2011–12 Arsenal F.C. season

Pre-season

Captain Cesc Fàbregas rejoined Barcelona after eight years at Arsenal.

Arsenal's pre-season transfer activity was once again dominated by media speculation regarding the future of club captain Cesc Fàbregas, whose return to boyhood club Barcelona was widely expected, although not officially confirmed until the middle of August when an initial fee in the region of £30 million^[3] was agreed between the two clubs.^[4] Prior to this, the Gunners' first signing came in the form of young English-Finnish right-back Carl Jenkinson from Charlton Athletic on 8 June for an initial fee of around £1 million,^[5] while the first major signing did not come until 11 July with the signing of Gervinho from French champions Lille for more than £10 million.^[6] The only notable exits in July came in goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, who retired for the second time, having come out of his first retirement in March to solve an injury crisis that left Arsenal with just one match-fit goalkeeper, while Gaël Clichy joined Manchester City.^[7] It was August before the club's transfer activity increased, with promising young striker Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain joining from Southampton for a reported £12 million,^[8] before the departures of Fàbregas to Barcelona, the long-serving Emmanuel Eboué to Turkish side Galatasaray,^[9] and Samir Nasri to Manchester City for a fee of £25 million.^[10] Left-back Armand Traoré's departure to newly promoted Queens Park Rangers on the penultimate day of the transfer window completed the departures from the first team,^[11] before Arsène Wenger, under increasing criticism for the lack of arrivals so far,^[12] went on something of a spending spree in the final 48 hours of the window. South Korea captain Park Chu-young joined from Monaco,^[13] before left-back André Santos,^[14] centre back Per Mertesacker^[15] and midfielder Mikel Arteta^[16] all joined in the dying hours of the window, from Fenerbahçe, Werder Bremen and Everton respectively. Yossi Benayoun also joined the club on a season long loan from Chelsea,^[17] whilst striker Nicklas Bendtner was loaned to Sunderland for the same period,^[18] following fellow first-team members Denílson^[19] and Carlos Vela,^[20] who had joined São Paulo and Real Sociedad on loan earlier in the window. At the close of the window, Arsenal had spent an estimated £51.2 million, compared to an income of nearly £75 million.

Away from the transfer window, Robin van Persie was chosen to replace the departing Fàbregas as club captain, having stood in on several previous occasions when Fàbregas was not playing.^[21] Pre-season saw Arsenal hold their first ever Asian tour, commencing against a Malaysian League XI in Kuala Lumpur where goals from Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Carlos Vela and Tomáš Rosický earned the Gunners a 4–0 win. Chinese side Hangzhou Greentown proved a tougher test in Arsenal's next match, where after falling behind in the 16th minute, Vela scored to achieve a 1–1 draw. Arsenal travelled next to Germany to face 1. FC Köln where new signing Gervinho scored twice in eight minutes on his debut to put the side two goals ahead, before fellow newcomer Carl Jenkinson put the ball through Arsenal's own net, to result in a 2–1 victory for the Gunners. Arsenal's only home pre-season matches came in the annual Emirates Cup tournament, where Boca Juniors, the New York Red Bulls and Paris Saint-Germain were welcomed to London. Arsenal's matches both ended in draws, first surrendering a Van Persie and Aaron Ramsey created two-goal lead against Boca Juniors, before conceding an 84th minutes own goal from Kyle Bartley against the New York Red Bulls the next day, cancelling out a Van Persie opener. Arsenal's run of pre-season fixtures concluded with a loss to Portuguese team Benfica in the Eusébio Cup, once again surrendering a one-goal advantage courtesy of Van Persie to end up losing 2–1 in Lisbon.

