In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Arsenal seemed the be the only team who could break Manchester United’s stranglehold on the Premier League. Under Arsene Wenger, who transformed the club from a stodgy, boring defensive-minded one with his continental brand of free-flowing, creative soccer, the Gunners returned to their place as a fixture in the top three of the league.
But since the 2003-2004 season, when they were unbeaten in the Premier League, Arsenal have slipped. They are still playing attractive soccer and firmly in the top four — though many view them as likely candidates to drop below that — but are often frustrating to watch when they flounder against much weaker opposition.
Quick Facts
- Founded: 1886
- Home Ground (Capacity): Emirates Stadium, London (60,355)
- Nicknames: Gunners
- Home Colors: Red and white
- Top Goalscorer All-Time: Thierry Henry (226 from 1999 to 2007)
- First Division/Premier League Titles: 1930–31, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1937–38, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1970–71, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2003–04
- F.A. Cup Titles: 1930, 1936, 1950, 1971, 1979, 1993, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2005
- European Cup/Champions League: None
The Team
- Current Manager: Arsene Wenger
- Top Goalscorer 2008-2009: Robin van Persie (20 in all competitions)
- Captain: Cesc Fabregas
- 2008-2009 League Finish: 4th
A Little History
The Gunners, who acquired the nickname because they were originally formed by a group of cannon makers at the Woolwich Arsenal, have been in the top flight for 82 years and counting.
Their first golden age came in the 1930s first under the direction of manager Herbert Chapman, when they won three league titles in the space of four years. Chapman died suddenly of pneumonia in 1934, but Arsenal still took two more titles before the decade was out. That spell of dominance was interrupted by the onset of World War II.
The club sprang back briefly after the war, but the late 1950s and 1960s marked an extended dry spell. In 1971, though, it returned to the top of the English game by winning its first league and F.A. Cup double.
It was over the next two decades that the Gunners developed a reputation for boring, though often effective, style of soccer. Calling the club Boring, Boring Arsenal, away fans were often louder than the home crowd in the intimate confines of Highbury. The trophies still came and the reputation stayed, particularly under the direction of George Graham in the early 1990s. He molded a defense-first team, known for stealing games 1-0.
The Wenger Years
All that changed with the arrival of a relatively unknown Frenchman, Arsene Wenger, in 1996. Bringing an entirely new philosophy of football, based around proper fitness, athletic ability, and creative flair, he was responsible for changing the way the game is coached in England.
By 1998, Wenger had given the club another league and cup double, setting expectations at a new high. The most significant season of his tenure was 2004 when he led Arsenal through an entire season unbeaten. Arsenal went on to set the record for longest unbeaten run in English soccer at 49 (between May 2003 and October 2004).