doug Lishman, Alex Forbes and Cliff Holton. Although Arsenal were unable to sustain any challenges for the League title, with the new blood they won the FA Cup in 1949–50, with Reg Lewis scoring both goals in a 2–0 win over Liverpool. The 1951–52 season saw the club nearly win the Double, but ultimately end up empty-handed; a series of injuries and a fixture pile-up at the end of the season saw Arsenal lose their last two matches, including the title decider against eventual champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on the last day of the season; after losing 6–1, the Gunners finished third, equal on points with Tottenham.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966) | The post-war years (1945–66)
Arsenal would win the Charity Shield again with a 3-0 triumph at Everton, but went out of the FA Cup against Aston Villa. Arsenal’s biggest league win off the season was 6-0 against Middlesbrough; in all competitions it was 7-0 against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup fourth round. Their top scorer was once again Cliff Bastin, who scored 13 league goals and 15 in all competitions.
1933–34 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Arsenal reached the final of the 2007 and 2011 League Cups, losing 2–1 to Chelsea and Birmingham City respectively. The club had not gained a major trophy since the 2005 FA Cup until 17 May 2014 when, spearheaded by then club-record acquisition Mesut Özil, Arsenal beat Hull City in the 2014 FA Cup Final, coming back from a 2–0 deficit to win the match 3–2. A year later, Arsenal appeared in the FA Cup final for the second time in a row, defeating Aston Villa 4–0 in the final and becoming the most successful club in the tournament's history with 12 titles, a record which Manchester United would tie the following season.
Arsenal F.C. | 1996–2018: The Wenger years
A first league and cup double was completed a year later; by the end of the decade Arsenal added another FA Cup, beating Manchester United in the 1979 final. 1980 saw Arsenal lose two finals in quick succession, defeated by West Ham United in the FA Cup final and then to Valencia in the Cup Winners' Cup on penalties. The club won their first League Cup in 1987, but a year later failed to retain the trophy as outsiders Luton Town beat them in the final. In 1989, Arsenal won their first league championship in 18 years, courtesy of Michael Thomas' last-minute goal against closest challengers Liverpool in the final game of the season.
List of Arsenal F.C. seasons | History
For the second time in three seasons, Arsenal were crowned league champions, building on a start of just one defeat in the first fourteen games to clinch the crown with a 3-1 win at Chelsea in April 1933. Meanwhile, Stoke City ended their nine-year wait for top flight promotion by attaining First Division status after winning an impressive 56 points over the campaign. Hull City and Brentford were also promoted; meanwhile Everton won their second-ever FA Cup; they defeated Manchester City 3-0 in the final, with lower league Walsall having surprisingly knocked out Arsenal in an earlier round.
1932–33 in English football | Overview
Arsenal failed to retain their title, despite having the same points tally as last season 78 points, but had at one point looked as though they were on the brink of winning the title, after beating fellow rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while Manchester United had drawn against Liverpool, 2–2. However, Manchester United pushed on and took advantage of Arsenal's 1–0 defeat at Leeds United in the penultimate match of the season and despite going 1–0 down against Tottenham on the final day, came back to win 2–1 and clinch the title. Should they have failed to win, Arsenal would have been crowned champions once more.
1998–99 FA Premier League | Introduction
We didn't deserve to lose to Manchester United but we did deserve to lose to Liverpool."
1996–97 Arsenal F.C. season | Football League Cup
The 1947–48 season was the 68th season of competitive football in England. Arsenal won the league title this season for the sixth time in their history, having been league champions five times during the 1930s. Manchester United won the FA Cup, defeating Blackpool 4-2 in the final.
1947–48 in English football | Introduction
Arsenal then won 2–0 at home against Chelsea in the Premier League on 19 January but were then knocked out of the FA Cup at the fourth round by Manchester United.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | After Arsène Wenger (2018–present)
Despite Arsenal leading the division for much of the 2007–08 season, Manchester United retained the championship on the final day of the season and won their eleventh Premier League title in 2008–09 after much competition from Liverpool. Chelsea reclaimed the league in 2009–10, scoring a record 103 goals and won the FA Cup to end the season as double winners. In May 2011, Manchester United won their 12th Premier League title and a record 19th after drawing away to Blackburn Rovers.
List of Premier League seasons | Champions
Arsenal won their second league title of the postwar era, finishing ahead of runners-up Preston North End on goal average - denying their nearest rivals a first league title since they won the first two English Football League titles more than 60 years earlier. Wolverhampton Wanderers bounced back after two disappointing seasons to finish third, three points short of the title. They finished one point ahead of their local rivals West Bromwich Albion. Defending champions Manchester United, in a period of transition as the team captained by Johnny Carey started to make way for a younger generation of players, finished eighth.
1952–53 Football League | First Division
For Newcastle to win their first title since 1927, they had to win against Tottenham and hope that Middlesbrough beat their Mancunian rivals. But the Premier League title went to Old Trafford as Manchester United won 3–0 and Newcastle could only manage a 1–1 draw with Tottenham. Despite the arrival of Dennis Bergkamp, Arsenal never looked like serious title challengers, their best chance of success coming in the League Cup, where they reached the semi-finals, losing on away goals to Aston Villa. However, the North London side still qualified for the UEFA Cup by finishing fifth.