August

Arsenal's fixtures in the Premier League started at Newcastle United, where, despite surrendering a four-goal lead last season, they played out a 0–0 draw this time around. The match was perhaps more notable for disciplinary issues, with Gervinho receiving a straight red-card on his competitive debut, whilst Alex Song received a retrospective charge of violent conduct for stamping on Joey Barton. The Gunners faced a two-legged tie against Italian side Udinese to secure qualification to the season's UEFA Champions League competition, with Theo Walcott's fourth-minute goal separating the teams in the first leg at the Emirates, before goals from Walcott and Robin van Persie, as well as a penalty save from Wojciech Szczęsny, saw the Gunners secure victory in the away leg in Udine, and secure their place in the group stage of the competition.

The two legs were sandwiched between an early Premier League title contender clash at the Emirates against Liverpool, where an own goal from Aaron Ramsey and a last minute strike from new Liverpool signing Luis Suárez saw the team fall to a 0–2 defeat, and fuel the widely held belief that Arsenal would once again fail to prove serious challengers for the league title. Any attempt to dispel such a notion was dealt a huge blow the following week, when Arsenal travelled to Old Trafford to suffer their heaviest ever defeat in the Premier League. A hat-trick from Wayne Rooney, two goals from Ashley Young and goals from Danny Welbeck, Nani and Park Ji-sung saw the club slump to an 8–2 hammering at the hands of Manchester United, with Van Persie and Walcott's goals proving no consolation as Arsenal ended the month hovering just one place above the relegation zone, having failed to win any of their opening three league matches.

7 goals in 3 games saw Robin van Persie named October's Premier League Player of the month.

September

Arsenal eventually secured their first league win of the season at home to newly promoted Swansea City at the start of September, when Andrey Arshavin's goal proved enough to separate the sides, before the team faced the first of their six Champions League group stage fixtures away to German champions Borussia Dortmund. A win looked to be on the cards thanks to Robin van Persie's first half goal, but Dortmund's Ivan Perišić equalised with just two minutes left to play leaving Arsenal to be satisfied with just a single point. Any hope of progress in the Premier League was dashed when the Gunners gave away a 2–1 half-time lead away to Blackburn Rovers, with own goals from both Alex Song and Laurent Koscielny gifting Blackburn a 4–3 victory.

Arsenal's opening match in the League Cup looked to be a straightforward home tie against League Two outfit Shrewsbury Town, but it was the opposition that opened the scoring, before Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Yossi Benayoun eventually secured progress to the fourth round. This seemed to spark some life into the team, and they ran out 3–0 winners the following week against Bolton Wanderers in the league thanks to a brace from Robin van Persie and a late goal from Alex Song, before securing their first group stage win in Europe at home to Greek champions Olympiacos with goals from Oxlade-Chamberlain and André Santos.

October

Any suggestion that the end of September had been the start of an Arsenal turnaround was proved wrong in the North London derby at the start of October. Rafael van der Vaart's opening goal at White Hart Lane was cancelled out by Aaron Ramsey, before Kyle Walker secured the bragging rights for Tottenham Hotspur. Following an international break, the Gunners’ home match against Sunderland looked set to be heading for a 1–1 draw until Van Persie scored in the last ten minutes to secure all three points, whilst a late goal also earned an away European victory against Marseille, with Ramsey providing the required firepower.

Arsenal's season continued to improve with a 3–1 league victory against Stoke City thanks to two goals from Van Persie and a strike from Gervinho, before Arshavin and Park Chu-young saw the team past Bolton Wanderers in the fourth round of the League Cup. The turnaround was complete when Arsenal beat title-rivals Chelsea 5–3 at Stamford Bridge thanks to goals from André Santos and Theo Walcott, as well as a hat-trick from Van Persie, a performance that helped the Dutchman to the Premier League player of the month award, and saw the Gunners finish October, seventh in the table.

