FANS of a certain North London club like to remind everyone that it is lucky for them when the year ends in 1.
Of course, we should all be thankfully we are not successful for just one year every decade, but there does appear to be a year that is significant for Arsenal.
It all started right at the very beginning - 1886 - the year the club was formed, and it does seem that when the year ends in a 6, something significant happens.
1896 - just ten years after the club was formed, international honours came their way for the first time when defender Caesar Llewellyn-Jenkyns was capped by Wales. The year also saw Arsenal suffer their record league defeat, 0-8 at the hands of Loughbrough Town on 12 December.
1906 - saw the club reach the FA Cup semi final for the first time. Just two years after promotion to the top flight, Arsenal fought their way through to the last four, only to lose 2-0 to Newcastle United at Stoke.
1926 - saw the club finish runners-up in Division One, the highest position a London club had ever finished. It was Herbert Chapman's first season in charge and also the first season of the new offside law. Chapman's old club, Huddersfield Town, won the title that season, the second of their hat-trick of successes.
1936 - saw Arsenal win the FA Cup for the second time. A goal from Ted Drake, who had been injured for much of the season, was just enough to give them victory over second division Sheffield United, a sixth trophy in seven seasons for the club.
1956 - saw the death of manager Tom Whittaker. He was the last link to the great Herbert Chapman sides of the 1930's and it was no surprise that his death coincided with a decline in the clubs fortunes. From the league title success in 1953 until lifting the FAIRS Cup in 1970, the club won nothing.
1966 - was a great year for English football, of course, but it also saw Bertie Mee installed as Arsenal manager. Like Whittaker before him, he had been physiotherapist at the club before being given the job as manager, and he transformed their fortunes. He was the mastermind behind that FAIRS Cup success in 1970 and the Double that followed a year later - only the second time that particular feat had been achieved in the 20th Century. But Mee was unable to rebuild that side and ten years after he took over, he resigned.
1976 - saw Terry Neill become the new manager. Although he had played for the club back in 1960's, he had been manager of Spurs when he returned to Highbury in the summer of 1976. He was the youngest manager in the club's history and built possibly the greatest Arsenal side never to win the league. They did become the first side for over 100 years to reach 3 consecutive FA Cup finals, but won just one, in 1979 against Manchester United. His side also reached the final of the European Cup Winners Cup in 1980, losing on penalties to Valencia. The departures of Liam Brady and Frank Stapleton over the next two years saw the club struggle to maintain that success and Neill was sacked in 1983.
1986 - saw one of the most significant appointments in the club's history. Double-winner George Graham took over as manager that summer, after a successful spell at Millwall, and he would lead the club to six trophies in eight seasons. After lifting the League Cup in his first season - the first time the club had won that particular trophy - Graham's side became Champions for the first time since 1971, two years later. He went on to lead the club to a further title in 1991 - losing just one game in the process - an FA and League Cup double in 1993 - the first time this had ever been achieved - and a Cup Winners Cup success a year later. But with the team in decline and allegations over financial irregularities, Graham was sacked in 1995.
1996 - saw an ever bigger appointment for the club as Arsene Wenger arrived from Grampus Eight. No one had really heard him until then, but he soon made his mark, leading the club to the double in his first full season and changing everything. He brought success not seen at the club since the 1930's, with another Double in 2002, an FA Cup success in 2003 - the first time the club had ever retained the trophy - an unbeaten title in 2004 and another FA Cup win in 2005. With seven trophies in nine seasons, Wenger overtook Graham as the most successful manager in the club's history.
2006 - was the start of a new era for the club. 120 years after it was formed, Arsenal moved into a new stadium, just 500 yards from their old Highbury home. The year also saw the club reach it's first ever Champions League final, going down 2-1 to Barcelona having played the last 70 minutes with only ten men.
So I wonder what will happen in 2016? History tends to suggest it will something significant for the club. A successful new manager, a trophy success, or maybe something else? The good thing is we only have four years to wait...
Wednesday 26 September 2012
Monday 24 September 2012
A tale of two sixes
MANCHESTER CITY 1 ARSENAL 1
By Ricky Butler at The Etihad
WITH so much attacking talent on display, it was somewhat ironic that it took goals from two central defenders, both wearing the No. 6 shirt, to illuminate this Titanic battle at the Etihad on Sunday.
