Arsenal Football Club traces its history back to the late 19th century. In 1886, a group of workers at an arms factory in the Woolwich area decided to form a football team called Dial Square.
The team existed under this name for only a couple of weeks before being renamed Royal Arsenal.
The club gained professional status in 1891 and changed its name again to Woolwich Arsenal. The prefix “Woolwich” finally disappeared in the 1913/14 season when the club moved to Highbury Stadium.
In 1893, the Gunners joined the Second Division of England, and in 1904, they were promoted. However, the team’s golden years only began with the arrival of Herbert Chapman as club manager in 1925, when Arsenal managed to win the national championship five times between 1930 and 1938, as well as two FA Cups.
In addition, Chapman, who died in 1934, was noted for insisting that the nearest underground station be renamed Arsenal. After Chapman’s death, George Allison took over at the helm of the Gunners.
He managed to sign Ted Drake, who became the top scorer in the 1934/35 season, finding the back of the net 42 times in 41 games. Allison remained at the helm until the 1946/47 season, when he was replaced by Tom Whittaker. During those years, Arsenal faced serious problems, including the loss of nine players from the main squad on the battlefields of World War II.
Despite this, in 1948, Arsenal players once again lifted the championship trophy above their heads, feeling as if they were on adventures filled with excitement playing at a US online casino for real money. The success of the 1952/53 season ended Arsenal’s winning streak for many years. The team slipped to the middle of the table, only occasionally showing signs of its former greatness.
A new wave of success came to the Gunners only in the 1970s. However, the 1971 double remained their highest achievement for many years, leaving the team in second place.
In 1972, Arsenal finished second in the league, later lost three FA Cup finals, and in 1980 stumbled in the Cup Winners’ Cup final.
With the return of former player George Graham as manager, the club regained its former glory. Over the course of nine years, Arsenal won six trophies. The club won two League Cups (1987 and 1993), the FA Cup (1993), the English championship gold medals (1989 and 1991), and the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1994. Arsenal started their Premier League campaign in impressive fashion, but it wasn’t until 1998 that the Gunners finally won the title, when new manager Arsène Wenger won the championship at his second attempt. Under the French coach, Arsenal shook off its reputation as a “boring team” and became known for its attractive football, which it demonstrated year after year.
For eight consecutive seasons under Arsène Wenger, Arsenal never finished lower than second in the English championship. Moreover, the Frenchman raised players such as Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, and many others to stardom, while also winning the double in the 2001/02 season.
In 2006, the Gunners reached the final of Europe’s premier club competition, the Champions League, for the first time in their history, becoming the first London team to do so. However, the gold medals went to Spanish side Barcelona.
In the 2003/04 season, Arsenal not only won the English Premier League but also did not lose a single match in the championship, becoming the undefeated champion. In total, they managed to play 49 matches without defeat, which became a national record.
In the same year, Arsenal moved to their new stadium, Emirates Stadium, which had a much larger capacity than the old Highbury. The move to the new stadium was far from the best in terms of results. The FA Cup won in 2005 was the only trophy for the Gunners until 2014. Although the Londoners certainly had chances to win titles in various tournaments. The first of these chances was reaching the final of the English League Cup in 2007. In the decisive match, the Gunners lost to Chelsea.
After that season, several veterans left the club, including Robert Pires and Sol Campbell, and Ashley Cole decided to move to Chelsea.
In general, a trend began in those years whereby Arsenal’s leaders started leaving the club in search of a better life. Thus, the Gunners parted ways with Thierry Henry, Cesc Fàbregas, Samir Nasri, Emmanuel Adebayor, Gaël Clichy, Robin van Persie, and many others. In 2009, Andrei Arshavin joined Arsenal. The Russian looked very strong at first, but then slowed down, quickly losing his place in the starting lineup.
Arsenal managed to end their trophy drought in 2014 by winning the FA Cup. However, Wenger’s team had to suffer greatly in the semi-final against Wigan and in the final against Hull City: the Latics were beaten on penalties, and the Tigers in extra time, with Arsenal trailing Hull by two goals in the 10th minute. Then, in August, the Londoners won the Community Shield, defeating the national champions Manchester City 3-0. Incidentally, despite all its difficulties over its long history, Arsenal holds the record for the number of consecutive seasons in the top English division.
The Gunners have not been relegated since 1919 and do not seem likely to do so in the coming years. Arsenal’s goals are completely different – to return to the top of the table.