November

November opened with Marseille visiting the Emirates for the return leg of the Champions League fixture, a game that ended in a 0–0 draw. In the Premier League, Arsenal's good form continued with a 3–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion thanks to goals from Van Persie, Mikel Arteta and Thomas Vermaelen, whose return from injury provided further good news for the team. After another international break, Arsenal continued where they left off with a 2–1 win at Norwich City thanks to two more goals from Robin van Persie, making him just the third player since the Premier League's inception after Alan Shearer and former Arsenal captain Thierry Henry to score 30 goals in a calendar year.

With their Premier League campaign seemingly re-energised, Arsenal's attention turned once more to the Champions League, with Borussia Dortmund being the latest visitors to the Emirates. Arsenal knew a win would be sufficient to secure progression to the knockout phase, but it was Dortmund who made the brighter start until injuries forced two of their key players – Sven Bender and Mario Götze, to be substituted before half time. This allowed Arsenal to capitalise, with man of the moment Van Persie netting two goals in the second half thanks to assists first from Alex Song and then Thomas Vermaelen, before Shinji Kagawa netted the Germans a consolation goal in injury time. The 2–1 victory was not only enough to secure the Gunners' progression, but also top spot in Group F thanks to Olympiacos' victory over second-placed Marseille in the night's other match.

This Champions League success came at a price, however, with the team appearing off form in their next Premier League game against Fulham, who took the lead in the match thanks to a Thomas Vermaelen own goal. It was only when the Belgian defender was able to convert into the right net in the 82nd minute that the Gunners were able to draw level, and end the match with a 1–1 draw. The impact of the result was only alleviated by results elsewhere, with four of the six teams above Arsenal in the table – Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Newcastle United all playing out draws in the same weekend.

November ended on somewhat of a negative note, with the team exiting the League Cup with a fifth round loss to Manchester City, although the Gunners were by no means overwhelmed by the Premier League leaders. Instead, the young and relatively inexperienced side that included the likes of Emmanuel Frimpong, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Park Chu-young, as well as reserve team players Ignasi Miquel and Francis Coquelin, held their own for much of the match, with just a single goal by Sergio Agüero in the 83rd minute being able to separate the two sides.

December

A 4–0 win in the Premier League away at Wigan Athletic allowed Arsenal to continue their progression up the league table thanks to goals from Mikel Arteta, Thomas Vermaelen, Gervinho and Robin van Persie, before the team travelled to Athens to face Olympiacos in their final group stage match in the Champions League. With a group topping position already secured, Arsène Wenger chose to field a much weakened side, making ten changes from the team that started at Wigan three days earlier, and this was evident as the team fell to a 3–1 defeat. The game was perhaps most notable for highlighting Arsenal's ongoing out of sight goalkeeping problems, with Łukasz Fabiański being forced off injured in 25th minute to be replaced by Vito Mannone, whose erratic goalkeeping gifted the Greek side's second goal.

The return of Arsenal's stronger starting 11 in their next Premier League match saw the team return to winning ways, securing a 1–0 victory at home to Everton, before making the trip to the Etihad Stadium a week later to face league leaders Manchester City without both first choice full-backs, Bacary Sagna and André Santos. Despite these absences, the Gunners put up a strong fight, and it was only David Silva's effort early in the second half that was enough to separate the teams at the final whistle. Arsenal entered the Christmas fixtures with a 2–1 victory over Aston Villa, with Van Persie scoring his 34th Premier League goal of 2011, equalling Thierry Henry's club record, before Yossi Benayoun secured his first league goal for Arsenal, along with all three points.

Arsenal ended December with two games in four days, and Gervinho's eighth-minute goal looked to have set the Gunners off well against Wolverhampton Wanderers, but Steven Fletcher's equaliser later in the first half ended up restricting them to just a single point. The year ended with a 1–0 win over Queens Park Rangers at the Emirates, with Van Persie's goal being enough to secure him the club record for goals scored in a calendar year, although he did fall a single strike short of equalling Alan Shearer's Premier League record of 36.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry rejoined on loan in the January transfer window.