1995–96 FA Premier League | Summary
Arsenal hold the record number of wins, with 14. League football began in the next decade with the founding of The Football League in 1888–89. The name First Division was adopted in 1892, when The Football League gained a second division. The First Division remained the highest division of the English ball league system until 1992, when the Premier League was founded. Manchester United have won the most top division titles, 20. The English equivalent of the super cup began in 1898 with the inauguration of the Sheriff of London Charity Shield, pitting the best professional and amateur sides of the year against each other.
List of football clubs in England by competitive honours won | Introduction
They however failed to retain both trophies as Manchester United pipped Arsenal on the final day of the league season, winning the Premier League as well as defeating the holders in a FA Cup semi-final replay. United won the league for two successive seasons: in 1999–2000 ending the season 18 points in front and 2000–01 by 10. After four seasons without a trophy, Arsenal again completed a league and cup double in 2001–02 remarkably scoring in every single Premier League match. The title the following season was won by Manchester United, with striker Ruud van Nistelrooy scoring 25 goals in 38 league matches.
List of Premier League seasons | Champions
Transformed, Chapman's Arsenal claimed their first national trophy, the FA Cup, in 1930. Two League Championships followed, in 1930–31 and 1932–33. Chapman also presided over multiple off the pitch changes: white sleeves and shirt numbers were added to the kit; a Tube station was named after the club; and the first of two opulent, Art Deco stands was completed, with some of the first floodlights in English football. Suddenly, in the middle of the 1933–34 season, Chapman died of pneumonia. His work was left to Joe Shaw and George Allison, who saw out a hat-trick with the 1933–34 and 1934–35 titles, and then won the 1936 FA Cup and 1937–38 title.
Arsenal F.C. | 1919–1953: Bank of England club
Arsène Wenger was the longest-serving manager and won the most trophies. He won a record seven FA Cups, and his title-winning team set an English record for the longest top-flight unbeaten league run at 49 games between 2003 and 2004, receiving the nickname The Invincibles.
Arsenal F.C. | Introduction
Since the establishment of the Premier League in 1992, only eight clubs that won the Shield proceeded to become League champions in the same season, the last being Manchester City in 2018–19. Indeed, Gianluca Vialli was sacked only weeks after guiding Chelsea to the victory in the 2000 match, following a lacklustre start to the season. The current holders are Arsenal, who defeated Liverpool 5–4 in a penalty shootout after a 1–1 draw in the 2020 edition.
List of FA Community Shield matches | Introduction
Arsenal won the league championship at the end of a season which would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. Arsenal secured the league title at White Hart Lane, the home of bitter rivals Tottenham. They narrowly overcame Leeds to win the league, with a 12-point gap separating Leeds from third-placed Tottenham. Wolves and Liverpool joined these two teams in the UEFA Cup. Chelsea missed out on the top five on goal average but compensated for this shortcoming by achieving European Cup Winners' Cup glory over Real Madrid. Burnley and Blackpool (who won this year's Anglo-Italian Cup) were relegated to the Second Division.
1970–71 in English football | First Division
World War II meant The Football League was suspended for seven years, but Arsenal returned to win it in the second post-war season, 1947–48. This was Tom Whittaker's first season as manager, after his promotion to succeed Allison, and the club had equalled the champions of England record. They won a third FA Cup in 1950, and then won a record-breaking seventh championship in 1952–53. However, the war had taken its toll on Arsenal. The club had had more players killed than any top flight club, and debt from reconstructing the North Bank Stand bled Arsenal's resources.
Arsenal F.C. | 1919–1953: Bank of England club
The club's only success during this time was an FA Cup win in 1978–79 against Manchester United. After stagnation in the 1980s, the return of former player George Graham as manager in 1986 brought a third period of glory. Arsenal won the League Cup in 1986–87, the Football League Centenary Trophy in 1988, two League title wins in 1988–89 and 1990–91, the FA Cup and League Cup double in 1992–93 and a second European trophy, the Cup Winners' Cup, in 1993–94. However, Graham's reputation was tarnished when it was revealed that he had taken kickbacks for signing certain players and he was sacked in 1995.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | Introduction
Arsenal's first ever silverware was won as the Royal Arsenal in 1890. The Kent Junior Cup, won by Royal Arsenal's reserves, was the club's first trophy, while the first team's first trophy came three weeks later when they won the Kent Senior Cup. Their first national senior honour came in 1930, when they won the FA Cup. The club enjoyed further success in the 1930s, winning another FA Cup and five Football League First Division titles. Arsenal won their first league and cup double in the 1970–71 season and twice repeated the feat, in 1997–98 and 2001–02, as well as winning a cup double of the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992–93.
