Arsenal is one of the oldest and most historic football clubs in England, with continuous presence in the First Division since 1919, a legendary and seemingly unbreakable record even in the next century! It's no coincidence that a dinosaur was chosen as the club’s mascot during the team's centenary celebrations! But let's take a look at the great history of the club from the beginning.

The club was founded in 1886 by Scotsman David Danskin and the Englishmen Elijah Watkins, John Humble, and Richard Pearce, all of whom were workers at the Royal Arsenal, based in North London. The first name given to the team was "Dial Square," inspired by a workshop at the Royal Arsenal. The team’s first official game took place on December 11, 1886, against Eastern Wanderers, on a pitch without crossbars! After an agreement on which goals would count, the final score was recorded as 6-0 in favor of Arsenal. This was a friendly match of great historical significance.

In the same year (1886), Dial Square was renamed Royal Arsenal, due to the nature of the players' work and a pub by the same name, frequented by the factory workers after their shifts.

The team's colors, red and white, were adopted from a full set of kits donated by Nottingham Forest, one of the wealthiest clubs at the time, to Arsenal, which was experiencing financial difficulties. The iconic red and white shirt design, with the white sleeves, was finalized in the 1930s when Herbert Chapman added the white sleeves for the home game against Liverpool on March 4, 1933. During that decade, the club also adopted its emblem: a cannon within an impressive crest!

Arsenal’s first official FA Cup match was played against Lyndhurst, where they won 11-0! At the time, Arsenal was still an amateur team. In 1890, the club won its first official trophy, defeating Old Westminsters 3-1 in the final of the London Charity Cup. The following year, Arsenal was renamed Woolwich Arsenal and became a professional club. In 1893, they joined the Second Division, having previously played only friendly matches and cup games as an amateur team. On September 2, 1893, they played their first official league match, drawing 2-2 with Newcastle United, with Show and Elliot as the scorers. The star of that team was Caesar Jenkyns.

In 1904, Arsenal was promoted to the First Division, and goalkeeper Jimmy Ashcroft became the first English international player from the club. Another big name of the time was captain Jimmy Jackson, known for his passionate play, and the team’s manager was Harry Bradshaw.

However, a period of financial and sporting instability led to the team’s relegation to the Second Division in 1913. That year, the team only achieved three wins, collected 18 points, and scored just 26 goals! In response, Woolwich Arsenal moved from Manor Ground and other temporary venues to the legendary Highbury Stadium in North London. On September 6, 1913, they played their first official league match there, defeating Leicester Fosse 2-1.

On April 4, 1914, the club was officially renamed Arsenal Football Club, and in 1919, they returned to the First Division, maintaining an unbeatable record of continuous presence in the top tier.

The 1920s were a mediocre period for the team, with no major achievements. However, the man who changed the course of Arsenal’s history was Herbert Chapman, who arrived at Highbury as manager at the end of the 1920s. Chapman built the greatest pre-war team in the world during the 1930s. A footballing genius, he introduced new tactical systems that modernized the game. With the famous "WM" system, he and his successors won:

Five league titles (1931, 1933, 1934, 1935, 1938)

Two FA Cups:
In 1930, defeating Huddersfield Town 2-0 with goals from James and Lambert
In 1936, beating Sheffield United 1-0 with a goal from Drake

Five Charity Shields:
In 1930, beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1
In 1931, beating West Bromwich Albion 1-0
In 1933, defeating Everton 3-0
In 1934, winning 4-0 against Manchester City
In 1938, beating Preston North End 2-1

These titles earned Arsenal recognition as one of the most dominant teams in English football. Chapman arrived in May 1925, thanks to then-chairman Henry Norris, who brought him from the reigning champions, Huddersfield Town. Chapman believed that great teams were made by players with both skill and character. With legends such as Ted Drake, Cliff Bastin, Alex James, and Eddie Hapgood, he crafted an exceptional team full of aggression, class, and effectiveness.

Chapman died of pneumonia on January 4, 1934, and his bust stands at the East Stand of Highbury as a tribute to the man who created the greatest footballing force of the era. The FA Cup of 1936 and the league titles of 1935 and 1938 were won under Chapman’s assistant, George Allison, but everyone credited these successes to Chapman’s legacy.

With the outbreak of World War II, Arsenal lost nine players to war, including Henry Cooke and Bobby Daniel, while Highbury was bombed by German planes. Despite these hardships, the team managed to win the league title in 1948 under manager Tom Whittaker, relying on players like Joe Mercer and Ronnie Rooke, who was the league’s top scorer with 33 goals.

