When it comes to the top Premier League sides in the UK, Arsenal cannot be ignored. They have such a rich history, and are one of the most well-loved clubs in London.
Being the first club in the south of England to join the Soccer League all the way back in 1893, they have gone on to win some major trophies, such as the Premier League, and the FA Cup.
While they may have had a rocky few years, with the changeover of managers, and the increasingly more difficult Premier League, Arsenal remain a soccer team to keep an eye on. They have had some incredible successes over the years, two of which no other club has been able to compete with.
In this article, we have compiled a glossary covering everything you need to know about Arsenal FC. We have covered the club’s history, main trophies, their timeline and current players.
Basic Facts
Here are some basic facts that are useful to know about Arsenal FC.
- Arsenal was founded in 1886 by Woolwich munitions workers team
- Their logo features a cannon to represent where the club began
- The club was made professional in 1891
- In 1904, they reached the first division
- They are a club that is based in London
- They were undefeated in the Premier League is 2003/04, which is known as the Invincibles year
- Arsene Wenger was their most successful and longest running manager
- Their biggest rivals are Tottenham Hotspur
- They hold the record of winning the most FA cups, which currently stands at 14
- Their promotion and move to Highbury was seen as controversial
- They have won the double twice
- Arsenal’s current stadium is the Emirates stadium, which they moved to in 2006
- The current manager is Mikel Arteta
- The current captain is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Their home kit is always mainly white and red
- Arsenal’s away kit is typically yellow
- The club’s crest has the phrase Victoria Concordia Crescit on it, which means victory comes through harmony
- Arsenal’s top goal scorer was Thierry Henry, with 228 goals
Home Grounds
Arsenal’s home ground is the Emirates Stadium. Being built in 2006, it is a fairly new stadium, and one of the most impressive in London. It has a capacity of just over 60,000, and it is one of the most expensive stadiums in the Premier League to purchase home tickets for. Given that the stadium cost £390 million to create, this is understandable.
It is a beautiful stadium, and features standard seating, 150 boxes, and premium seats too. There is also an official merchandise shop for fans to purchase items.
Main Trophies
Arsenal have won a significant amount of trophies, which we will be discussing in more detail at the end of this article. However, here is a breakdown of all of their main trophies won. There are 47 in total.
- League Champions: 13
- FA Cup: 14
- League Cup: 2
- European Fairs Cup: 1
- Europeans Cup Winners Cup: 1
- Charity/Community Shields: 16
Club History
The club was originally founded in 1886 by workers from the Woolwich Arsenal Armament factory. There was not initially a professional team, and they went by the name of Dial Square. This was because there was a dial on the top of the munition’s factory they worked in.
In 1886, they began to call themselves Royal arsenal, and began to play in the red and white kit everyone is familiar with today. They first played in the FA Cup in 1889, and shortly after named themselves Woolwich Arsenal.
In 1903 they joined Division One, and in 1913, the team moved to Highbury Park. They were initially relegated in 1913, and decided to change their name to Arsenal FC, which everyone is familiar with today.
In 1925, Herbert Chapman became the manager of Arsenal. While the club had been successful before this, Chapman completely changed the face of Soccer for the club. He led them on to become very successful, and the club went on to win some major trophies on a professional level. He is still seen as a fantastic manager given where he managed to take the club.
Club Timeline
Here is a brief summary and timeline of Arsenal
- 1886: Arsenal was created
- 1893: Arsenal join the English Soccer league under the name of Woolwich Arsenal
- 1904: Arsenal play in the First Division
- 1913: Move To Highbury Stadium
- 1914: Club is officially named Arsenal
- 1925: Herbert Chapman was named as the manager
- 1930: FA Cup winners
- 1931: League champions
- 1970: European Cup trophy winners
- 1971: Arsenal win the double
- 1983: David Dein is the Vice-Chairman
- 1986: George Graham names as the new manager
- 1986: League Cup title
- 1993: European Cup Winners
- 1996: Arsene Wenger named as Manager
- 2004: The Invincibles
- 2006: Emirates Stadium move
- 2018: Arsene Wenger retires
- 2020: Arsenal hold the record for most FA cups won
Club Net Worth
According to Forbes, the estimated club net worth of Arsenal is around $2.8 billion. The revenue per year is $430 million, and the operating income is $47. They currently have a debt value of 7%. This is based on 2020 figures.
Stadium
Arsenal’s current stadium is the Emirates Stadium. It is very impressive to look at, and can be found in Holloway, London. Before the sponsorship deal with Emirates, the ground was known as the Ashburton Grove.
It is the second-largest stadium in London after Wembley, and has a capacity of 60,704. The stadium was finished in 2006, and cost around £390 million.