Arsenal F.C. | Honours
Manchester City (2019) are the only club to have achieved a domestic League and Cup treble, having beaten Chelsea 4–3 on penalties in the EFL Cup Final, finished at the top of the English Premier League, and beaten Watford 6–0 in the FA Cup Final. Seven clubs have won the FA Cup as part of a League and Cup double, namely Preston North End (1889), Aston Villa (1897), Tottenham Hotspur (1961), Arsenal (1971, 1998, 2002), Liverpool (1986), Manchester United (1994, 1996, 1999) and Chelsea (2010). In 1993, Arsenal became the first side to win both the FA Cup and the League Cup in the same season when they beat Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 in both finals.
FA Cup | Doubles/Trebles
Leeds United beat Arsenal 1–0 in the final of the League Cup to win the competition for the first time.
1967–68 in English football | League Cup
However, a combination of injuries to key players and heavy defeats away from home against other title challengers saw the Gunners' title ambitions evaporate by late March. Nonetheless, Arsenal achieved success in the FA Cup with a dramatic 3–2 win over Hull City in the 2014 Final, ending a nine-year trophy drought.
2013–14 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Arsenal's first ever silverware was won as the Royal Arsenal in 1890. The Kent Junior Cup, won by Royal Arsenal's reserves, was the club's first trophy, while the first team's first trophy came three weeks later when they won the Kent Senior Cup. Their first national senior honour came in 1930, when they won the FA Cup. The club enjoyed further success in the 1930s, winning another FA Cup and five Football League First Division titles. Arsenal won their first league and cup double in the 1970–71 season and twice repeated the feat, in 1997–98 and 2001–02, as well as winning a cup double of the FA Cup and League Cup in 1992–93.
List of Arsenal F.C. records and statistics | Honours and achievements
In the immediate post-war years, Arsenal won another two titles and an FA Cup but after the second title win in 1953, began to fade considerably and would not win another trophy for nearly 20 years, although they did remain in the First Division throughout this time. However, three of their London rivals would enjoy major success over the next 15 years, with Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United all winning major trophies. Portsmouth were also successful in the early postwar years. Having won the FA Cup in the last season before the war, they won their first league title in 1949 and retained it a year later, but like Liverpool they were relegated by the time the decade was over.
History of football in England | 1945–1961: The end of English dominance
Two of these victories had yielded a domestic double (in 1994 and 1996) and in 1999 they had won the FA Cup as part of a unique Treble, consisting of the cup, the Premier League and the UEFA Champions League. Arsenal were also appearing in their 17th Cup final – their fourth in five years. They had won the cup nine times previously, most recently in 2003, when they beat Southampton in the final. Meetings between Arsenal and Manchester United were keenly contested during the 2000s and highly publicised by the media; the cup final this season had added significance as neither club won the league after a decade of dominance, and it was their only chance of silverware.
2005 FA Cup Final | Pre-match
In spite of exiting the Champions League to Bayern Munich in the second round, the team won the 2005 FA Cup Final against Manchester United – winning 5–4 on penalties after a goalless draw.
2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season | Background
A run of ten straight victories – a new record, was set, and Wenger became the first non-British manager to lead a team to win the league championship. Arsenal lost their final two matches of the league season, choosing to rest players for the upcoming FA Cup Final.
1997–98 Arsenal F.C. season | March–May
Chelsea, in their first season under new manager José Mourinho, broke records as they won their first League title for 50 years, losing just one Premiership game all season and setting a top-flight record of 29 wins and 95 points, in addition to winning the League Cup. Arsenal (unbeaten league champions a year earlier) extended their unbeaten run to 49 games before a controversial loss at Manchester United ended this remarkable achievement. Despite this, The Gunners were Chelsea's closest challengers and finished in second place, 12 points behind. United kept the two London teams under pressure with their own impressive league form since ending Arsenal's run, but slipped up and ultimately took third place.
2004–05 in English football | FA Premier League
A late goal from Michael Thomas ended Arsenal's 18-year wait to be champions of England again, the only time the English league has been decided by goals for. There were no shortage of rivals for the title throughout the season. Millwall, in the First Division for the first time, frequently topped the table during the season's early stages and were consistently in the top five until well after Christmas, and still managed to finish 10th despite not winning any of their final 10 games. Norwich City, who also reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup, were strong contenders for most of the season and finished fourth.
1988–89 Football League | Summary
Manchester United retained the Premier League title, winning it for the sixth time in eight seasons, and finished the season as champions by an 18-point margin after a long winning run rounded off an already very good season. Arsenal finished runners-up for the second successive season, while Leeds United's third-place finish was their highest since title glory in 1992. Liverpool's fourth-place finish meant that they had to settle for a UEFA Cup place, a shock defeat to Bradford City (who defied all the odds to avoid relegation in their first top-flight season for nearly 80 years) preventing them from qualifying for the Champions League on the final day.
1999–2000 in English football | FA Premier League
Arsenal had won 12 times, 11 of which were won outright, most recently in 2004.
2014 FA Community Shield | Background
The most successful team is Arsenal, having won 5 titles.
