31 March 2010 - Scoring With A Leg To Spare

On 31 March 2010, Arsenal captain Cesc Fàbregas scored the equalizing goal against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinal. And he did it with a broken leg.

Fàbregas, who joined Arsenal in 2003 after five years at Barcelona's youth academy, had been the subject of longstanding transfer rumors linking him with a return to his former club, adding a lot of spice to the match-up. 

Barcelona, as the reigning champions, were heavy favorites, but the Gunners managed to hold them to a scoreless draw until the break. Less than one minute after the restart, however, a long pass went over the Arsenal backline to a racing Zlatan Ibrahimović, who beat keeper Manuel Almunia with a lobbed ball to the far post. He then doubled the lead in the 59th minute, after another overhead ball left him one-on-one with Almunia. But Arsenal midfielder Theo Walcott narrowed the gap ten minutes later with a precise finish. 

As Arsenal pushed forward for an equalizer, Barça's Carles Puyol fouled Fàbregas in the box in the 85th minute. Fàbregas stepped up to the spot and converted the ensuing penalty, then immediately afterward started limping. It appeared that he pulled a muscle, but scans later revealed that Puyol's foul had resulted in a small fracture in his right fibula. 

The injury forced Fàbregas to miss the return leg, which Barcelona won 4-1. He remained with Arsenal for one more season, then transferred to Barça in August 2011 for £29 million. He left Barcelona in 2014 for Chelsea, his current club. 

12 March 1900 - Revenge, Arsenal Style

On 12 March 1900, Arsenal recorded their record league victory, a 12-0 win over Loughborough Town.

The match was a Second Division contest played at Arsenal's Manor Ground in Plumstead, southeast London. Arsenal, who were known at the time as Woolwich Arsenal, had beaten Loughborough 2-3 away nine days earlier, but the teams had some history--Loughborough had handed them their record league defeat, an 8-0 away loss, in December 1896.

Since then, Arsenal hired manager manager Harry Bradshaw, who took over in August 1899 and began to improve the club's fortunes. Bradshaw was on the sideline at the Manor Ground on 12 March when Arsenal got their revenge by pounding Loughborough 12-0. As it turned out, that was Loughborough's last season in the league. They finished dead last in the table and were not re-elected in the spring, then financial woes forced their dissolution later that year.

The win matched Arsenal's overall record, set in an FA Cup match against Ashford United in 1893, but was beaten by a friendly against a Paris XI in 1904, which Arsenal won 26-1. But the 12-0 victory over Loughborough remains their largest league win.

9 February 2007 - Yes, I Know I Spoiled The Ending

On 9 February 2007, Goal II: Living the Dream opened in Ireland and the UK, starring Kuno Becker and a host of Real Madrid and Arsenal players.

The second part of a trilogy, the film follows Becker's character, footballer Santiago Muñez, as he moves from Newcastle United to Real Madrid. The movie builds to the Champions League final, with Real Madrid facing Arsenal and coming back from a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2.

In addition to Becker, the cast included several real-life players from both clubs, such as David Beckham, Zinedine Zidane, Iker Casillas, Thierry Henry, and Cesc Fabregas. It also featured actor Nick Cannon as fictitious Arsenal star T.J. Harper.

With a budget of approximately £10 million, the movie did poorly at the box office, taking in only £326,807 in its opening weekend and grossing under £1 million in the first week. Nor did it fare well with critics, with a current rating of 39% on RottenTomatoes.com. Audiences were kinder, however, rating it at 62%.

5 February 2011 - I've Always Said A 4-Goal Lead Is The Most Dangerous One

On 5 February 2011, Newcastle earned a dramatic point against Arsenal, coming back from a 4-goal deficit to draw 4-4.

Newcastle were in their first season back in the Premier League after a one-season spell in the Championship and had already beaten Arsenal away in the league, 0-1. But in the return fixture at St. James's Park, the visitors from London took a quick lead with a strike from Theo Walcott in the first minute.

Nine minutes later, Arsenal were up 0-3 with additional goals from Johan Djourou (3') and Robin van Persie (10'). Van Persie scored again in the 26th minute and, to all appearances, a rout was on. Down 0-4 at the break, Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton later commented that the hosts were just hoping to "avoid a cricket score."

The momentum shifted in the second half, however, as Djourou left the game with an injury in the 48th minute. Two minutes later, they were down to ten men as referee Phil Dowd ejected midfielder Abou Diaby after an incident with Barton.

Barton went on to score twice from the penalty spot (68', 83'), with his brace sandwiched around a 75th-minute goal from Leon Best. Cheik Tiote (pictured) then completed the comeback with an 87th-minute blast from the edge of the box that beat Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczęsny and landed in the bottom corner of the net.