January

Arsenal's new year seemed set to get off to a good start, with Laurent Koscielny's goal grabbing a lead against Fulham in their opening match, but in what has become something of an Arsenal trait, the team could not strengthen their position, and Fulham seized on this. Late goals from Steve Sidwell and Bobby Zamora undid Arsenal and saw the team fall to a 2–1 defeat. The defeat was, however, somewhat overshadowed by the club's announcement a few days later that the Gunners' record goal-scorer and former Captain Thierry Henry was returning to the Emirates for a short-term loan during the close-season of the North America's Major League Soccer (MLS), in which Henry now plays full-time.

Henry's second debut for the club came as a substitute in the team's first foray in this season's FA Cup, against Leeds United in the Third Round. Given Henry's record of 226 goals in his 370 appearances during his first stint at Arsenal, it came as little surprise when he netted the game's only goal just ten minutes after coming onto the pitch, securing the team's progress to the Fourth Round.

However, if things were going well in the Cup, the same could not be said for progress in the Premier League. Arsenal first surrendered an early lead against Swansea, before giving away another goal just seconds after grabbing an equaliser in the second half to go down 3–2 in South Wales. The following week, the Gunners hosted Manchester United for the first time since last year's 8–2 humiliation at Old Trafford. Despite United leading at half-time, Van Persie scored his 19th league goal of the season to draw the teams level, before Danny Welbeck took advantage of further defensive lapses to inflict the Arsenal's third defeat in a row, and further hamper the team's quest for qualification to next season's Champions League.

With the Premier League title now out of reach, Arsenal hosted Aston Villa in the Fourth Round of the FA Cup knowing that it was their last realistic chance of silverware. This chance did little to spur the team on, and goals from Richard Dunne and Darren Bent in the first half saw the Gunners’ facing exit from the competition at half time. However, a spirited Arsenal performance in the opening spell of the second half, including three goals in seven minutes from Van Persie (2) and Theo Walcott, saw the team claim a 3–2 victory and secure a place in the Fifth Round.

February

Arsenal opened February with an emphatic 7–1 victory over struggling Blackburn to halt their poor run of league form. Van Persie brought his goal tally in all competitions to 28 with a hat-trick, whilst Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain continued his impressive run of form by scoring his first and second Premier League goals. Mikel Arteta also found the net, before Henry scored his first Premier League goal in nearly six years to complete the victory in stoppage time. Henry's talents were required again in Arsenal's next league match, away to Sunderland, who were on a superb run of form under new manager Martin O’Neill. Henry secured all three points for the Gunners in injury time, following Aaron Ramsey's earlier goal that cancelled out James McClean's goal for Sunderland.

Despite an apparent resurgence in the Premier League, Arsenal's cup ambitions took consecutive knocks in mid-February. They first lost the opening leg of their Champions League round of 16 match against Milan 4–0, before being knocked out of the FA Cup by Sunderland just three days later, leaving the team facing yet another season without any silverware.

These cup exits left Arsenal to focus solely on achieving fourth position in the league, and thus ensuring further Champions League football at the Emirates. This aim would be tested heavily in their next game, the North London derby against age-old rivals Tottenham, who have spent the season so far above Arsenal in the table. It seemed that Arsenal’s poor form against their rivals in recent years was likely to continue, falling 2–0 behind through goals from Louis Saha and former Gunner Emmanuel Adebayor, before Bacary Sagna and the ever-reliable Van Persie scored in quick succession to bring the teams level at half-time. Arsenal continued to press in the second-half, and were rewarded with a goal from Tomáš Rosický and a brace from Theo Walcott to secure a memorable 5–2 victory that the Gunners would savour, and that saw the team strengthen their challenge for fourth place.

March

The North London derby victory spurred Arsenal on to continue their good Premier League form at the start of March. A Robin van Persie brace was enough to come from behind to beat Liverpool at Anfield, before securing a 3–0 home victory against Milan thanks to goals from Laurent Koscielny, Tomáš Rosický and Van Persie. Although not enough to overturn the first leg deficit, the win did allow the Gunners to bow out of European football for the season in excellent style.

