Arsenal History

The Gunners, who acquired the nickname because they were originally formed by a group of cannon makers at the Woolwich Arsenal, have been in the top flight for 82 years and counting. Their first golden age came in the 1930s first under the direction of manager Herbert Chapman, when they won three league titles in the space of four years. Chapman died suddenly of pneumonia in 1934, but Arsenal still took two more titles before the decade was out. That spell of dominance was interrupted by the onset of World War II. The club sprang back briefly after the war, but the late 1950s and 1960s marked an extended dry spell. In 1971, though, it returned to the top of the English game by winning its first league and F.A. Cup double. It was over the next two decades that the Gunners developed a reputation for boring, though often effective, style of soccer. Calling the club Boring, Boring Arsenal, away fans were often louder than the home crowd in the intimate confines of Highbury. The trophies still came and the reputation stayed, particularly under the direction of George Graham in the early 1990s. He molded a defense-first team, known for stealing games 1-0.

The Wenger Years
 
All that changed with the arrival of a relatively unknown Frenchman, Arsene Wenger, in 1996. Bringing an entirely new philosophy of football, based around proper fitness, athletic ability, and creative flair, he was responsible for changing the way the game is coached in England. By 1998, Wenger had given the club another league and cup double, setting expectations at a new high. The most significant season of his tenure was 2004 when he led Arsenal through an entire season unbeaten. Arsenal went on to set the record for longest unbeaten run in English soccer at 49 (between May 2003 and October 2004).