List of Arsenal F.C. seasons

For the list of seasons played by the Arsenal women's team, see List of Arsenal W.F.C. seasons.
A black-and-white team photograph of the Arsenal squad in their third season of existence.
The Royal Arsenal squad of the 1888–89 season

Arsenal Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Holloway, London. The club was formed in Woolwich in 1886 as Dial Square before it was shortly renamed to Royal Arsenal, and then Woolwich Arsenal in 1893.[1] They became the first southern member[a] admitted into the Football League in 1893, having spent their first four seasons solely participating in cup tournaments and friendlies.[4] The club's name was shortened to Arsenal in 1914, a year after moving to Highbury.[5] In spite of finishing fifth in the Second Division in 1915, Arsenal rejoined the First Division at the expense of local rivals Tottenham Hotspur when football resumed after the First World War.[6] Since that time, they have not fallen below the first tier of the English football league system and hold the record for the longest uninterrupted time in the top flight.[7]

In the 1930s, Arsenal were the dominant side of England, winning five league championships and two FA Cups. Their fortunes waned, but the club soon enjoyed infrequent periods of success, including Inter-Cities Fairs Cup triumph and a first league and cup double in the 1970s. During the late 1980s, Arsenal had built a side that threatened Liverpool's league dominance, and performed greatly in cup competitions. The club played an active role in the formation of the Premier League in 1992, won the FA Cup in 1993 and the European Cup Winners Cup in 1994 and two doubles followed in 1998 and 2002. Arsenal made league history in 2003–04 when they became the first team in a 38-game season to go unbeaten.[8] In the 2000s, Arsenal were finalists in both the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League,[9] and have since equalled Real Madrid's record for most consecutive seasons in the latter competition.[10]

As of the end of the 2023–24 season, the club's first team have spent 107 seasons in the top division of English football, and 13 in the second. Their worst league finish to date is 10th in the second tier, their placing at the end of the 1896–97 season. Arsenal's best-ever start to a Premier League season came in 2022–23, when they won nine of their first ten matches.[11] The club's longest period without a competitive honour is 17 years, between the 1953-54 and 1969–70 seasons. Ted Drake holds the record for most competitive goals in a single season for Arsenal; he scored 44 during the 1934–35 campaign. The table details the club's achievements in major competitions, and the top scorers for each season. Records of reserve team and World War II competitions such as the London Combination and the London War Cup are not included.

  1. ^ Soar & Tyler (2011), p. 24.
  2. ^ Tomlinson, Alan (2010). A Dictionary of Sports Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 196. ISBN 978-0-19-921381-8.
  3. ^ Freeman, Nicholas (2011). 1895: Drama, Disaster and Disgrace in Late Victorian Britain. Edinburgh University Press. p. 39. ISBN 978-0-7486-4056-0.
  4. ^ Joy (1952), p. 9.
  5. ^ Joy (1952), p. 32.
  6. ^ Joy (1952), p. 28.
  7. ^ Ross, James; Heneghan, Michael; Orford, Stuart; Culliton, Eoin (23 June 2016). "English Clubs Divisional Movements 1888-2016". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 5 August 2016. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  8. ^ "Match Pack: Arsenal v Villa". Aston Villa F.C. 26 December 2009. Archived from the original on 21 August 2016. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Arsenal – Complete cup finals". Statto Organisation. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  10. ^ Sanghera, Mandeep (16 September 2015). "Dinamo Zagreb 2–1 Arsenal". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  11. ^ "S outhampton v Arsenal: Head-to-head stats". BBC Sport. 21 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.


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