Premier Academy League | Introduction
Arsenal started the season with a 3–0 win in the Charity Shield against last season's Premier League runners-up Manchester United. Goals came from Overmars in the first half, Christopher Wreh after 61 minutes and Nicolas Anelka 11 minutes after. The result was the first time that a club from Southern England had won the Shield outright since Tottenham Hotspur in 1962.
1998–99 Arsenal F.C. season | FA Charity Shield
Arsenal entered the FA Charity Shield as 1947-48 League champions, in which they faced FA Cup winners Manchester United.
1948–49 Arsenal F.C. season | FA Charity Shield
Both Arsenal and Manchester United went into the final two games of the league season on the same number of points, but the former's defeat to Leeds United all but ended their chances of retaining the title.
1998–99 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Arsenal's 2–0 victory set them up for a third double (which was completed when they sealed the league title four days later) and saw them equal Tottenham's eight FA Cup triumphs – putting them second only to Manchester United (10 trophies) as the most frequent winners of the FA Cup.
2001–02 FA Cup | Final
Faced with the potential collapse of their season, Arsenal recovered from being 1–0 and 2–1 behind to Liverpool in their next league match to win 4–2, thanks to a Thierry Henry hat-trick, and went on to win the league with a 2–2 draw away to Tottenham Hotspur, mimicking their success in 1971. Arsenal were unable to retain the title in 2004–05, finishing second, 12 points behind a record-breaking Chelsea side. However, the Gunners did stretch their unbeaten run to 49 consecutive matches, an English league football record; the record was equalled with a dramatic 5–3 win over Middlesbrough (Arsenal having trailed 3–1 shortly after half-time) and then surpassed with a 3–0 win over Blackburn Rovers in August 2004, before their unbeaten season was ended with a 2–0 away defeat by Manchester United.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | The "Invincibles" and a Champions League Final (2003–06)
Two league wins in a row-against Manchester City and West Bromwich Albion followed, before the Reds` relegation was confirmed on the penultimate day of the season, with Woolwich drawing with Tottenham Hotspur whilst Chelsea defeated Middlesbrough, meaning they fell eight points behind with a game to go.
1912–13 Woolwich Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
As level 1 division: "Note: Bold designates teams that won a double with the FA Women's Cup.† Arsenal won a treble with the UEFA Women's Cup in 2007. As FA level 2 division:
FA Women's Premier League National Division | Year by year
Since that time, they have not fallen below the first tier of the English football league system and hold the record for the longest uninterrupted time in the top flight. In the 1930s, Arsenal were the dominant side of England, winning five league championships and two FA Cups. Their fortunes waned, but the club soon enjoyed infrequent periods of success, including Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph and a first league and cup double in the 1970s. During the late 1980s, Arsenal had built a side that threatened Liverpool's league dominance, and performed greatly in cup competitions. The club played an active role in the formation of the Premier League in 1992, and two doubles followed in 1998 and 2002.
List of Arsenal F.C. seasons | Introduction
Although they failed to make a major impact in either of their European Cup campaigns, they did beat some of European football's most respected club sides in a series of friendlies at Molineux Stadium during the 1950s. Arsenal continued their run of success for several years after the resumption of league football, winning two league titles and an FA Cup between 1948 and 1953. Their North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur won the league title for the first time in 1951, and by the end of the decade were challenging for honors once again under new manager Bill Nicholson and captain Danny Blanchflower.
Football in England | Post-World War II
Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest made up for disappointment in the League by retaining the European Cup and becoming the first team to have won more European Cups than league championships. Arsenal faced Valencia of Spain in the European Cup Winners' Cup final, days after their FA Cup final loss. It finished goalless after extra time, and Arsenal lost the penalty shoot-out after misses from Liam Brady and Graham Rix.
1979–80 in English football | UEFA competitions
Arsenal won the FA Cup after surviving a late fight-back from Manchester United in the final at Wembley. Manchester United scored twice in the last five minutes to make the score 2–2, but a last-minute goal from Alan Sunderland saw Arsenal claim the trophy with a 3–2 scoreline. It was their first trophy success since Terry Neill replaced Bertie Mee as manager.
1978–79 in English football | FA Cup
The 1970–71 season was the 72nd completed season of The Football League. Arsenal won the league championship at the home of their North London rivals, Tottenham Hotspur, with Ray Kennedy scoring the winner. This would soon be followed by their FA Cup final tie with Liverpool. They narrowly overcame Leeds to win the league, with a 12-point gap separating Leeds United from third-placed Tottenham. Wolves and Liverpool joined these two teams in the UEFA Cup. Chelsea missed out on the top five on goal average but compensated for this shortcoming by beating Real Madrid in the European Cup Winners' Cup.
1970–71 Football League | Introduction
He would finish as the club's top scorer that season with 24 league goals and 3 in the FA Cup.
1935–36 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Arsenal have achieved three League and FA Cup "Doubles" (in 1971, 1998 and 2002), a feat only previously achieved by Manchester United (in 1994, 1996 and 1999). They were the first side in English football to complete the FA Cup and League Cup double, in 1993. Arsenal were also the first London club to reach the final of the UEFA Champions League, in 2006, losing the final 2–1 to Barcelona. Arsenal have one of the best top-flight records in history, having finished below fourteenth only seven times. They have won the second most top flight league matches in English football, and have also accumulated the second most points, whether calculated by two points per win or by the contemporary points value.