Joleon Lescott's towering first half header gave defending champions City a lead they barely deserved, but Laurent Koscienly earned Arsene Wenger's new-look side a point with a thumping late equaliser.
Both sides began the day unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League, although they had suffered contrasting results in the Champions League in midweek. While City were throwing away a lead in Madrid, Arsenal were coming from behind to win in Montpellier.
And it was the Gunners who set the early tempo, playing a neat, passing game reminiscent of the great Wenger sides of the past.
They should been in front inside twenty minutes when a lovely move carved open the City defence. Abu Diaby, looking like a young Patrick Vieira, found Santi Cazorla in the centre circle. He in turn fed the ball on to Aaron Ramsey, making his first start of the season, who spotted the run of Gervinho inside full back Gael Clichy.
The Ivorian, with three goals in the last week, had only Joe Hart to beat, but his first touch was heavy and the chance was gone.
Lukas Podolski then missed an even better opportunity as Arsenal continued to dominate. Carl Jenkinson robbed Lescott out on the right before pulling the ball back to the German international 12 yards out. Having scored in his previous three matches for the club, you would have expected a better finish from him then the wild drive he produced.
Yet for all their dominance, Arsenal found themselves behind at the break. Kieran Gibbs gave away a needless corner and David Silva's inch-perfect delivery was met with a towering header by Lescott.
Coming as it did in the final stages of the first half, it had more than a passing resemblance to the goal from Vincent Kompany against Manchester United in April that had all but sealed the title for City.
But despite their surprise advantage, City manager Roberto Mancini made a change at the break, replacing debutante Scott Sinclair with Jack Rodwell and changing the shape of his team to counteract the threat of Cazorla.
And it worked as Arsenal were far less effective as an attacking force in the second period. Yet they showed a resilience so often lacking to draw level with less than 10 minutes remaining.
A fierce drive from the outstanding Cazorla was pushed over the top by Hart, but when City failed to clear the corner from the Spaniard, the ball dropped to Koscielny to smash into the top corner from eight yards.
The French defender almost turned from hero to zero in a matter of moments, however, as his mistake nearly gifted City a winner. After Mannone had performed heroics to keep out Kompany's overhead acrobatics, Koscielny presented the ball straight to Sergio Aguero six yards out. But the little Argentinian somehow dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Arsenal had an even better chance to win it in stoppage time, and again it fell to Gervinho. He created space for a shot on the edge of the City area with skill and speed, but with just Hart to beat he lashed his effort into Row Z and it finished 1-1.
"I am pleased because a point was the minimum we deserved today," said Wenger.
"I am pleased also with the quality of our performance and our spirit. I am also a bit frustrated because I feel there was room to do more. We had early chances and very late chances.
"But overall I hope this will reinforce our belief and confidence and reassure us about our potential in this league."
City boss Mancini was less happy. he said: "I think we need to improve our defending at set-pieces because this has been a problem for us this season.
"We can do better and we need to work on this area. We are finding it hard not to concede at the moment and we are probably two points worse off than we should be so far this season.
"I'm frustrated and the players are frustrated but we will get things right, I'm sure.
"We didn't play very well today and we were getting a little overrun in the first half."
After a break from league action this midweek with the start of their Capital One Cup campaign, both sides return with tough games next weekend. Arsenal are at home to leaders Chelsea while City travel to London to face a resurgent Fulham.
MANCHESTER CITY - Hart 7, Zabaleta 6, Lescott 6, Kompany 7, Clichy 6, Toure 7, Garcia 5, Sinclair 5 (Rodwell 46 5), Silva 6, Dzeko 5 (Tevez 68 5), Aguero 5 (Balotelli 85 5).
Subs unused - Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nastasic, Barry.
ARSENAL- Mannone 6, Jenkinson 7, Mertesaker 7, Koscienly 7, Gibbs 6, Arteta 7, CAZORLA 8, Diaby 7 (Giroud 71 6), Ramsey 7, Gervinho 6 (Coquelin 90), Podolski 7 (Walcott 72 6).
Subs unused - Martinez, Djourou, Santos, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
REFEREE; M. Dean 8
ATTENDANCE: 47,318
By Ricky Butler at The Etihad
WITH so much attacking talent on display, it was somewhat ironic that it took goals from two central defenders, both wearing the No. 6 shirt, to illuminate this Titanic battle at the Etihad on Sunday.