Their previous stadium was called Arsenal Stadium, and was based in Highbury, not too far away from the new stadium. The last game was played there in May 2006, before the move. This stadium was very much loved by Arsenal fans/
Owners
The current owner of Arsenal is Stan Kroenke. He is the only owner, and he also owns Kroenke Sports Enterprises. He has been the owner of the club since September 2018, and many fans are not too keen on how he runs the club.
Best Players
When it comes to choosing the best and the greatest player in a club’s history, it can be a tough decision. There are many aspects you can base your decision on, such as goals saved, goals scored, and how great a player was as a captain.
Over the years, Arsenal has had many great players, such as Thierry Henry. Being the top goal scorer for Arsenal, it is easy to see why he is seen as one of their best players.
Other best players include Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Vieira, and Tony Adams. Over the years, Berkamp scored and set up some absolutely fantastic goals during his 11 years at Arsenal. Tony Adams served as Arsenal captain for an impressive 14 years, seeing them win 10 trophies, and remains a legend with players and fans.
Patrick Vieira was an unknown player to begin with, but quickly became a success. He helped Arsenal win Two doubles, and scored some fantastic goals. His statue is not outside The Emirates, and it is easy to see why he is still seen as one of the best.
All Time Top Scorer
When it comes to scoring goals, there are many players that have played for Arsenal that have an impressive score tally. However, there is one player in particular that stands head and shoulders above the rest of the players. That player is Thierry Henry. During his time at Arsenal, he scored a whopping 228 goals.
The second-highest goal scorer for Arsenal, surprisingly, is Ian Wright. He scored 149 goals in total. In third place is the great Robin Van Persie with 132. Some other high goals scorers for Arsenal to mention are Dennis Bergkamp, Theo Walcott, and Olivier Giroud.
Captain
The current captain of Arsenal is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. He is one of the most popular players, and is a very talented winger. He was made captain once Laurent Koscielny left the club in 2019.
Some other notable captains that led the club to success in the past include, Mikel Arteta himself, Robin Van Persie, Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, and of course Tony Adams.
Goalkeepers
- Bernd Leno – Main Goal Keeper
- Runar Alex Runarsson
- Arthur Okonkwo
Defenders
- Hector Bellerin
- Kieran Tierney
- Gabriel Magalhães
- Rob Holding
- Cedric Soares
- Calum Chambers
- Pablo Mari
- Sead Kolasinac
- Ben White
- Nuno Tavares
Midfielders
- Thomas Partey
- Mohamed Elneny
- Emile Smith Rowe
- Granit Xhaka
- Aisley Maitland-Niles
- Joseph Willock
- Lucas Torreira
- Bukayo Saka
- Albert Lokonga
Strikers
- Alexandra Lacazette
- Willian
- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
- Nicolas Pepe
- Reiss Nelson
- Folarin Balogun
- Eddie Nketiah
- Gabriel Martinelli
Managers
The current Arsenal Manager is Mikel Arteta. He’s a Spanish professional soccer manager, who is also a former soccer player. He played for Arsenal between 2011 and 2016. He’s been the current manager since 2019, and was previously an assistant manager at Manchester City, from 2016 to 2019.
Prior to this, another ex soccer player, Unai Emery took over the club in 2018, but subsequently left in November 2019.
The most popular and notable Arsenal FC manager by far was Arsene Wenger. He managed the club from 1996 to 2018, and was the most successful manager that Arsenal has had to date. In addition to this, he was the longest serving manager with the amount of games he managed, and the number of years he managed for.
While many questioned his managerial skills in his last few years at Arsenal, with many fans wanting “Wenger out”, it is impossible to deny the incredible impact that he had on the club as a whole. Wenger remains one of the best managers of all time.
Other Arsenal managers include, Thomas Mitchell, William Elcoat, Harry Bradshaw, and Tom Whittaker
Coach
While Mikel Arteta oversees the majority of the coaching, there are various other coaching staff too.
Assistant Coach
There are two assistant coaches that work closely with both the team and with Arteta. These coaches are Freddie Ljungberg, and Albert Stuivenberg.
Home Kit
The official home match kit of Arsenal always features their iconic red, and white colors. The 2021/2022 kit is fairly simple. It is mainly red, with white sleeves, and a red and blue trim.
There are two dark blue stripes running from the neck of the kit to the shoulders, and a blue trim on the collar. It is created by Adidas, and features the Arsenal logo. It has Emirates sponsoring on the front of the kit, and Visit Rwanda sponsoring on the left sleeve.
The shorts are white in color, and feature two red stripes on each leg, with a dark blue stripe in between these. The Arsenal logo is featured, as is the Adidas logo in red.
The socks are fairly simple, and are red and white striped, with AFC on each. The top of the sock has three blue stripes, and the toes are gray.
The goalkeeper kit for 2021/2022 is a bold green, with light green swirls on both the shirt and shorts. The collar is light green, as are the armpits. The writing, logo, and sponsorships are all in white writing. There are three white stripes on the shoulders.
The goalkeeper socks are lighter green in color, with black toes and heels. They feature the Adidas logo in white, and three white stripes on the top of the socks.
