Arsenal

Arsenal is, as you probably already know, one of the biggest and most successful clubs in the country. They were the first club from the South of England to join the Football League in 1893. Since then, they have won the league 13 times, the FA Cup a record 14 times, and two (minor) European titles. They were the first London club to reach the Champions League final, which they lost to Barcelona, 2–1, in 2006. They also hold the top-flight record for going 49 games unbeaten from May 2003 to October 2004. This included the entire 2003–04 Premier League season, making them only the second team in top-flight history—and the first since 1889—to go a whole season without a loss. That team is known as the Invincibles.

Perhaps the most amazing fact is that they have been relegated only one time, in 1913. They went back up the following year and have been in the top division of English football ever since.

The club was founded in 1886 by munitions workers at an arsenal in South East London—hence their nickname, the Gunners, and the cannon motif all around. In 1913, facing financial difficulties, they moved to North London. There were two problems with this move. One is that the neighborhood already had a team, Tottenham Hotspur, just four miles away; the other is that in 1919 the newly expanded First Division voted in Arsenal over Spurs, which Spurs fans have claimed ever since was because of bribery. The two clubs have never gotten over it. Spurs fans still insist Arsenal doesn’t belong there, and the North London derby (contested nearly 200 times since the move) is among the most bitter in the country.

The recent reason they are currently so big and widely supported: Arsène Wenger, whose shadow seems to still linger over the club though he retired in 2018. The Frenchman became manager of an already-successful club in 1996 and took it to new heights: two league-and-Cup doubles, four FA Cups, and the Invincibles season. He brought in an attacking style; revolutionized training, tactics, and diets; and led the club into their palatial new stadium in 2006…and then he stopped winning things. Maybe he lost his edge, maybe the world caught up, who knows? Since 2004, “all” they have won is five FA Cups, and for several years they didn’t even finish in the top four.

Former Wenger player Mikel Arteta took over in 2019 and got them that season’s FA Cup, but in 2022 they didn’t even play in Europe, the first time in 25 years; they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Nottingham Forest and finished fifth in the league table, landing them in the Europa League for the 2022–23 season.

It appeared things had turned around for Arsenal during the 2023–24 season when they were tops in the league and five points clear at Christmas, but, juggernauts Manchester City stormed back in the second half of the season to win the league. Arsenal finished second that season; last season they again finished second in the league but did make the semifinals of the Champions League after routing Real Madrid in the quarters.

Though they haven’t quite gotten over the hump these last few seasons, the sense that Arsenal is back is thick and heavy in English football.

 2025–26 SEASON: Premier League (basically forever), UEFA Champions League

North London neighbors Tottenham, of course, are the big rival; those games are known as the North London Derby.

Getting to Know the North London Derby, Arsenal vs Tottenham

There is no doubt that the North London Derby, Arsenal vs Tottenham, is one of the most famous and fierce derbies in English football. And considering the size of each team’s fanbase, it’s probably one of the most famous derbies...

Continue Reading →

Arsenal Women FC is the most successful women’s club in the country, having won dozens of trophies since 1987, including a record 14 Women’s FA Cups. Last season they shocked everyone by beating two-time defending champions Barcelona in the final to win the Women’s Champions League. Most home games are at Meadow Park in Borehamwood, home of Boreham Wood FC, but some of the bigger ones are at the men’s Emirates Stadium. See arsenal.com/women for more.

Groundhopping at Arsenal Women FC

Arsenal Women Football Club are the most successful team in English women’s soccer, and yet seeing them play — as is almost always the case with seeing women’s soccer in person — is an up-close, easy, affordable way to spend...

Continue Reading →

There is a traditional pregame chant, left over from the old stadium, with one end singing, “We are the Clock End” and the other responding with “We are the North Bank.” And if they score first, you will definitely hear “One-NIL to the Arsenal!” And towards the end of the 2022–23 season, they got a pregame song called “North London Forever.”

There are better versions of it online, but this one has the lyrics:

The Emirates holds just over 60,000, making it the fourth-largest club football stadium in the country. Every seat is padded, and there are lounges and clubs all over the place. It cost £390 million to build, and they spent another £130 million converting their nearby former ground into housing.

There are four statues on the sprawling concourse outside: defender Tony Adams, long- ago manager Herbert Chapman, and goal-scoring wizards Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, the latter in a famous pose of flying through the air and controlling a ball with an outstretched leg.

TOURS: There are several options for tours, the low end being self-guided audio tours (£30) and the high end being a £375 VIP experience with a famous former player. There are also somewhat reduced match-day tours for £15.My recommendation is to get on a Legends Tour (£50); former player Charlie George has led these for years and is quite the character.

GETTING THERE: The closest Tube station to the Emirates is Holloway Road on the Piccadilly line. There is also Drayton Park station, right next to the stadium, but it is closed on game days. Holloway Road will be closed after the game. You might as well be traditional and take the slightly longer walk from Arsenal station, also on the Piccadilly. It will be obvious how to get to the stadium; just follow the colors.

But before you head that way, take a historical tour. The old Arsenal Stadium at Highbury was a block away. Most of it got torn down and turned into housing, but the famous main building from the East Stand is still there. To see it, turn left out of the Arsenal station and follow Gillespie Road. In about a minute, turn right onto Avenell Road. It’s just down on the right. You can usually pass through a gate and into the old pitch area, which is now a garden for the residents; walk past it, through a tunnel, and re-emerge on the main road, just next to the beautiful headquarters of the Arsenal Supporters Club.

After the game, the Tube stations will be insane, so hang out and let them clear. Also consider a walk to Finsbury Park rail station (15 minutes away) for a quicker trip to King’s Cross station and Central London. You’ll have to walk past Arsenal station to get there, so just check the scene there and decide how to go.

Worth saying again, because it has messed up a lot of people: The Holloway Road Tube station will be closed after the match!

PUBS: The closest pub to the ground is the Drayton Park, located right across the street by the (closed) Drayton Park station. It often lets in away fans and will be mobbed. Over by the Finsbury Park station, look for the Twelve Pins and The Blackstock. By the Highbury and Islington station a little south, check out The Famous Cock, the Duchess of Kent, and the White Swan.

Over past the old stadium, there’s a cluster of pubs along Highbury Park Road, with The Gunners looking the best bet for pregame atmosphere.

Some of our clients have recommended The Horatia on Holloway Road, the Tollington Arms, the Victoria Tavern on Holloway Road (with pizza and mini golf!), and the cash-only El Comandante.

GRUB: You might be better off eating and drinking in Central London before you head up to the game.

Attending a Game at Arsenal

(Editor’s Note: This post was written in 2014, but it still gives a good sense of attending a game at Arsenal. I updated a few things in April, 2022.) For the longest time, I thought going to a soccer game...

Continue Reading →