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Arsenal Football Club, first founded in 1913 as Arsenal, and no longer Woolwich Arsenal, are one of the biggest clubs in England. The Gooners have not seen such glorious times in recent years, but their history is still quite magnificent. They have won 13 league titles and 13 FA Cups, something many Premier League clubs can only ever dream of.
Here are five things that come to mind when you think of Arsenal:
#5 Arsene Wenger
Although many Arsenal fans feel the club has taken a few steps in the wrong direction under Wenger of late, the Frenchman revolutionised English football, and gave Gooners the high expectations that they have to this day.
He brought a wonderful playing style, new fitness regimes and extremely talented players to the Premier League, and nobody saw it coming.
In just his first full season with the club, he won the Premier League title. Manchester United were expected to comfortably lift the trophy at the end of the season, but they were to be surprised by Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in 1998. And then again in 2002, he did the same. The Gunners even won the title at Old Trafford to really rub Sir Alex Ferguson and his players' faces in it, stealing another Premier League title from under United’s nose.
Still, to this day, Wenger is Arsenal boss. Even though there have been times where the majority of the fans were calling for the Frenchman’s head, he has stayed and offered stability to the Gunners, regularly keeping them in the Champions League, until this season.
He has won three league titles and seven FA Cups; Wenger has been an extremely influential individual at Arsenal. When you think of the Gunners, you can’t help but think of the man who has now managed the club for over 21 years, that man being Arsene Wenger.
#4 The FA Cup
Having won it three times in the last four years and a record 13 times, The FA Cup is certainly something that springs to mind when you think of Arsenal.
In the 2014 FA Cup Final, nine years on from their last trophy, which was also an FA Cup, Arsenal came from 2-0 down to beat Hull in extra time and end a trophy drought which was seemingly haunting them.
Regardless of who the players were, the mentality remained and they simply couldn't help Arsenal win a trophy. All until Aaron Ramsey rustled the net with a close-range half-volley and sent Arsenal fans across the world into a frenzy.
The FA Cup has produced many great memories for Arsenal and their fans. Since Wenger became manager at the club, they have won the trophy seven times, two of those being alongside Premier League titles in 1998 and 2002.
Additionally, with Wenger having won it seven times, he also holds a record, the most FA Cup wins by a manager.
In recent years, the FA Cup has brought nothing but fond memories for the Gunners, and they have now won their last six straight finals in the competition, illustrating just how good they are in the FA Cup.
The Gunners have a sensational record in the competition and the FA Cup is certainly something that sticks out in the mind when thinking about Arsenal.
#3 Thierry Henry
Arguably the greatest player to have ever played in the Premier League played for Arsenal. Thierry Henry first arrived in 1999, a year after Wenger had already led Arsenal to a Premier League title. But he made them even better.
It was seen as a 'slow start' from the Frenchman in his first two years in England, but even then he scored more than one goal in two games with 34 in his first 66 Premier League games, showing how impressive he would eventually be.
After those first two seasons, in 2001/02, he guided Arsenal to the Premier League title. Scoring 24 goals, he picked up the Golden Boot for the first time. The Frenchman would eventually go on to win four, the record amount of times someone has won the trophy.
Two years later, when Arsenal clinched the title without losing a single game, he again won the Golden Boot, this time scoring 30 goals, a tremendous goal tally which only a select few players have ever achieved.
Most significantly, Henry didn’t just score goals either, he has the record for the most Premier League assists in a season with 20, as a striker. Henry’s technical ability and all-round play made him absolutely unstoppable and unplayable at times for the Gunners, he was simply magnificent.
When you think of Arsenal, you can't help but think of the King, Thierry Henry.
#2 1989
A film was recently made on Arsenal’s title win in 1989, and it is a massive feature of Arsenal’s history. After 18 years without a title for the Gunners, they finally returned to top spot in 1989 under George Graham, but they did not make it easy for themselves.
After three years of rebuilding with Arsenal, he finally started to reap the rewards, as his side flourished in the first division in the 1988/89 season winning 22 games in total, as well as having the top scorer in the First Division, Alan Smith.
They headed to Merseyside for the final game of the season against first placed Liverpool, who they needed to beat by at least two goals to win the title. After a Smith goal, Arsenal grew in confidence, but playing away to Liverpool was extremely difficult, and they knew it was going to be hard to score a second.
The game dragged on, and stoppage time came around with Liverpool looking certain to clinch the title once again. However, it would be Michael Thomas who would change the script and win Arsenal the title, with the famous commentary line being “It’s Thomas, it’s up for grabs now” before he poked the ball home.
Although it may have been such a long time ago, 1989 was a special moment for all Arsenal fans and something they will never forget.
#1 The Invincibles
One of the first things that spring to mind when you think of Arsenal is the Invincibles.
What made the invincibles even better was that it was not an expensive squad to assemble. They spent only around £18 million in the summer before the new season, and that included the transfers of young players Robin van Persie, Gael Clichy and Cesc Fabregas. Players that everyone knows extremely well to this day.
The whole team just played incredible football. Yes, they didn’t have the highest points tally ever, but to go the whole season without losing a game is an achievement of the highest order, something only they have done in the Premier League.
The team included Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole and many other fabulous players. The main thing that brought them so much success was that they bought into Wenger’s style of play, which allowed the attacking players so much freedom, whilst the defence remained strong.
To top the Invincibles season off too, Arsenal secured the title at White Hart Lane. That rub salt into the wounds for a Tottenham side who hadn’t, and still haven’t, won the league since 1961. The Gunners only drew with Spurs, but that was enough, as the Arsenal players celebrated for over an hour on the pitch with their away supporters.
When you think of Arsenal, you can’t help but think of the Invincibles and the team who went 49 games undefeated, a record that still stands to this day.