Arsenal's reduced fixture-load soon became evident in results in the Premier League. They first secured an injury time victory against fellow competitors for the European places in the table, Newcastle. Vermaelen scored the winner in the fifth minute of added time at the end of the match, after Van Persie had drawn the teams level early in the first half. It was Vermaelen who again secured all three points in Arsenal's next match, away to Everton, a victory that was also enough to propel Arsenal above Tottenham into third place in the league table.

A 3–0 victory against Aston Villa, with goals from Kieran Gibbs, Theo Walcott and Mikel Arteta, took Arsenal's run of form to seven consecutive Premier League victories, a feat the team had not managed since October 2007, as well as strengthening their position in third place. The team, however, fell one game short of going the whole of March unbeaten, falling to a 2–1 defeat away to QPR, where Walcott's strike proved insufficient to secure any points for the Gunners.

Laurent Koscielny scored the crucial goal in Arsenal's final match of the season that secured the team's qualification to next season's Champions League group stage.

April

April started well for Arsenal, with back to back victories helping them to maintain their position in the Premier League's Champions League qualifications places. A Mikel Arteta goal in the 87th minute was enough to first secure a 1–0 home victory over championship contenders Manchester City, before Van Persie, Walcott and Benayoun all scored to record a 3–0 victory at struggling Wolves.

Arsenal stuttered as April progressed however, falling first to a 2–1 home defeat by Wigan, where Thomas Vermaelen's goal was not enough to overcome two early Wigan goals, before the team played out a goalless draw with fellow European contenders Chelsea. Another draw completed Arsenal's April, sharing the points with Stoke after a 1–1 stalemate, with Van Persie adding another goal to his already impressive tally, pushing him closer to the Premier League's golden boot award, but also cancelling out Peter Crouch’s earlier goal for the home side at the Britannia Stadium.

May

Arsenal's attempts to secure Champions League qualification continued into their final two matches of the season in May. Yossi Benayoun's opening goal just two minutes into their final home match of the season, against Norwich, seemed to have got them off to a good start, before two goals in twenty minutes gave the visitors an unexpected lead. A Van Persie brace in eight minutes put the Gunners back ahead, and seemingly on the verge of all but securing third place in the table. A Norwich equaliser in the 85th minute, however, shattered that dream, meaning their ongoing battle with Tottenham for guaranteed Champions League football would have to be settled on the final day of the season.

That final day saw Arsenal travel to face West Brom whilst Tottenham hosted Fulham, with an Arsenal win being enough to guarantee third. Tottenham took the lead in the second minute to take them above Arsenal in the table, but a second goal in as many games from Benayoun saw the Gunners retake the position just two minutes later. However, a brace from West Brom within four minutes saw Arsenal fall behind, and apparently gifting Spurs the last definite English berth in the Champions League, before André Santos was able to draw Arsenal back level before half-time. As it stood, however, Arsenal were still outside the Premier League top three, and it fell to Laurent Koscielny to score in the 54th minute to secure both victory, and perhaps more importantly, the final English group stage place in the next season's Champions League competition. As the season concluded, captain Robin van Persie was confirmed as the winner of the Premier League's Golden Boot award with 30 goals in the season.

