On this day in Arsenal history, we celebrate births, remember arrivals, and reflect on departures.
Here, we look back at some of the key events and the footballing figures who have made their mark on the club on this date.
First on the list, born on August 1, 1976, is Nwankwo Kanu. The Nigerian striker is one of Africa’s most decorated players and enjoyed a successful stint at Arsenal from 1999 to 2004.
A player of significant talent and flair, Kanu is often remembered for his hat-trick against Chelsea in 1999, which stands out as one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history.
Also celebrating his birthday on August 1 is Jonas Rasmussen. Born in 1991, the Danish forward never broke into the first team at Arsenal but went on to forge a successful career elsewhere.
On August 1, 2005, promising left-back Armand Traoré arrived at Arsenal from AS Monaco.
The Frenchman was purchased for £250k, and despite showing potential, struggled for consistency during his time in North London. Traoré made a number of appearances for the Gunners before moving on to Queens Park Rangers in 2011.
A year earlier, on this day in 2004, Arturo Lupoli arrived at Arsenal from Parma in a £200k deal. The Italian striker was considered a hot prospect at the time but ultimately failed to break into the first team, spending most of his time at Arsenal on loan at other clubs. You can read an in-depth piece on his career and what went wrong her.
The Gunners also signed two players to professional contracts on August 1 in recent history. In 2009, Cedric Evina, a promising left-back, signed his first professional contract with Arsenal.
However, like Rasmussen, Evina failed to make a significant impact on the first team.
On the same day in 2001, goalkeeper Craig Holloway was also handed a professional contract. Despite this, Holloway didn’t make any senior team appearances for Arsenal, instead gaining valuable experience on loan before eventually leaving the club.
In more recent memory, goalkeeper Hugo Keto arrived at Arsenal from HJK Helsinki on August 1, 2014, in a €200k deal. The Finnish goalkeeper showed potential but ultimately didn’t make a first-team appearance for Arsenal, moving on to Brighton & Hove Albion in 2018.
Another significant event was Johan Djourou’s arrival on a free transfer from Étoile Carouge in 2003. The Swiss centre-back spent nearly a decade at Arsenal, providing reliable cover in the heart of the defence, although, ultimately, he remains an under-rated player in the history of the club.
The last notable event on this day was the release of Chris Kiwomya from Arsenal in 1998.
The striker, a product of Arsenal’s youth academy, scored a handful of goals for the club in the early 1990s but found it hard to secure a regular spot in the first team.