Away Kit
When it comes to away kits, Arsenal typically play in a bold and bright yellow. Though, they have chosen gold in the past too. For the 2021/2022 kit, interestingly, it is a light yellow, which is more subdued in comparison to previous seasons.
All of the writing is in a dark blue color, including the Adidas logo, the Arsenal cannon, and the Emirates and Visit Rwanda sponsorships. The sleeves have blue and red cuffs, and the collar is blue. There are two stripes of blue on each shoulder. When looking at the shorts, they are simple in their design, being the same color yellow, with blue stripes on the leg.
The socks are all yellow, and have AFC written in blue. The top of the socks are dark blue, with red stripes.
Logo
The Arsenal logo is great. It has a light and dark red background that also features small amounts of white, and blue. The outer lines are a gold color, as is the canon in the middle of the logo. Arsenal is written in white writing, with a gold outline. It is a fairly simple badge overall, especially when compared to the previous badge it was based on.
The logo has always featured a canon, and it has been adapted to a more modern style over the years. The current logo has been used since 2002, without being changed. The club’s crest has the phrase Victoria Concordia Crescit on it, which means victory comes through harmony
Club Academy
Arsenal’s club academy is a popular one, and has produced some fantastic players, such as Jack Wilshire, and Kieran Gibbs. They have both an Under 23’s team and an academy.
The academy competes in the FA Youth Cup, and the UEFA Youth League. It is currently being managed by Per Mertesacker, a former Arsenal player.
League Titles
In total, Arsenal have won 13 league titles. This includes the Premier League, and prior to this. Here is a breakdown of the seasons where Arsenal finished as league champions.
- 1930/31
- 1932/133
- 1933/34
- 1934/35
- 1937/38
- 1947/48
- 1952/53
- 1970/71
- 1988/89
- 1990/91
- 1997/98
- 2001/02
- 2003/04
The last Premier League that Arsenal won, in 2003/04 is known as the Invincibles. For the entirety of the season, the team did not lose one game — they only won or drew their games. While there have since been clubs that have beaten the points gained by Arsenal when they have won the league, no one has yet to win unbeaten.
Other Titles
In addition to the 13 league titles held by Arsenal, they have also won various other titles and tournaments too.
FA Cup
Arsenal have won the FA Cup a total of 14 times, which is more than any other English club. This is a significant achievement. The years they won, who they versed, and the scores they won by are:
- 1930 – Huddersfield Town: 2 – 0
- 1936 – Sheffield United: 1 – 0
- 1950 – Liverpool: 2 – 0
- 1971 – Liverpool: 2 – 0
- 1979 – Manchester United: 3 – 2
- 1993 – Sheffield Wednesday: 2 – 1
- 1998 – Newcastle United: 2 – 0
- 2002 – Chelsea: 2 – 0
- 2003 – Southampton: 1 – 0
- 2005 – Manchester United: 5-4 on penalties (0 – 0)
- 2014 – Hull City: 3 – 2
- 2015 – Aston Villa: 4 – 0
- 2017 – Chelsea: 2 – 1
- 2020 – Chelsea: 2 – 1
League Cup
- 1987 – Liverpool: 2 – 1
- 1993 – Sheffield Wednesday: 2 – 1
European Fairs Cup
- 1970 – Anderlecht: 4 – 3
European Cup
- 1994 – Parma: 1 – 0
Charity/Community Shield
- 1930 – Sheffield Wednesday: 2 – 1
- 1931 – West Bromwich Albion: 1 – 0
- 1933 – Everton: 3 – 0
- 1934 – Manchester City: 4 – 0
- 1938 – Preston North End: 2 – 1
- 1948 – Manchester United: 4 – 3
- 1953 – Blackpool: 3 – 1
- 1991 – Tottenham Hotspur: 0 – 0 (Shared)
- 1998 – Manchester United: 3 – 1
- 1999 – Manchester United: 2 – 1
- 2002 – Liverpool: 1 – 0
- 2004 – Manchester United: 3 – 1
- 2014 – Manchester United: 3 – 0
- 2015 – Chelsea: 1 – 0
- 2017 – Chelsea: 4 – 1
- 2020 – Liverpool: 5 – 4 on penalties (1 – 1)
Fun Facts
Here are some fun Arsenal FC facts:
- You may not know that the club was originally set up in Woolwich, South-East London.
- The London tube station closest to the stadium is called Arsenal. However, it was originally called Gillespie Road.
- When Arsenal signed their sponsorship deal with Emirates, this was the most money ever paid for a sponsorship deal in the Premier League. The deal was around £100 million, and as a result, Arsenal renamed their new stadium, The Emirates Stadium.
- In 1934, Arsenal had the most players in their team playing internationally for England, which was 7 players.
- They are nicknamed “the gunners” because it was a group of cannon creators that founded the club.