Joleon Lescott's towering first half header gave defending champions City a lead they barely deserved, but Laurent Koscienly earned Arsene Wenger's new-look side a point with a thumping late equaliser.
Both sides began the day unbeaten in the Barclays Premier League, although they had suffered contrasting results in the Champions League in midweek. While City were throwing away a lead in Madrid, Arsenal were coming from behind to win in Montpellier.
And it was the Gunners who set the early tempo, playing a neat, passing game reminiscent of the great Wenger sides of the past.
They should been in front inside twenty minutes when a lovely move carved open the City defence. Abu Diaby, looking like a young Patrick Vieira, found Santi Cazorla in the centre circle. He in turn fed the ball on to Aaron Ramsey, making his first start of the season, who spotted the run of Gervinho inside full back Gael Clichy.
The Ivorian, with three goals in the last week, had only Joe Hart to beat, but his first touch was heavy and the chance was gone.
Lukas Podolski then missed an even better opportunity as Arsenal continued to dominate. Carl Jenkinson robbed Lescott out on the right before pulling the ball back to the German international 12 yards out. Having scored in his previous three matches for the club, you would have expected a better finish from him then the wild drive he produced.
Yet for all their dominance, Arsenal found themselves behind at the break. Kieran Gibbs gave away a needless corner and David Silva's inch-perfect delivery was met with a towering header by Lescott.
Coming as it did in the final stages of the first half, it had more than a passing resemblance to the goal from Vincent Kompany against Manchester United in April that had all but sealed the title for City.
But despite their surprise advantage, City manager Roberto Mancini made a change at the break, replacing debutante Scott Sinclair with Jack Rodwell and changing the shape of his team to counteract the threat of Cazorla.
And it worked as Arsenal were far less effective as an attacking force in the second period. Yet they showed a resilience so often lacking to draw level with less than 10 minutes remaining.
A fierce drive from the outstanding Cazorla was pushed over the top by Hart, but when City failed to clear the corner from the Spaniard, the ball dropped to Koscielny to smash into the top corner from eight yards.
The French defender almost turned from hero to zero in a matter of moments, however, as his mistake nearly gifted City a winner. After Mannone had performed heroics to keep out Kompany's overhead acrobatics, Koscielny presented the ball straight to Sergio Aguero six yards out. But the little Argentinian somehow dragged his shot wide of the far post.
Arsenal had an even better chance to win it in stoppage time, and again it fell to Gervinho. He created space for a shot on the edge of the City area with skill and speed, but with just Hart to beat he lashed his effort into Row Z and it finished 1-1.
"I am pleased because a point was the minimum we deserved today," said Wenger.
"I am pleased also with the quality of our performance and our spirit. I am also a bit frustrated because I feel there was room to do more. We had early chances and very late chances.
"But overall I hope this will reinforce our belief and confidence and reassure us about our potential in this league."
City boss Mancini was less happy. he said: "I think we need to improve our defending at set-pieces because this has been a problem for us this season.
"We can do better and we need to work on this area. We are finding it hard not to concede at the moment and we are probably two points worse off than we should be so far this season.
"I'm frustrated and the players are frustrated but we will get things right, I'm sure.
"We didn't play very well today and we were getting a little overrun in the first half."
After a break from league action this midweek with the start of their Capital One Cup campaign, both sides return with tough games next weekend. Arsenal are at home to leaders Chelsea while City travel to London to face a resurgent Fulham.
MANCHESTER CITY - Hart 7, Zabaleta 6, Lescott 6, Kompany 7, Clichy 6, Toure 7, Garcia 5, Sinclair 5 (Rodwell 46 5), Silva 6, Dzeko 5 (Tevez 68 5), Aguero 5 (Balotelli 85 5).
Subs unused - Pantilimon, Kolarov, Nastasic, Barry.
ARSENAL- Mannone 6, Jenkinson 7, Mertesaker 7, Koscienly 7, Gibbs 6, Arteta 7, CAZORLA 8, Diaby 7 (Giroud 71 6), Ramsey 7, Gervinho 6 (Coquelin 90), Podolski 7 (Walcott 72 6).
Subs unused - Martinez, Djourou, Santos, Oxlade-Chamberlain.
REFEREE; M. Dean 8
ATTENDANCE: 47,318
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