17 January 1920 - A Good Day To Stay At Home

On 17 January 1920, the home teams went undefeated in all 20 matches in England's Football League, as well as the day's two FA Cup games.

At the time, the Football League consisted of only two divisions (though a separate Southern League existed, with two divisions of of its own). While each division consisted of 22 teams, two games were not played, so there were only 20 games total across both divisions.

The results in Division One consisted of eight wins and two draws, including 21st-place Oldham Athletic's 1-0 upset victory of second-place Newcastle. The largest margins were Manchester City's 4-1 win over Arsenal and league-leader West Brom's 5-2 win over Blackburn.

In Division Two, there were nine wins and only one draw, a 1-1 result between Bury and Nottingham Forest, while Lincoln City's 4-0 win over Wolves set the day's largest margin of victory.

There were also two first-round FA Cup matches played that day, with Bradford City beating Portsmouth 2-0 and West Stanley beating Gillingham 3-1.

6 January 2012 - Apparently, You Can Go Home Again

On 6 January 2012, Arsenal confirmed the return of striker Thierry Henry, the club's all-time leading goalscorer, on loan.

Henry played for the Gunners from 1999 to 2007, making 369 appearances and scoring 226 goals. While there, he won two league titles (including the undefeated "Invincibles" run in the 2003-04 season) and three FA Cups before leaving for Barcelona in a deal worth €24M. He continued to collect silverware in Spain, with a record six-trophy haul in 2009 that included the La Liga title, the Copa del Rey, and the UEFA Champions League.

Arsenal, however, had failed to win any trophies after Henry's departure. Halfway through the 2011-12 season, as a rocky start left them struggling to capture a Champions League qualification spot, they looked to Henry, who had by then moved to the New York Red Bulls.

He joined them in January for a two-month loan. On 9 January, he made his first appearance, coming on as a substitute to score the only goal in a FA Cup win over Leeds United. He went on to make another six appearances and scored again in his final match, a 1-2 away win over Sunderland, before returning to New York.

14 December 1986 - The Debut Of Dennis Bergkamp

On 14 December 1986, Dennis Bergkamp made his professional debut, coming on as a late substitute for Ajax against Roda JC.

Born in Amsterdam in 1969, Bergkamp joined the club's youth academy in 1981. He was 17 when he made that first professional appearance at home against Roda, as manager Johan Cruff subbed him in for Rob Witschge in the 66th minute. Ajax were already up 2-0 at the time and that turned out to be the final score.

The striker remained with the club for seven seasons, scoring 122 goals in 237 appearances across all competitions. Along the way, he won one Eredivisie title (1990), two KNVB Cups (1987, 1993), one UEFA Cup (1992), and one UEFA Cup Winners' Cup (1987) before moving to Inter for a transfer fee of £7.1 million.

He never settled at Inter and left after two seasons for Arsenal, where he regained his previous form. He went on to become one of the club's most highly regarded players, making 425 appearances and winning multiple league titles (1998, 2002, 2004) and FA Cups (1998, 2002, 2003, 2005) before his retirement in 2006.

5 December 1905 - The Gunners Unload

On 5 December 1905, Arsenal beat a Paris XI in a  friendly by the record score of 26-1.

The Gunners, still known at the time as Woolwich Arsenal, were in their second season under manager Phil Kelso, who had guided them to a tenth-place league finish the previous spring. Although he was looking to improve that finish in the new season, his team had gotten off to a poor start, losing eight of their first fifteen matches. They were sitting in sixteenth place when they hosted the friendly at the Manor Ground in Plumstead.

Their opponents were a collection of players based in Paris. Though no official records of the match remain, it is widely believed that the side included many members of the French national team, with one notable exception--the side was short a man, so borrowed the services of an Arsenal reserve believed to be W.J. "Chips" Hodge.

It is known for certain that Arsenal won 26-1, a scoreline that remains a club record. The top scorer of the day was inside forward Bob Watson, who provided seven goals. He never displayed that kind of form in the league, however, scoring only once in ten competitive appearances for the club.

28 October 2007 - Stevie G Completes a Fourth C

On 28 October 2007, Steven Gerrard made his 400th appearance for Liverpool, scoring in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Born in the nearby Merseyside village of Whiston, Gerrard joined Liverpool as a youth player in 1987 and signed a professional contract with them ten years later. He made debuted with the first team on 29 November 1998 and made a total of thirteen appearances that season across all competitions.

