Arsenal
Facts
Arsène Wenger has won seven major honours at Arsenal
(three league championships, four FA Cups) - more than any other
Gunners boss.
Arsenal has the longest unbroken run in the English top division,
having been there since 1919. They were last relegated in season
1912/13 when they finished in 20th position.
Thierry Henry has twice been named Football Writers Association
Player of the Year and the PFA Players Player of the Year in the
same season, and is the only player ever to retain the
awards.
For two of the last three years Thierry Henry has finished second
in the FIFA World Player of the Year award - behind compatriot
Zinedine Zidane in 2003 and Ronaldinho in 2004. He finished third
behind Ronaldinho and Frank Lampard in 2005.
Arsenal share the record (with Man Utd) for most appearances in the
FA Cup Final with 17, of which they have won ten.
The 2001 FA Youth Cup victory was Arsenals sixth in all, only
Manchester United have won more.
Arsenal have twice clinched the league title at White Hart Lane
(1971 and
2004). In addition the Gunners have won the league at Old Trafford,
Anfield and Stamford Bridge (twice).
In the 2001/2002 season 22 Arsenal players earned a Championship
medal, including three different goalkeepers.
Freddie Ljungberg scored in both the 2001 and 2002 FA Cup Finals,
the first player to score in consecutive finals for 40 years.
Gael Clichy is the youngest player ever to win a Premiership medal,
at 18 years and ten months.
Thierry Henry was named in the PFA Premiership All-Star team last
season.
Francesc Fabregas is Arsenals youngest ever player, making his
debut at 16 years and 177 days against Rotherham in the Carling Cup
Third Round on October 28, 2003. The Spaniard is also the Clubs
youngest scorer, netting against Wolves in the Carling Cup Fourth
Round aged 16 years and 212 days.
Arsène Wenger was the first foreign manager to lead a team to the
English League Championship.
Arsenal are the only team to score in every game in a Premiership
season, achieving the feat in the 2001/02 championship
campaign.
Arsenals league record during the 2003/04 season was played 38,
won 26, drawn 12, lost 0 - the only time in the modern era a side
has remained unbeaten for the duration of a league season.
Gilberto scored the fastest ever Champions League goal after just
20.07 seconds against PSV Eindhoven on September 25, 2002.
Tony Adams lifted more trophies than any other Arsenal Captain -
nine (four Championships, three FA Cups, one League Cup and the Cup
Winners Cup).
Arsenal have appeared in a record 25 FA Cup Semi-Finals, one more
than Manchester United.
Thierry Henry and Gilberto have World Cup winners medals.
Ashley Coles superb performances earned him selection to Euro
2004s All Star Team of the Tournament.
Midfielder Gilberto played in every minute of Brazils successful
World Cup tournament in 2002.
During 2003/04 Arsenal were unbeaten away from home in league
fixtures, the
second time in the space of three years that they managed this
feat.
Dennis Bergkamp has won the Cup Winners Cup with Ajax and the UEFA
Cup twice, once with Ajax and once with Inter Milan.
Lauren is an Olympic gold medallist, he helped Cameroon to the
title at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Arsenals first ever game at Highbury was a 2-1 victory over
Leicester Fosse in a Division Two fixture in September 1913.
Current head of youth development, Liam Brady, was voted Arsenals
Player of the Season three times before his move to
Juventus.
Former head youth coach and Under-19s coach, Don Howe, played for
(1964-67), coached and managed (1983-86) Arsenal during his
association with the Club.
Assistant manager Pat Rice has been involved in all of Arsenals
double successes, playing in 1971 and assisting Arsène Wenger in
1998 and 2002.
Arsène Wenger was awarded Frances highest civil medal, the Legion
of Honour, in the summer of 2002. Thierry Henry also picked up the
honour after the 1998 World Cup. Mr Wenger was also awarded the
O.B.E for his services to British football in 2003 and was given
the Freedom of Islington in 2004.