Two years later, in 1950, with 35-year-old Joe Mercer still leading the way, Arsenal won the FA Cup by defeating Liverpool 2-0 in the final, with two goals from Reg Lewis. In 1952, it was the first time the team came so close to achieving the Double, but they failed, losing 0-1 in the FA Cup final to Newcastle United and also losing their last two decisive league matches against West Bromwich Albion and Manchester United. However, in 1953, they won the league title, relying on players like Jack Kelsey and Reg Lewis. From then on (with the exception of the triumphant 7-1 away win against Danish team Staevnet on September 25, 1963), and until the mid-1960s, Arsenal failed to achieve anything noteworthy. The waste of money on misguided choices of coaches and players, combined with the naturally tight financial policy, led the club into stagnation.

However, in the summer of 1966, the great chairman and owner Dennis Hill Wood, a wealthy cotton producer by profession, secretly proposed to England’s national team physiotherapist, Bertie Mee, to take charge of the club, relying on his vast experience on the bench as an assistant to the national team, his coaching knowledge, and the strict discipline that characterized him as a professional. The result fully justified the chairman’s risk. First, the team reached two lost League Cup finals (in 1968 against Leeds United and in 1969 against Swindon Town) and then the triumphant victory of the club’s first European trophy, the 1970 UEFA Cup (then known as the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup). Arsenal eliminated Northern Irish side Glentoran (3-0, 0-1), Portuguese Sporting Lisbon (0-0, 3-0), French Rouen (0-0, 1-0), Romanian Dinamo Bacau (2-0, 7-1), and in the semifinals, the great Ajax team of Cruyff, Krol, Keizer, and Muhren (winning 3-0 at Highbury with two goals from George and one from Sammels, losing 0-1 in the Netherlands). They won the cup against the great Anderlecht, losing 1-3 in Belgium (Kennedy scoring the goal) and winning 3-0 at Highbury (scorers were Radford, Kelly, Sammels).

During the 1970-1971 season, the team managed for the first time in its history to achieve the magnificent Double, which was considered at the time as the club’s greatest moment! Arsenal remained unbeaten at home throughout the year, achieving 29 wins, 7 draws, and 6 losses in the league. In the unforgettable FA Cup final, they beat (as they did in 1950) Liverpool 2-1 in extra time, with the legendary Charlie George, now known as the "prince of Highbury," being the hero of the match! Other great figures included the league's best player and captain Frank McLintock, Ray Kennedy, Bob Wilson, George Armstrong, George Graham, John Radford, Eddie Kelly, Peter Storey, Pat Rice, Sammy Nelson, Bob McNab, Peter Simpson. The league title was won by a one-point margin over Leeds United, thanks to a header goal from Ray Kennedy in an away match at White Hart Lane, against their eternal rivals Tottenham. What a pleasure for the fans, especially considering that Tottenham's then-captain Alan Mullery had declared, "Arsenal has as much chance of winning the league as I have of getting the Crown Jewels. They’re the last team we’d want to win the title!"

As for the European Cup, Arsenal, in their first-ever participation in the competition, managed to reach the quarterfinals, where they were eliminated by the team that went on to become European champions for three consecutive years, Ajax.

Afterward, in the 1970s (following the team's defeat in the 1972 FA Cup final to Leeds United 1-0), under the management of a former club legend from the 1960s, Terry Neill, the team did not produce many memorable moments, even though players of great caliber like Alan Ball, Peter Marinello, Malcolm McDonald, Jimmy Rimmer, Brian Kidd, and Alan Hudson wore the club’s shirt.

Thus, we arrive at the end of the 1970s, when Arsenal made an impressive return to football prominence by playing in three consecutive FA Cup finals. In 1978, they lost to Ipswich Town 1-0. In 1979, in a thrilling final (which has been described as the "final of the century"), they defeated Manchester United 3-2 (with goals from Talbot, Stapleton, and Sunderland). This year is also etched in the memory of the Gunners for the incredible 5-0 victory at White Hart Lane against their eternal rivals, Tottenham. In 1980, they lost to local rivals West Ham United 1-0. That same year, Arsenal, after eliminating Turkish side Fenerbahce (2-0, 0-0), East German team Magdeburg (2-1, 2-2), Swedish side IFK Gothenburg (5-1, 0-0), and in the semifinals, the Italian team Juventus (1-1, 1-0), reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup. In Brussels, they were defeated by Spanish side Valencia 4-5 on penalties, after the match and extra time had ended in a 0-0 draw.

That year, Arsenal played nearly eighty matches (including 17 games in the two months of April and May alone), not counting the international matches played by their players with their national teams! The team relied on great talents such as the left-footed wizard Liam Brady, Frank Stapleton, David O'Leary, Graham Rix, Alan Sunderland, Brian Talbot, Pat Rice, Sammy Nelson, and the great goalkeeper Pat Jennings.

