It has been 95 years since Arsenal lifted their first FA Cup, a historic moment that laid the foundation for the club’s dominance in the competition.
Today, Arsenal stand as the most successful team in FA Cup history with 14 titles, but their journey to that first triumph in 1930 was anything but straightforward.
At the time, Arsenal had existed for more than 40 years without winning a major trophy. Under Herbert Chapman, they had begun to show promise, finishing as FA Cup runners-up, semi-finalists, and quarter-finalists in previous years.
Yet, they still needed to take that final step.
In 1930, the FA Cup provided the breakthrough. Entering in the third round, Arsenal dispatched Chelsea 2-0, with goals from Jack Lambert and Cliff Bastin. A hard-fought replay win over Birmingham City followed, before Middlesbrough, West Ham, and Hull City were eliminated in the later rounds.
The semi-final replay victory over Hull sent Arsenal back to Wembley for the second time in four years.
On April 26, 1930, in front of 92,499 spectators, Arsenal faced Huddersfield Town. Alex James, signed at the start of the season, opened the scoring after a one-two with Bastin before turning provider for Lambert, who secured the 2-0 victory.
The celebrations lasted long after the crowd had gone home – Arsenal had their first major trophy.
The win marked a turning point. Arsenal dominated the 1930s, winning five league titles and another FA Cup in 1936, cementing themselves as England’s premier club.
Fast forward to the present, and Arsenal’s FA Cup fortunes have wavered.
Since Mikel Arteta’s 2020 triumph, his first season in charge, the Gunners have struggled in the competition.
They exited in the fourth round in 2021 (Southampton, away) and 2023 (Manchester City, away), and in the third round in 2022 (Nottingham Forest, away) and 2024 (Liverpool, home).
This season, they fell at the same stage, losing on penalties to Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium.
Despite recent disappointments, the FA Cup remains deeply woven into Arsenal’s identity, thanks largely to the seven that Arsene Wenger won, making him the greatest manager in the competition’s history.