By the next season, he had secured a regular starting spot in central midfield, making 31 appearances in 1999-2000 and 50 in 2000-01. In the latter, he also scored a total of 10 goals as Liverpool won a treble consisting of the UEFA Cup, FA Cup, and League Cup.

He became the team captain in 2003 and additional trophies followed, including the dramatic victory over AC Milan in the 2005 Champions League in which Gerrard scored Liverpool's first goal to start a comeback from 3-0 down to win on penalties, 3-3 (2-3).

For his 400th club appearance, Liverpool hosted Arsenal at Anfield, where Gerrard's 7th-minute free kick from the edge of the box (pictured) put his team up 1-0. Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas delivered an equalizer in the 80th minute to finish the day at 1-1.

10 October 1966 - O Captain, My Captain

On 10 October 1966, Arsenal defender Tony Adams was born in Romford, England. He went on to become the team's most successful captain and also skippered the England national team.

He spent his entire career at Arsenal, joining them as a youth player in 1980 and remaining there until his retirement in 2002. In all, he made a total of 672 appearances for them across all competitions. He received the captain's armband from manager George Graham in January 1988 and kept it for the next fourteen years.

During that time, he led Arsenal to a collection of silverware that included the league title in 1989 and 1991, the 1993 FA Cup, and the 1994 Cup Winners' Cup. Then, in 1998, he guided them to a league and FA Cup Double, a feat they repeated in 2002.

Adams also made 66 appearances for England between 1987 and 2000 and captained the team to the semifinals in Euro 96.

25 September 2002 - Arsenal's Quick Silva

On 25 September 2002, midfielder Gilberto Silva scored a record goal to help Arsenal cruise past PSV in the Champions League group stage.

PSV hosted the Gunners in Eindhoven for the game, which was the second of the tournament for both teams. Arsenal took the opening kick-off and Silva immediately raced unmarked down the center of pitch, where he received a cross from teammate Thierry Henry, then knocked the ball into the net. The official time for the goal was 20.07 seconds, making it the fastest goal in European Cup/Champions League history up to that point, narrowly beating Alessandro del Piero's time of 20.12, set in a 1997 match for Juventus against Manchester United.

The day did not get any better for PSV. After Arsenal keeper saved their best chance of the day--a 22nd-minute shot from Mateja Kezman--the hosts went on to surrender three more goals to Freddie Ljungberg (66') and Henry (81', 90') and lost 0-4.

PSV did better in the return leg, holding Arsenal to a scoreless draw in London, but the result eliminated them from the competition. Arsenal advanced, but were knocked out in the second group stage.

Silva's record lasted until March 2007, when Bayern Munich's Roy Makaay scored against Real Madrid after only 10.12 seconds.

8 May 1971 - The Gunners Double Their Pleasure

On 8 May 1971, Arsenal completed the Double with an extra-time win over Liverpool in the FA Cup Final, 2-1.

They had taken the league title five days earlier with an away victory over Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, then met Liverpool at Wembley. The two teams had split their two league meetings that season, with each team winning 2-0 at home.

A capacity crowd of 100,000 watched as they played the first 90 minutes to a scoreless draw. Liverpool controlled the better part of the first half, but were unable to beat Arsenal keeper Bob Wilson, while his Liverpool counterpart, Ray Clemence, denied a handful of chances at the other end. In the second half, the hot sun began to take its toll as both sets of players began to suffer cramps and fatigue. The best chance of the half came in the 77th minute, when Arsenal midfielder George Graham sent a header off the post.

But it was Liverpool who took the lead in just the second minute of extra time, as left winger Steve Heighway fired the ball past Wilson from the edge of the penalty area, beating the keeper at the near post. Just nine minutes later, though, Arsenal leveled the score after striker John Radford, facing away from goal, sent a speculative ball over his head and into the area, where Arsenal substitute midfielder Eddie Kelly got to it and prodded it toward the goal. At the time, it appeared that Graham took the last touch before the ball crossed the line, but replays later confirmed the goal as Kelly's, making him the first substitute to score in an FA Cup Final.

Then, in the 111th minute, Arsenal striker Charlie George delivered the winner with a right-footed blast from outside the penalty area. It was Arsenal's fourth FA Cup, but their first since 1950.

3 May 1952 - Newcastle Takes Two

On 3 May 1952, Newcastle repeated as FA Cup champions, beating Arsenal in the Final, 1-0.

The match paired the winners of the two previous FA Cups, with Arsenal beating Liverpool in 1950 and Newcastle besting Blackpool in 1951. Newcastle had already gotten the better of the Gunners on the league, with one win and a draw in their two meetings that season.