Arsenal F.C. | Statistics and records
Arsenal entered the FA Charity Shield as 1952-53 League champions, in which they faced FA Cup winners Blackpool.
1953–54 Arsenal F.C. season | FA Charity Shield
Arsenal's Academy altogether was victorious in the Counties League in 1956, 1965, 1972 and 1991. Arsenal's youths also played in the London Minor FA Challenge Cup from 1955 to 1956. In 1960 they rejoined the competition where they stayed until 1967 and was also successful in the Southern Junior Floodlit Cup which they won in 1956, 1972, 1975 and 1999. Arsenal thus became, of youth teams in the country, the winners of seven South East Counties League titles and six South East Counties League Cups of which included three "doubles".
Arsenal F.C. Under-23s and Academy | Arsenal Youth (1954–1998)
The seventh season of the FA Premier League saw Manchester United finish champions for the fifth time, one point ahead of the previous season's champions Arsenal. United also ended Arsenal's defence of the FA Cup, going on to defeat Newcastle United in the final to become the first English team to win the league title and FA Cup double on three occasions, having already won the double in 1994 and 1996. They then went on to win the European Cup to become only the second English club to win three major trophies in the same season. This made them the first English club to win the European Cup in 15 years, and manager Alex Ferguson was knighted.
1998–99 in English football | FA Premier League
"The figures in bold represent the most times this competition has been won by an English team." "Shared Community Shield results listed as wins." "* The Inter-Cities Fairs Cup is not considered a UEFA competition, and hence Arsenal's record in the Fairs Cup is not considered part of its European record (although they won it in 1970, at a time when participation was based on league position)."
Football in London | Most successful clubs overall (1871 – present)
Arsenal ended the previous season as league champions, becoming the first side since Preston North End 115 years earlier to do so undefeated. They completed their historic league campaign with 26 wins, 12 draws and 90 points. By the end of January 2004, Arsenal were still in the hunt for all four trophies, but suffered setbacks in each of the cup competitions; they were unable to retain the FA Cup, losing out to eventual winners Manchester United in the semi-finals and days later were knocked out of the UEFA Champions League by Chelsea in the quarter-finals. They exited the League Cup after a defeat to Middlesbrough in early February.
2004–05 Arsenal F.C. season | Background
Manchester United's failure to beat Newcastle United meant Arsenal went top of the league table after beating Wimbledon by five goals to nil. Victory against Barnsley and four days later at home against Derby County meant Arsenal needed one more win become league champions, regardless of Manchester United's results. Although Bergkamp was ruled out for the remainder of the season having sustained an injury against Derby, Arsenal eased to a 4–0 win against Everton – the last goal scored by club captain Tony Adams to become the first club other than Manchester United or Blackburn Rovers to win the Premier League.
1997–98 Arsenal F.C. season | March–May
Chelsea, on 91 points, won their second Premier League title in a row. Manchester United, whose 83-point tally would have been enough for title glory in most seasons, finished runners-up. Liverpool's league form improved drastically following the previous season and they finished in third place, just one point behind United; in addition, they also won the FA Cup, giving manager Rafael Benítez his second major trophy in just his second season. Arsenal snatched the last Champions League spot from under the noses of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur, after the latter's players went down with a bout of food-poisoning. "The Gunners"' 4–2 victory over Wigan Athletic on the final day of the season saw them end 92 years of playing at Highbury before they moved into their new 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium.
2005–06 in English football | FA Premier League
In the 2008–09 season, they won all three major English trophies – the FA Women's Premier League, FA Women's Cup and FA Women's Premier League Cup, and, as of 2017, were the only English side to have won the UEFA Women's Cup or UEFA Women's Champions League, having won the Cup in the 2006–07 season as part of a unique quadruple. The men's and women's clubs are formally separate entities but have quite close ties; Arsenal Women are entitled to play once a season at the Emirates Stadium, though they usually play their home matches at Meadow Park in Borehamwood.
Arsenal F.C. | Arsenal Women
Fortunately the team rallied in the final weeks and took 8 points from their final 5 games, securing their Premier League spot. The FA Cup only added to the frustration, as they were embarrassingly knocked out at the first hurdle by London rivals Millwall, though they at least had a comparatively decent League Cup run, losing in the fifth round to eventual winners Liverpool. Despite their domestic troubles, the team reached the European Cup Winners' Cup final for the second year in succession. With 120 minutes showing on the clock in Paris, a penalty shoot-out was looking certain as Arsenal were drawing 1–1 with Real Zaragoza.
1994–95 Arsenal F.C. season | Season summary
Everton also won the league twice more, in 1932 and 1939, and the FA Cup in 1933. Their neighbours Liverpool had earlier won back-to-back titles in 1922 and 1923, but were unable to sustain this success. Arsenal were the most successful English club of the 1930s, winning a host of league titles and FA Cups with a team featuring players including Alex James, Eddie Hapgood, Joe Hulme, and Cliff Bastin.
