25 August 1928 - Football By Numbers

On 25 August 1928, Arsenal and Chelsea became the first teams in Europe to wear shirt numbers, though not against each other.

The two teams weren't even in the same division at the time, with Arsenal playing in the top flight and Chelsea in Division Two. But when they each opened their seasons, both had adopted the innovation of wearing shirt numbers to help identify the players.

The number were assigned by position used in the 2-3-5 formation prevalent at the time: goalkeeper (1), right full back (2), left full back (3), right center half (4), center half (5), left center half (6), outside right forward (7), inside right forward (8), center forward (9), inside left forward (10), and outside left forward (11) (though only Arsenal used all eleven, as Chelsea's keeper did not wear a number that day).

While both Arsenal and Chelsea may have been able to better identify their players, the day's results went in opposite directions, with Arsenal losing 3-2 to Sheffield Wednesday and Chelsea beating Swansea 4-0.

Although this was the first use of shirt numbers in Europe, they were used in the US four years earlier by Vesper Buick, when they lost to Fall River in the US Open Cup Final (shown below).

19 August 2006 - Not The Housewarming Present They Would have Liked

On 19 August 2006, Arsenal played their first competitive game at the new Emirates Stadium, drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Built over a three-year period with a construction cost of £390 million, the stadium replaced Arsenal's previous home, Highbury, and expanded the club's match-day capacity from 38,000 to over 60,300. A slightly less-than-capacity crowd of 60,023 turned up for the the first competitive game there on the Premier League's opening weekend, with Aston Villa as the guests of honor.

It was a close contest, remaining scoreless through the first half, but Villa managed to break the deadlock early in the second when captain Olof Mellberg headed home from a 53rd-minute corner kick.

Corner kicks became the theme of the day. Arsenal substitute Theo Walcott came on in the 73rd minute and, eleven minutes later, sent in a cross that dropped at the feet of midfielder Gilberto Silva, who prodded it home to earn a share of the points.

15 August 2010 - Seeing Red With Double Vision

On 15 August 2010, Liverpool and Arsenal played to a 1-1 draw that saw a debutant player for each side get ejected.

It was the first game of the season for both teams, with Liverpool hosting the Gunners at Anfield. The home supporters were eager to see their new midfielder, England international Joe Cole, signed from Chelsea earlier that summer on a free transfer. But his season started in an inauspicious fashion, as he received a straight red right before the break for a foul on Arsenal center back Laurent Koscielny, who was also making his first league start after moving from Lorient.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Liverpool took the lead at the start of the second half with a 46th-minute goal from striker David N'Gog and managed to hold onto it until right near the end. In the first minute of stoppage time, Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh bounced a cross off the post and into Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina, who knocked it over the line for an own-goal to bring the game level.

The day wasn't quite over, however, and Koscielny marked the occasion by receiving two stoppage-time yellow cards in quick succession, resulting in his ejection right before the final whistle.

3 August 1999 - Remember When Wenger Used To Sign New Players?

On 3 August 1999, Arsenal signed 22-year old striker Thierry Henry from Juventus for a reported fee of £11M. He went on to become the club's all-time leading scorer.

The French international started his career at Monaco in 1994, when he was signed by manager Arsène Wenger. While there, he scored 28 goals and provided 37 assists in 141 appearances as Monaco won both the league title and the Trophée des Champions in 1997. That success led to a £10.5M transfer to Juventus in January 1999, but he failed to adapt to Serie A and left after only half a season.

Arsène Wenger, who had moved to Arsenal in 1996, brought Henry to London, using some of the £23.5M the club had just received from Real Madrid for the sale of Nicolas Anelka. At the time the signing was announced, Wenger said "He is a young international striker who will be a great asset to Arsenal Football Club. He has good experience of both club and international football and will considerably strengthen our firepower."

And Henry delivered, scoring a club-record total of 226 goals between 1999 and 2007 while leading the club to two Premier League titles and three FA Cups. He was the league's top scorer in four different seasons and was the French player of the year five times while at Arsenal.

He left the club in 2007 for Barcelona, and then the New York Red Bulls, but returned for a loan spell in 2012 and added another two goals to his club total.

6 May 2007 - The Red Devils Reclaim The Title

On 6 May 2007, Manchester United won their sixteenth league title after challengers Chelsea drew with Arsenal.

United started the season seeking their first league honors since 2003, with both Arsenal (2004) and Chelsea (2005, 2006) lifting the trophy in the interim. True to their mission, they claimed the top spot on 1 October and held on to it for the remainder of the season, with only Chelsea staying within touching distance. After beating Manchester City on 5 May, Manchester United were eight points clear of Chelsea, who had three games left to play.

The first of those three games was away at Arsenal. There, the defending champions suffered an early blow with the loss of defender Khalid Boulahrouz (pictured) to a red card in the 43rd minute. Compounding their injury, the foul led to a penalty that was converted by Arsenal's Gilberto Silva, putting them down 1-0 at the break.

Despite the man disadvantage, Chelsea fought back to earn a draw with a diving 70th-minute header from Michael Essien. It was the second 1-1 draw Essien had salvaged against Arsenal that season, but it wasn't enough to deny the title to United, who went on to win four of the next six trophies.

28 April 1970 - The Gunners Fire Back In Europe

On 28 April 1970, Arsenal rallied from a 3-1 first-leg deficit to win the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup over Anderlecht with an aggregate score of 3-4.