The 1980s passed fruitlessly without any titles until 1987, despite the presence of high-class players such as Tony Woodcock and Paul Mariner. In 1986, a former club legend, George Graham, became the manager, succeeding Don Howe (Terry Neil's assistant coach). During Graham’s tenure, a new glorious era of success began. First, the team won the League Cup for the first time, defeating Liverpool in the final with a 2-1 score, thanks to the (goal-scoring) Scot Charlie Nicholas, Viv Anderson, Kenny Sansom, and talents that would shine in the coming years.

In 1988, the team reached the League Cup final again but lost to Luton Town 3-2. Then, in 1989, with an unbelievable last-minute goal by Michael Thomas in the final game of the league, Arsenal denied Liverpool the championship at Anfield! It was a huge moment, not only in the history of the club but in the history of English football, marking the spectacular and unexpected conclusion of that season!

 In 1991, George Graham's team once again won the championship, setting a record with just one loss in thirty-eight games. In 1993, Arsenal became the first team in England to achieve the Cup Double, winning both the FA Cup (against Sheffield Wednesday with 1-1 and 2-1 in the replay, with goals from Wright and Linighan) and the League Cup (also against Sheffield Wednesday, again 2-1, with goals from Smith and Morrow).

In 1994, after eliminating Danish side Odense (2-1, 1-1), Belgian team Standard Liege (3-0, 7-0 away), Italian side Torino (0-0, 1-0), and French team Paris Saint-Germain (1-1, 1-0), Arsenal reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in Copenhagen, where they claimed the trophy by defeating Italian team Parma with a goal by Alan Smith. In 1995, Arsenal once again reached the Cup Winners' Cup final in Paris, having eliminated Cypriot team Omonia Nicosia (3-1, 3-0), Danish team Brøndby (2-1, 2-2), French side Auxerre (1-1, 1-0), and Italian team Sampdoria (3-2, 2-3). However, this time, they suffered a heartbreaking loss to Spanish team Real Zaragoza in the last minute of extra time, with an incredible lob from halfway by a certain Nayim!

That year, the great reformer of Arsenal, George Graham, had already left. Relying on players like Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, David Rocastle, Nigel Winterburn, John Lukic, Michael Thomas, Paul Davis, Steve Bould, Paul Merson, Ray Parlour, Alan Smith, Anders Limpar, David Seaman, and, of course, the club's all-time top scorer, Ian Wright, Graham had built a strong and youthful team that created its own dynasty in English football.

After a brief period of searching for a new identity, during which Bruce Rioch was hired for one year (a tenure that is generally considered unsuccessful), the club appointed the great modern football personality, Arsène Wenger, from Alsace. Wenger would go on to write the latest golden chapters in the club’s history. Under his leadership, the team won its sweeping second Double in the 1997-1998 season (after a fierce battle with Manchester United), while in the FA Cup final, Arsenal defeated Newcastle United 2-0, with goals from Overmars and Anelka. Also under Wenger, the team secured its third Double in the 2001-2002 season (after an exciting race with Manchester United and Liverpool), and in the FA Cup final, they beat Chelsea 2-0, with goals from Parlour and Ljungberg.

During Wenger's tenure, Arsenal also had two unfortunate appearances in finals. In the 2000 UEFA Cup final, Copenhagen was not so lucky for the team this time, as they lost 1-4 on penalties to Turkish side Galatasaray. On their way to the final, Arsenal eliminated French side Nantes (3-0, 3-3), Spanish side Deportivo La Coruña (5-1, 1-2), German side Werder Bremen (2-0, 4-2), and in the semifinals, French side RC Lens (1-0, 2-1). Additionally, a year later, in the 2001 FA Cup final held in Cardiff, Arsenal lost to Liverpool 2-1.

The players who wrote, and continue to write, the latest glorious chapters of Arsenal’s history during Wenger’s early years include: David Platt, Emmanuel Petit, Nicolas Anelka, Marc Overmars, Martin Keown, Patrick Vieira, Freddie Ljungberg, Sylvain Wiltord, Nwankwo Kanu, Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Thierry Henry, Robert Pires, Dennis Bergkamp, and Tony Adams.

In 2003, an impressive, yet ultimately disappointing, season came to an end. Due to fatigue, injuries, and bad luck, Arsenal lost the Premier League title to Manchester United in the final stages. They were knocked out of the Champions League by Valencia for the second consecutive year, but managed to salvage the season by winning the FA Cup, defeating Southampton 1-0 in the final at Cardiff with a goal from Robert Pires.

Arsenal, a major European club and one of the pillars of English football, has grand ambitions for the future. By playing modern, attractive, and attacking football, making key signings to complement their existing great players, and, most importantly, prioritizing the construction of a new state-of-the-art stadium by 2006, the club is looking towards the future with a new perspective. This opens up horizons for big transfers that will permanently change their position on the global football map in the next century.

The vision of dominating England, winning European trophies (especially the Champions League), and most importantly, establishing a permanent and overwhelming WINNING STYLE for their opponents lies ahead of them.