History of football in England | 1919–1939: Inter-war years
This left reigning champions Manchester City 16 points behind with only 15 left to play for. It was the first time the title had been decided in April since Chelsea were the winners in 2005–06. It was also only the fourth time in the history of the Premier League that it had been won with at least four games remaining in the season, the last time being in 2003–04 when Arsenal were champions. England national football team manager, Roy Hodgson declared that United's manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, was a "magician" having won 13 titles in 21 seasons.
2012–13 Premier League | Introduction
Manchester United, unbeaten in the league after 22 December, overhauled Arsenal during the final three months of the season to clinch their eighth Premiership title in 11 seasons, while the other two Champions League places went to Newcastle United and Chelsea. Going into the UEFA Cup were Liverpool (who made an excellent start to the league, going unbeaten in their first three months before a sudden collapse) and Blackburn Rovers, along with FA Cup runners-up Southampton (who also achieved their best Premiership finish of 8th place) and Fair Play award winners Manchester City (who finished an impressive ninth on their Premiership comeback).
2002–03 in English football | FA Premier League
After finishing second the previous term, Arsenal battled with Preston North End in the 1952/53 season for the title, and ultimately finished level on points; however, Arsenal won the league for the seventh time by a goal average of 0.099. With Preston having won their final game of the season two days before Arsenal faced Burnley in their final match, it meant Arsenal needed to win to claim the title. Goals from Alex Forbes, Jimmy Logie and Doug Lishman ensured a 3-2 win. In the FA Cup, Arsenal beat Doncaster Rovers, Bury and Burnley before being knocked out by eventual winners Blackpool in the quarter-finals.
1952–53 Arsenal F.C. season | Season summary
There would be a further wait until 1931 before a southern club, Arsenal, would win the League for the first time. Unlike in most other Leagues in Europe, no single English club managed to remain an ever-present in the division during the one hundred and four years of its existence as the top division in the country. Everton come closest, missing just four seasons through relegation, and remain one of only three clubs in England to have played over 100 top-flight seasons, along with Aston Villa and Arsenal.
English Football League | Early 20th century
Little did they know it at the time, but the defeat to Leeds would be Arsenal's last in the League for over a year. 2003–04 was a record-breaking season for Arsenal, as they won the Premiership unbeaten (26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats), finishing a clear 11 points ahead of second-place Chelsea. They became only the second team to do so, the first having been Preston North End in 1888–89. Their rivals for the title gained revenge in other competitions – Arsenal were defeated in the Champions League quarter-finals and FA Cup semi-finals by Chelsea and Manchester United, respectively, in successive matches.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | The "Invincibles" and a Champions League Final (2003–06)
In 1946 the Football League in the United Kingdom fully resumed on a national basis following the disruption caused by World War II. In the club's first post-war First Division match, on 31 August 1946; Arsenal lost 6–1 to Wolves, their biggest League defeat in nearly twenty years. Although the Gunners had been the dominant force in English football in the 1930s, they struggled in their first season after the war, only finishing 13th.
1946–47 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Despite the Premiership title picture being a three-horse race for much of the campaign, Arsenal remained unbeaten all season long and clinched the title with 90 points and an 11-point gap over runners-up Chelsea, who had been most people's favourites for the title after a £100 million summer spending spree. After losing defender Rio Ferdinand to an eight-month ban for missing a drugs test in September, defending champions Manchester United turned in some lacklustre performances during the second half of the season, which put paid to their hopes of retaining their crown and restricting them to a third-place finish, some 15 points behind Arsenal.
2003–04 in English football | FA Premier League
Despite criticism about their style of play, Chelsea regained the Premier League title after five years and handed manager José Mourinho his first title in his second spell back at the club. In addition, similar to the club's first season under Mourinho in 2004, the Blues also won the League Cup. Manchester City came second; whilst the highest scorers in the league, they never looked like defending their title. A large winless spell in January, not helped by powerhouse midfielder Yaya Touré heading to the Africa Cup of Nations saw their title defense effectively end in mid-March. Arsenal finished third, but missed out on the chance to take the runners-up spot, which was largely owed to a failure to score at home three times in their last six games.
2014–15 in English football | Premier League
Under Akers' stewardship, Arsenal enjoyed unilateral domestic success, as the club claimed 11 league titles, nine FA Women's Cup titles, ten FA Women's Premier League Cup titles, and five FA Women's Community Shield wins. This included seven straight league wins from the 2003–04 season to 2008–09 season, as well as six unbeaten campaigns. Moreover, Akers lead the team to the most successful club season in English women's football in the 2006–07 season, as the team won every single competition available to them, including the ever elusive UEFA Women's Champions League. The win marked Arsenal's only trophy won from European competition, and the first time an English club won the competition.
Arsenal W.F.C. | 1987–2009: Founding and early success
Despite the loss of form and heavy fan disapproval towards the end of the season, Arsenal won the FA Cup for a record 13th time, beating Chelsea 2–1 in the final. The victory saw manager Arsène Wenger become the most successful manager in FA Cup history with seven wins. The season covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017.