Playing before a capacity crowd of 100,000 at Wembley, Arsenal suffered a first-half blow when they lost right back Wally Barnes to a 35th-minute knee injury. The rules at the time did not allow substitutes, so they had to play on with ten men, but still managed to remain level through the break, 0-0.

In the second half, three more Arsenal players--center forward Cliff Holton, outside left Don Roper, and center half Ray Daniel--picked up injuries. They remained on the pitch, but with limited effectiveness. Newcastle took advantage of the opportunity and took the lead with an 84th-minute goal from their Chilean inside-left George Robledo. It ended up being the match-winner, as Newcastle claimed their second consecutive FA Cup and their fifth overall.

9 January 2007 - Baptista Catches Fire

On 9 January 2007, Liverpool and Arsenal played a 9-goal thriller in the Carling Cup 5th Round, including a missed penalty.

The quarterfinal meeting paired the Premier League's third- and fourth-place teams, with hosts Liverpool sitting one point higher than Arsenal. But the Gunners were confident having beaten Liverpool 1-3 at Anfield in the FA Cup the previous week (they had also won 3-0 in the league back in November).

It was a day to remember for Arsenal striker Julio Baptista, who--after several years of rumors linking him to the club--had finally joined the Londoners at the start of the season on loan from Real Madrid. Despite his reputation as a prolific scorer, he started the day with only one goal to his Arsenal account. That changed in the 40th minute. After a pair of early goals from Arsenal's Jérémie Aliadière and Liverpool's Robbie Fowler, Baptista broke the deadlock with a 25-yard free kick.

Then, after Alex Song put Arsenal ahead 3-1 with what appeared to be a handball off a corner kick in the 45th minute, Baptista quickly struck again before the break, delivering the ball to Aliadière on the wing then receiving it back to tap into an open net. He had a chance for a hat-trick early in the second half when Aliadière earned a penalty, but Liverpool keeper Jerzy Dudek parried Baptista's shot.

He eventually completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute and added a fourth in the 84th minute, while Liverpool got goals from Steven Gerrard (68') and Sami Hyypia (80') to finish the day at 3-6. Arsenal went on to reach the final, where they lost to Chelsea, while both Baptista and Aliadière moved away from Arsenal at the end of the season.

2 January 1965 - A True Young Gunner

On 2 January 1965, Arsenal forward John Radford became the club's youngest player to score a hat-trick when he put three past Wolves just under two months short of his 18th birthday.

Radford came up through the Arsenal youth system, joining them in 1962 at the age of 15. Two years later, he signed a professional contract, then made his first-team debut that March. It was his only appearance of the 1963-64 season, but he featured more the following season, leading up to his record-breaking performance against Wolves at the age of 17 years and 315 days.

He was a key component of the club's Double-winning 1970-71 season, scoring 21 league goals as Arsenal claimed the title and providing the assists for both goals in their 2-1 win over Liverpool in that season's FA Cup final. He also helped them win the 1969-70 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup.

Radford remained with Arsenal until 1976, having scored 149 goals--enough to take second place on the club's all-time scorer list at the time, behind Cliff Bastin (178), though they have since been overtaken by Ian Wright (185) and Thierry Henry (226).

22 December 2007 - Bendtner Rises To The Occasion

On 22 December 2007, Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner set an English record by scoring only 1.8 seconds after coming on as a late substitute against Tottenham Hotspur.

Although Bendtner had signed with the Gunners back in 2005, he had spent the 2006-07 season on loan at Birmingham and was eager to establish a place in the Arsenal first team. By December, he had scored crucial goals in the League Cup and the Champions League, but had not yet opened his Premier League account.

His moment finally came in the North London derby, as Arsenal hosted Tottenham. With Bendtner on the bench, Arsenal took a 1-0 lead with a goal from Emmanuel Adebayor (48'), but Dimitar Berbatov (66') drew Spurs level. The visitors had a chance to go ahead in the 72nd minute after the referee awarded a penalty for a Kolo Toure foul on Berbatov, but Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia saved Robbie Keane's tame attempt.

Two minutes later, with the match level at 1-1, Arsene Wenger made an attacking change, sending Bendtner on for midfielder Emmanuel Eboue. The Danish striker immediately positioned himself near the far post for a Cesc Fabregas corner kick, then charged into the goalmouth to head the ball past goalkeeper Paul Robinson. It was Bendtner's first touch of the ball, coming only 1.8 seconds after he entered the match, and proved to be the game winner. It is also the fastest goal scored by a substitute in English football history.

4 December 1933 - Arsenal Takes Down The Wunderteam

On 4 December 1933, Arsenal faced off against the Austrian Wunderteam and won, 4-2.