Squad information

N	Pos.	Nat.	Name	Age	EU	Since	App	Goals	Ends	Transfer fee	Notes
1	GK		Manuel Almunia	34	EU	2004	175	0	2012[22]	£0.5M[23]
2	MF		Abou Diaby	26	EU	2006 (Winter)	163	19	undisclosed[24]	£2.0M[25]
3	DF		Bacary Sagna	29	EU	2007	205	4	2014[26]	£7.5M[27]
4	DF		Per Mertesacker	27	EU	2011	27	0	2015[28]	£8.0M[29]
5	DF		Thomas Vermaelen (vice-captain)	26	EU	2009	90	14	2015[30]	£10.0M[31]
6	DF		Laurent Koscielny	26	EU	2010	85	6	undisclosed[32]	£8.5M[32]
7	MF		Tomáš Rosický	31	EU	2006	166	19	2014[33]	£6.8M[34]
8	MF		Mikel Arteta	30	EU	2011	38	6	2015[16]	£10.0M[35]
9	FW		Park Chu-young	26	Non-EU	2011	6	1	undisclosed[13]	£1.8M[36]
10	FW		Robin van Persie (captain)	28	EU	2004	278	132	2013[37]	£2.75M[38]
11	DF		André Santos	29	Non-EU	2011	21	3	undisclosed[14]	£6.2M[39]
13	GK		Wojciech Szczęsny	22	EU	2007	72	0	undisclosed[40]	Youth system
14	FW		Theo Walcott	23	EU	2006 (Winter)	220	42	2013[41]	£9.0M[42]
15	FW		Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain	18	EU	2011	26	4	undisclosed[8]	£12.0M[43]
16	MF		Aaron Ramsey	21	EU	2008	103	9	undisclosed[44]	£4.8M[45]
17	MF		Alex Song	24	EU	2005	204	10	2014[46]	£1.0M[47]
18	DF		Sébastien Squillaci	31	EU	2010	38	2	2013[48]	£3.3M[48]
19	MF		Jack Wilshere	20	EU	2008	64	3	undisclosed[49]	Youth system
20	DF		Johan Djourou	25	EU	2003	142	1	2015[50]	Youth system
21	GK		Łukasz Fabiański	27	EU	2007	62	0	undisclosed[51]	£2.0M[52]
23	MF		Andrey Arshavin	30	Non-EU	2009 (Winter)	133	30	2013[53]	£15.0M[54]	On loan to Zenit St. Petersburg
24	GK		Vito Mannone	24	EU	2005	10	0	2014[55]	£0.35M[56]	On loan to Hull City
25	DF		Carl Jenkinson	20	EU	2011	14	0	undisclosed[57]	£1.0M[58]
26	MF		Emmanuel Frimpong	20	EU	2008	14	0	undisclosed[59]	Youth system
27	FW		Gervinho	24	Non-EU	2011	37	4	undisclosed[6]	£10.5M[60]
28	DF		Kieran Gibbs	22	EU	2007	72	2	undisclosed[61]	Youth system
29	FW		Marouane Chamakh	28	EU	2010	63	12	undisclosed[62]	Free
30	MF		Yossi Benayoun	32	Non-EU	2011	25	6	2012[17]	Loan	On loan from Chelsea
31	FW		Ryo Miyaichi	19	Non-EU	2011 (Winter)	2	0	undisclosed[63]	Free	On loan to Bolton Wanderers
39	MF		Francis Coquelin	21	EU	2008	21	0	undisclosed[64]	Youth system
46	MF		Henri Lansbury	21	EU	2007	8	1	undisclosed[65]	Youth system	On loan to West Ham United
52	FW		Nicklas Bendtner	24	EU	2004	157	45	undisclosed[66]	Youth system	On loan to Sunderland
	MF		Denílson	24	Non-EU	2006	153	10	undisclosed[67]	£3.5M[68]	On loan to São Paulo
	FW		Carlos Vela	23	EU	2005	62	11	2013[69]	£0.5M[70]	On loan to Real Sociedad
	FW		Joel Campbell	19	Non-EU	2011	0	0	undisclosed[71]	£0.9M[72]	On loan to FC Lorient

Reserve squad

As of 10 January 2012.^[73][74]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 33 FW Benik Afobe 34 MF Chuks Aneke 35 FW Zak Ansah 37 DF Daniel Boateng 38 DF George Brislen-Hall 40 MF Craig Eastmond 43 DF Sead Hajrović 44 MF Conor Henderson 45 DF Gavin Hoyte 47 GK Sean McDermott 48 MF Jernade Meade 49 DF Ignasi Miquel