2016–17 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
The 1934–35 season was the 60th season of competitive football in England. Arsenal became only the second team to win the League three consecutive times after Huddersfield Town who were the first to achieve this in the 1920s under the same manager Herbert Chapman.
1934–35 in English football | Introduction
The 1947–48 season was Arsenal's 29th consecutive season in the top division of English football. Having avoided relegation the previous season, Arsenal returned to their winning ways of the 30`s by storming to the league title seven points ahead of title rivals Manchester United and Burnley, winning it with a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield Town, and after discovering that United and Burnley had lost via the newspapers at Doncaster Station on the journey, knew that they had won the league, with Tom Whittaker the triumphant manager in his debut season at the helm, but was unable to lift the FA Cup, with the Gunners going out to lower-league Bradford Park Avenue in the third round.
1947–48 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
The breakaway division, entitled the Premier League, was administered by The Football Association and received financial backing from Sky Television. Arsenal finished 10th in the inaugural season; the club did well in other competitions, winning a unique FA and League Cup double. They were victorious in the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup Final, and came close to defending the trophy in 1995, before losing to Real Zaragoza.
List of Arsenal F.C. seasons | History
To allow for more games the League Cup format was changed from a straight knock-out to a group stage format with the top two advancing to the semi-finals. Arsenal defended their title with a 1–0 win over Birmingham City in a rematch of last year's final. They thus won a double this season of League and League Cup, missing out on the Women's FA Cup.
2012 FA WSL | League Cup
Four clubs have won consecutive FA Cups on more than one occasion: Wanderers (1872, 1873 and 1876, 1877, 1878), Blackburn Rovers (1884, 1885, 1886 and 1890, 1891), Tottenham Hotspur (1961, 1962 and 1981, 1982) and Arsenal (2002, 2003 and 2014, 2015).
FA Cup | Consecutive winners
In the league, their poor away form dogged them and despite recording some impressive wins at home (5–0 over Aston Villa, and 7–0 over Middlesbrough), Arsenal spent much of the latter stages of the season in fifth place or lower, and looked set to miss out on the Champions League for the first time since 1997. However, they won their last three matches of the season, culminating in a 4–2 victory over Wigan Athletic in the last ever match at Highbury; coupled with Tottenham Hotspur's loss at West Ham the same day, this meant Arsenal pipped Spurs to fourth place and a Champions League spot.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | The "Invincibles" and a Champions League Final (2003–06)
The 1932–33 season was Arsenal's 14th consecutive season in the top division of English football. For the second time in three years they won the league title, clinching it at Chelsea with a 3-1 win. They finished four points clear of Aston Villa but went out of the FA Cup at lower-league Walsall. Over the course of the season, Arsenal inflicted a number of heavy defeats, including 6-1 versus Sunderland, 8-2 against Leicester City, 7-1 at Wolverhampton Wanderers, 9-2 against Sheffield United at Highbury, and 8-0 against Blackburn Rovers. The Gunners also beat total rivals Villa 5-0 at Highbury in April, though lost 5-3 away in November.
1932–33 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
F.C. United have won three league titles, two league cups and two county cups in their history.
F.C. United of Manchester | Honours
Wenger commented after the game that his team "got the trophy we wanted" while defender Martin Keown said the FA Cup win was "the best ever". Winning captain David Seaman felt the disappointment of losing out to Manchester United in the league spurred the team on.
2002–03 Arsenal F.C. season | FA Cup
Manchester United won their 12th Premier League title and their 19th championship overall, beating Liverpool's record of 18 championships set in 1990. A late surge consigned Chelsea to a second-place finish; their season fell apart following the departure of first-team coach Ray Wilkins in early November and this coincided with a horrendous run of form in the winter as they picked up just 10 points from 11 games, with manager Carlo Ancelotti losing his job on the final day. Arsenal qualified for the Champions League in 4th, having been realistic outsiders for the league title until losing the League Cup final, at which point they won just two of their last 11 league games, falling behind 3rd placed Manchester City, who entered Europe's elite competition for the first time after overturning a 5-point deficit with 3 games left.
2010–11 in English football | Premier League
As there were no further goals the match was decided by a penalty shoot-out, which Arsenal won 3–1.
1992–93 Arsenal F.C. season | Football League Cup
Manchester City triumphed over Newcastle United in the final of the League Cup to win their first major trophy for six years. FA Cup holders West Ham United finished 18th in the league but did enjoy a good run in Europe, finishing runners-up in the European Cup Winners' Cup. Arsenal endured another disappointing season as they finished 17th. Sheffield United, who had finished sixth a year earlier, went down in bottom place after winning just six league games all season. They were joined by Burnley and Wolves.