The tournament was an opportunity to salvage the seasons for the Gunners, who were almost done with a disappointing domestic campaign that would see them finish twelfth in the league after early exits in both the FA Cup and League Cup. For the first leg on 22 April, they visited Anderlecht, where the hosts dominated, taking a 3-0 lead before an 82nd-minute goal from Ray Kennedy brought the final margin to a slightly more respectable 3-1.

In London for the second leg, the situation was reversed. Arsenal went up 1-0 with a 25th-minute goal from Eddie Kelly, while their defense stymied the previously-prolific Belgian attack. Radford then struck in the 75th minute, followed by a goal from Jon Sammels one minute later. That was enough to push the final scoreline to 3-4 on aggregate, giving Arsenal their first European trophy.

The victory inspired the squad, who regained their domestic form the following season, winning both the league and the FA Cup.

18 April 1993 - This Time, The Pain Came After The Gain

On 18 April 1993, Arsenal's Steve Morrow scored the winning goal in the League Cup final, then broke his arm in the post-match celebrations.

The Gunners were in the final against fellow Premier League side Sheffield Wednesday. Playing in front of a crowd of over 74,000 at Wembley, Wednesday took a quick lead with a goal from midfielder John Harkes in the eighth minute. Harkes's goal, rifled in from the edge of the box, made him the first American to score in a League Cup final.

Their lead didn't last long, however, as Arsenal's Paul Merson blasted a half-volley into the far corner from about twenty yards out in the 20th minute; the teams went into the break level at 1-1.

They remained level until the 68th minute, when a poor clearance by Wednesday dropped the ball into the path of Morrow just a few feet in front of the goal. He drove the ball past keeper Chris Woods to give the Gunners the lead and, as it turned out, the League Cup, as the 2-1 margin set the final score.

In the post-match celebrations, Arsenal captain Tony Adams tried to lift Morrow, but dropped him, breaking his arm. The injury forced Morrow to miss the remainder of the season, including a return to Wembley against Wednesday in the FA Cup final, which Arsenal won in a replay to claim the Cup Double.

14 April 1999 - The Gunners Get Gigged

On 14 April 1999, Ryan Giggs scored an incredible late goal to lift Manchester United over Arsenal in the FA Cup semifinals.

The two teams met at Villa Park, where they had played to a scoreless draw there three days earlier to force the replay. Arsenal, the defending FA Cup champions, were sitting second in the league behind United, despite having taken four points from their two league meetings that season.

United took the lead with an impressive 25-yard strike from David Beckham in the 17th minute, but Arsenal eventually drew level in the 69th minute when Dennis Bergkamp fired home from a similar distance. Five minutes later, United captain Roy Keane received a straight red for a foul on Marc Overmars, but the Gunners could not capitalize on their man advantage and the match went into extra time.

There, Giggs scored his iconic goal. In the 109th minute, he received the ball on the left deep in his own half, then dribbled up the pitch, evaded four different Arsenal defenders, and powered the ball into the roof of the net over goalkeeper David Seaman. It proved to be the decisive score, as United won 2-1.

United went on to complete a treble consisting of the League title, FA Cup, and European Cup.

6 April 2010 - Messi Hits A New Mark

On 6 April 2010, Lionel Messi did something he had never done before, scoring all four goals for Barcelona in a 4-1 win over Arsenal in the Champions League.

Only 23 years old at the time, Messi had already established himself as one of the world's elite players, winning the 2009 Ballon d'Or after a season in which he won six trophies with Barcelona. But he still faced accusations of disappearing in big games, both with Argentina and Barça, including the latter's 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal meeting in which the forward failed to score or do much of anything of note.

That changed in the second leg, however. Playing in front of a crowd of over 93,000 at Camp Nou, Arsenal took the lead with a goal from striker Nicklas Bendtner in the 18th minute to go up 3-2 on aggregate. But after that, it was all Messi.

He scored his first goal in the 21st minute and had completed a hat-trick by the break, with additional strikes in the 37th and 42nd minutes, effectively ending the contest. But Messi wasn't done; he added a fourth goal in the 88th minute, marking the first time in his career he had scored four times in one game. (He was also just the sixth player to do it in the Champions League).

Unfortunately for Messi and Barcelona, they were eliminated in the semifinals by eventual champions Inter, but they did repeat as La Liga champions and, at the end of the year, Messi won a second Ballon d'Or.

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 67%.

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

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.

Rumors swirled in December 2012 of yet another return to Arsenal, but the move never materialized. Henry has said, however, that he would like to rejoin Arsenal in a coaching capacity after he retires from his playing career.

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 Gets His Fourth G

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. Since then, Gerrard has continued to captain Liverpool, making a current total 597 appearances across all competitions, ranking him tenth on the club's all-time list.

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.

12 September 2009 - Adebayor Puts His Foot Down

On 12 September 2009, Emmanuel Adebayor played against Arsenal for the first time since leaving the London club for Manchester City and, in the process, earned himself a three-match ban.

The striker played at Arsenal from January 2006 to July 2009, scoring a total of 62 goals in 142 appearances across all competitions. But his last days at the club were acrimonious before his £25 million move to Manchester City.

He started well with his new club, scoring in each of his first three matches. For his fourth match, City hosted Arsenal at Eastlands for what turned out to be a contentious affair. City were leading 1-0 in the second half when Adebayor tangled with his former teammate, Robin van Persie, slashing out at the Dutchman's face with his feet.

He did not receive a booking for the altercation, but did later when, after scoring to put City up 3-1, he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate his goal in front of the visiting Arsenal supporters. City went on to win 4-2.

Afterward, the FA reviewed the incident with van Persie and issued a three-match ban to Adebayor.