Guided by manager Hugo Meisl and captain Matthias Sidelar (pictured), Austria were one of Europe's most dominant teams of the 1930s, earning the nickname "Wunderteam." They rattled off a 14-game unbeaten streak in 1931-32, including routs of Scotland (5-0), Germany (6-0, 5-0), and Hungary (8-2). They also won the 1932 Central European International Cup with a 4-2 victory over Italy in the final.

Arsenal, meanwhile, were enjoying a successful period of their own, having recently won the 1930 FA Cup and the 1931 and 1933 league titles under manager Herbert Chapman.

Chapman was friends with Meisl, prompting the friendly. But FA rules prohibited English clubs from playing international sides, so Austria arrived at Highbury for the match thinly disguised as FC Vienna. The Times called it a "thrilling match," with Arsenal taking a 3-1 lead before the teams swapped late goals to finish the day 4-2.

Austria went on to finish fourth in the 1934 World Cup, then went into decline after the death of Meisl in 1937. Arsenal proceeded to win the league title in 1934, but manager Herbert Chapman was not there to see it, as he died on 6 January 1934, just over a month after the win over Austria.

24 November 2008 - An Exercise In Delaying The Inevitable

On 24 November 2008, Arsenal made Cesc Fabregas their captain, replacing defender William Gallas.

Gallas, a center back who joined the Gunners from Chelsea in September 2006, had held the captaincy for just over a year, but it was a year shadowed by controversy. In particular, he drew fierce criticism from supporters and commentators alike for losing his composure in a 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in February 2008--the same match in which teammate Eduardo suffered a broken leg.

The situation grew dimmer for the French international in the 2008-09 season as, fourteen games into the season, Arsenal had lost three of their last four to drop into 5th place. After the third loss, a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City, manager Arsène Wenger announced that the 21-year old Fabregas would permanently replace Gallas.

The switch sparked rumors that Wenger had given the armband to Fabregas in attempt to keep him out of the clutches of Barcelona, who were engaged in a highly public pursuit of the Spanish international midfielder (who began his career in the Barça youth academy). Whatever the reason, it yielded immediate results as Arsenal beat Chelsea 1-2 in Fabregas' first match as captain.

Injuries limited Fabregas' time on the pitch, however, and Arsenal limped to a fourth-place finish in 2009 and a third-place finish in 2010. In the summer of 2011, Fabregas finally made the switch to his Barcelona for a transfer fee of £29 million plus incentives.

1 October 2000 - Henry's Super Strike

On 1 October 2000, Arsenal striker Thierry Henry raised his profile with a stellar goal against Manchester United.

Henry had already established himself as a top class scorer the previous season, his first in England, by providing 26 goals in 47 appearances. But although there were some excellent strikes, nothing compared to the one he launched against Manchester United in October 2000.

United, the defending Premier League champions, were sitting at the top of the table when they visited Highbury, while the Gunners were three points back in fourth place. After half an hour, the match was scoreless when Henry struck. Positioned about 20 yards out with his back to the goal, he received a pass from defender Gilles Grimandi. With United defender Denis Irwin closing in, Henry's first touch flicked the ball into the air. Then, in one motion, he pivoted toward the goal and shot the ball.

It followed a high arc, curling across the goal and falling into the top right corner. United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez was caught completely off-guard and was unable even to make a play for the ball. It turned out to be the match winner, though United repeated as champions with Arsenal a distant second.

21 September 2003 - And The Gunners Kept Rolling Along

On 21 September 2003, Arsenal preserved their unbeaten streak by the narrowest of margins, drawing 0-0 after a missed Manchester United penalty.

When the Gunners arrived at Old Trafford, they were enjoying a modest seven-game unbeaten streak that stretched back to the last two matches of the previous season--a season that had ended with United beating Arsenal to the top of the final table after some heated confrontations between the two sides. In February 2003, Arsenal won a heated FA Cup contest over United in a match that saw a slew of yellow cards. Then, in April 2003, the teams played to a draw after Arsenal defender Sol Campbell received a straight red for an elbow to the face of United's Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Campbell missed the match on 21 September, but the emotions still ran high. The day's first yellow card went to United's Roy Keane in the 21st minute, with seven more to follow. Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira was ejected in the 80th minute after receiving a second yellow for a confrontation with United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy.

In the 91st minute, the referee awarded United a penalty for Martin Keown's challenge on striker Diego Forlan. Van Nistelrooy stepped up to take the kick, despite missing his previous two attempts. True to form, he slammed the ball against the bar, drawing an emotional taunt from Keown.

The match ended as a scoreless draw and Arsenal proceeded to go undefeated for the remainder of the season.