No. Position Player 50 FW Rhys Murphy 51 FW Nigel Neita 53 MF Oğuzhan Özyakup 55 MF Sanchez Watt 56 DF Nico Yennaris 57 DF Martin Angha 58 MF Kyle Ebecilio 59 GK Emiliano Martínez 60 DF Elton Monteiro 61 MF Josh Rees 62 GK James Shea 64 GK Ray Ainston 65 FW Dijae Moketonga

Coaching staff

This is Arsène Wenger's 16th season with Arsenal

Position	Staff
Manager	Arsène Wenger
Assistant manager	Pat Rice
First team coach	Boro Primorac
Goalkeeping coach	Gerry Peyton
Fitness coach	Tony Colbert
Physiotherapist	Colin Lewin
Club doctor	Gary O'Driscoll
Kit manager	Vic Akers Paul Johnson
Chief scout	Steve Rowley

Kit

Supplier: Nike / Sponsor: Fly Emirates

Home

Home alt.

Away

Away alt.

Away alt. 2

Third

Goalkeeper 1

Goalkeeper 2

Goalkeeper 3

Kit information

Arsenal's home, away, third and goalkeeper outfits featured an anniversary crest to mark the club's 125th anniversary. The crest featured 15 laurel leaves on the left side of the crest to reflect the detail on the reverse of the sixpence pieces paid by 15 men to establish the Club in Woolwich in 1886. The 15 oak leaves to the right of the crest paid tribute to the founders who would meet in the local Royal Oak pub. Underneath the crest was one of the club's first recorded mottos – "Forward" – with the anniversary dates of 1886 and 2011 either side.

• Home: The home kit was based on Nike Classic 2011 template in the club's traditional red and white colours, with red trim on the arms.
• Away: The away kit was based on Nike Harlequin 2011 template. The front of the away kit was divided into two halves in navy blue and one turquoise, inspired by some of the away kits in the 1990s which featured the same colour scheme. The diagonal design represented the gnomon (the pointer) which casts the shadow on a sundial – to commemorate the original Dial Square sundial on the site of the Arsenal munitions factory in Woolwich, where the club was founded in 1886. The back of the shirt was entirely navy blue, with one sleeve navy and the other turquoise. A stripe runs down each sleeves, broken into three parts to further represent the Dial Square sundial. The away shorts were navy blue, as were the socks
• Third: The yellow/maroon away kit from last season was retained as a third kit with 125th anniversary celebratory maroon badge, with yellow shorts used only once against Milan.
• Keeper: The goalkeeper kits featured a stunning graphic running down from the bottom of the arms to the side of the shirt, which was part of Nike's 2011 goalkeeper template also worn by other clubs as well. The first-choice kit was mainly navy with orange detailing. The alternative kits were dark green with yellow detailing and grey with turquoise detailing, respectively.

Other information

The Emirates Stadium is the second largest stadium in the Premier League.

Chairman	Peter Hill-Wood
Ground (capacity and dimensions)	Emirates Stadium (60,355 / 113x76 metres)

Last updated: 11 May 2010
Source:Arsenal F.C.

Overall

Last updated: 13 May 2012
Source: Competitions

Pre-season

Friendlies

Malaysia XI v Arsenal

13 July 2011[75]	Malaysia XI	0 – 4	Arsenal	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
18:45 MST (13:45 BST)		Report	Ramsey  5' (pen.) Walcott  36' Vela  59' Rosický  90'	Stadium: Bukit Jalil Stadium Attendance: 70,000 Referee: Mohd Yusof bin Mat Karim

Hangzhou Greentown v Arsenal

16 July 2011[76]	Hangzhou Greentown	1 – 1	Arsenal	Yiwu, China
19:30 CST (12:30 BST)	Vázquez  16'	Report	Vela  45'	Stadium: Meihu Sports Centre Attendance: 20,583