1975–76 Football League | First Division
But Eduardo, a player of growing importance to the club, suffered a horrific injury at St Andrew's in Birmingham City and the game subsequently ended 2–2. The team were rocked and, inevitably, Arsenal slumped in the spring, eventually finishing third. They had little success in the cups, knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in the quarter-finals and the FA Cup by Manchester United. The League Cup was more fruitful, where Arsenal reached the semi-finals for a third season in a row, before being knocked out 6–2 on aggregate by Tottenham Hotspur, their first defeat in a North London derby in almost nine years.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1966–present) | Trophy drought (2006–13)
After finishing as runners-up the previous season, they won the London Senior Cup for the first time. Turning professional meant that they rescinded their membership of both London and Kent FAs, though support for the club continued to soar, with average attendances of 6,600, higher than half the teams in The Football League.
1890–91 Royal Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Arsenal had started the 1933–34 season solidly, but in January 1934 Herbert Chapman died suddenly from pneumonia. Despite this, under caretaker manager Joe Shaw Arsenal retained the title that season. Hulme and James were both out with injury for a large portion, and so Arsenal were not the attacking side they had been the previous season, scoring only 75 in the League, compared with 118 in 1932–33. George Allison (who had formerly been a director of the club) took over the job of team manager in summer 1934 and soon signed new blood for the side, including wing halves Jack Crayston and Wilf Copping (whose signings had been initiated by Chapman), and striker Ted Drake.
History of Arsenal F.C. (1886–1966) | A hat-trick of League titles (1934–39)
Over the course of the season Arsenal claimed some big wins, beating Charlton Athletic and Middlesbrough 6-0 and 7-0 respectively, and hammering bottom club Grimsby Town 8-0 on the final day, with Ronnie Rooke netting four times to bring his final tally for the league season to 33 in 42 Division 1 matches, thus becoming the second Arsenal player-after Ted Drake in 1934-35 to top score in the entire league.
1947–48 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
Ray Harford's Luton Town achieved a shock 3–2 win over Arsenal in the League Cup final to win their first-ever major trophy. Harford had only been promoted to the manager's seat from assistant manager a year earlier as successor to John Moore.
1987–88 in English football | League Cup
Liverpool continued to show signs of a return to their former glory by finishing third and ending the season as runners-up in the FA Cup final. Aston Villa, enjoying a revival with a reshaped squad under Brian Little, finished fourth and won the Football League Cup. Arsenal built the foundations for a revival under new manager Bruce Rioch by finishing fifth and coming within a goal of reaching the League Cup final. However, Rioch was gone by the start of the following season after a dispute with the club's directors. FA Cup holders Everton failed to retain the cup and finished in sixth place in the league one place outside of a UEFA Cup place.
1995–96 in English football | Premiership
A 6–1 defeat to Manchester United in February prompted Wenger to rule out their chances of winning the league. The team finished in second on 70 points, three fewer than in the previous season.
2000–01 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction
This was the closest championship win in English league history at the time, with Arsenal claiming the title with a goal average superior to Preston's by just 0.099. Both Arsenal and Preston had identical records aside from their goal averages. Had goal difference been the deciding factor as it was from 1977 onwards, Arsenal would still have won with +33 to Preston's +25, unlike in 1989 when they would have finished second on goal average. Preston had last been champions in 1890, the second season of the Football League. The FA Cup was won by Blackpool, beating Bolton Wanderers 4–3 in what became known as the 'Matthews Final', due to the masterly contribution of 38-year-old winger Stanley Matthews, who helped his side win after going 3–1 down, although three of Blackpool's goals were scored by prolific forward Stan Mortensen.
1952–53 in English football | Overview
The inaugural season of the League Cup, named the WSL Continental Cup, was played as a straight knock-out tournament. Arsenal won the Cup with a 4–1 victory over Birmingham. Arsenal also won the League and Women's FA Cup thus winning a treble that season.
2011 FA WSL | League Cup
In 2003–04, Arsenal recorded an unbeaten top-flight league season, something achieved only once before by Preston North End in 1888–89, who only had to play 22 games. To mark the achievement, a special gold version of the Premier League trophy was commissioned and presented to the club the following season. Their most recent success came in 2020, when newcomer Mikel Arteta led the club to a 5–4 victory on penalties over Liverpool to secure their 16th Community Shield title. Arsenal's honours and achievements include the following:
List of Arsenal F.C. records and statistics | Honours and achievements
Arsenal became the first team to win the FA Cup and League Cup in the same season, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2–1 in both finals. Steve Morrow scored the winning goal in the League Cup final, but was accidentally dropped by captain Tony Adams during the post-match celebrations, broke his arm and missed the FA Cup triumph. Arsenal's double gave them two places in UEFA competitions, meaning that Norwich City were awarded a UEFA Cup place for finishing third in the League. Norwich had never qualified for Europe before, due to the ban on English clubs following the Heysel stadium disaster.
1992–93 in English football | Arsenal win cup double
In November, Arsenal beat Dynamo Kyiv by a single goal and more impressively scored five against Inter Milan at the San Siro – two results which kick-started their Champions League campaign. At the turn of the year, the team won nine league matches in a row to consolidate first position. In the first week of April, they were eliminated from the FA Cup and Champions League, but by the end of the month had secured their status as league champions, with a 2–2 draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season | Introduction