Arsenals home UEFA Champions League fixtures in seasons 1998/99
and 1999/00 were held at Wembley. The Clubs fixture against RC
Lens at Wembley on November 25, 1998 was attended by 73,707 - a
record crowd for an Arsenal home game.
Former captain Tony Adams made 669 appearances in all competitions
for the Gunners, scoring 48 goals. He was at the Club for 22 years.
Only David OLeary, with 722 appearances, played more times for
Arsenal.
Lauren has twice won the African Nations Cup with Cameroon, in 2000
and 2002.
Arsenal beat Manchester United 3-1 to win the FA Community Shield
in August 2004. Arsenal have won the trophy outright a record
equalling 11 times, and have also shared it once.
The Arsenal Ladies won the league title last season, for the eighth
time in their history.
The Arsenal Ladies will once again be representing England in
European competition this year.
In August 2002 Arsenal registered their 14th straight league win,
breaking the all-time record in top flight football. The Club
record for consecutive home victories in the Premiership (10) was
set against Manchester City on September 10, 2002.
Dennis Bergkamps goal against Newcastle at St James Park in the
2002/2003 season was named ITVs The Premiership Goal of the
Season and the second best Premiership goal ever.
In January 2003 Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry both scored their
100th goals for the Club - taking the number of players who have
reached three figures for Arsenal to 16.
When Arsenal beat Blackburn Rovers 3-0 on August 25, 2004, they set
a new English record for consecutive unbeaten league matches,
breaking Nottingham Forests sequence of 42 from 1978. The run was
eventually stretched to 49 matches.
Thierry Henry won the European Golden Shoe in 2004 and 2005 as top
scorer in European league football. He became the first player to
win the award back-to-back.
Arsenals biggest ever league victory was a 12-0 win over
Loughborough Town on March 12, 1900. Coincidentally, the Clubs
biggest league defeat was also against Loughborough Town 8-0 in
1896.
Arsenals record for most league goals in a season is 127, set in
the championship winning season of 1930/31. The least league goals
Arsenal have conceded in a season is 18, in the 1990/91 season
another championship year.
On December 14, 1935 Ted Drake scored all seven goals in Arsenals
7-1 win over Aston Villa at Villa Park it remains a record. Ted
Drake also holds the record for most goals in a season for Arsenal
with 42.
The highest ever attendance at Highbury is 73,295, set against
Sunderland on March 9, 1935.
The oldest player ever to represent Arsenal is Jock Rutherford, who
was 41 years and 236 days old when he appeared against Manchester
City.
Arsenals first ever recognised fixture was a friendly against
Eastern Wanderers on December 11, 1886. Arsenal were then known as
Dial Square FC.
Arsenals most capped player is Patrick Vieira, who made 79
appearances for France while an Arsenal player.
The Clubs highest tally of league points for a season is 90, set
in 2003/2004.
Arsenal have made nine appearances at the Millennium Stadium.
Arsenal beat Manchester United 5-4 on penalties in the 2005 FA Cup
Final, the first time the Cup has been decided that way in it's
133-year history.
Arsène Wenger is the only Arsenal manager to have won the FA Cup
four times, and is the second most successful manager in the
history of the competition.
Cesc Fabregas scored against Blackburn at Highbury during the
2004/05 campaign, making him the Clubs youngest ever scorer in
league football at 17 years and 113 days.
Between May 19, 2001 and November 30, 2002 Arsenal scored in 55
consecutive league matches an English record.
Arsenal competed in, and won, the first ever indoor FA Cup Final.
Due to heavy rain, the roof on the Millennium Stadium was closed
for the entire 2003 Final against Southampton.
Arsenal remained unbeaten for 18 consecutive FA Cup matches between
2001 and 2004 - a post-war record.
Pat Rice, either as a player or Assistant Manager, has been to ten
FA Cup Finals with Arsenal.
In 1950 Arsenal became the first Club to win the FA Cup without
leaving London during the entire run.