1. FC Köln v Arsenal

23 July 2011[77]	1. FC Köln	1 – 2	Arsenal	Cologne, Germany
15:30 CEST (14:30 BST)	Jenkinson  45' (o.g.)	Report	Gervinho  7', 15'	Stadium: RheinEnergieStadion Attendance: 41,500 Referee: Christian Fischer

Emirates Cup

Main article: 2011 Emirates Cup

Rank	Team	Win	Draw	Loss	GF	GA	GD	Points
1	New York Red Bulls	1	1	0	2	1	+1	4
2	Paris Saint-Germain	1	0	1	3	1	+2	3
3	Arsenal	0	2	0	3	3	0	2
4	Boca Juniors	0	1	1	2	5	–3	1

Arsenal v Boca Juniors

30 July 2011[78] Day 1	Arsenal	2 – 2	Boca Juniors	London
16:20 BST	Van Persie  29' Ramsey  46'	Report	Viatri  68' Mouche  72'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Referee: Martin Atkinson

Arsenal v New York Red Bulls

31 July 2011[78] Day 2	Arsenal	1 – 1	New York Red Bulls	London
16:20 BST	Van Persie  42'	Report	Bartley  84' (o.g.)	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Referee: Kevin Friend

Eusébio Cup

Benfica v Arsenal

6 August 2011[79] Eusébio Cup	Benfica	2 – 1	Arsenal	Lisbon, Portugal
19:45 BST	Aimar  49' Nolito  60'	Report	Van Persie  34'	Stadium: Estádio da Luz Attendance: 40,833 Referee: Duarte Gomes

Last updated: 22 June 2018
Source: Arsenal F.C.

Premier League

Matches

Newcastle United v Arsenal

13 August 2011 1	Newcastle United	0 – 0	Arsenal	Newcastle upon Tyne
17:30 BST	Coloccini  45+1' Tioté  66' Barton  75'	Report	20' Song  47' Gibbs  50' Rosický  75' Gervinho  77' Szczęsny  90+1' Vermaelen	Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 46,894 Referee: Peter Walton

Arsenal v Liverpool

20 August 2011 2	Arsenal	0 – 2	Liverpool	London
12:45 BST	Frimpong  8', 70' Lansbury  88'	Report	27' Carroll  44' Lucas  78' (o.g.) Ramsey  90' Suárez	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,090 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Manchester United v Arsenal

28 August 2011 3	Manchester United	8 – 2	Arsenal	Manchester
16:00 BST	Welbeck  22' Young  26',  28', 90+1' Evans  26' Rooney  41', 64', 82' (pen.) Nani  69' Park  70'	Report	14' Arshavin  39', 76' Jenkinson  45+3' Walcott  62' Djourou 27'  74' Van Persie	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 75,448 Referee: Howard Webb

Arsenal v Swansea City

10 September 2011 4	Arsenal	1 – 0	Swansea City	London
15:00 BST	Arshavin  40' Walcott  48' Koscielny  52' Arteta  77'	Report	24' Agustien  68' Caulker	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,087 Referee: Stuart Attwell

Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal

17 September 2011 5	Blackburn Rovers	4 – 3	Arsenal	Blackburn
12:45 BST	Yakubu  25', 59' Song  50' (o.g.) Dann  67' Koscielny  69' (o.g.) Olsson  74'	Report	10' Gervinho  34' Arteta  57' Djourou  85' Chamakh	Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 22,637 Referee: Andre Marriner

Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers

24 September 2011 6	Arsenal	3 – 0	Bolton Wanderers	London
15:00 BST	Van Persie  46', 71' Song  89'	Report	55' Wheater  58' Steinsson	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,727 Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

2 October 2011 7	Tottenham Hotspur	2 – 1	Arsenal	London
16:00 BST	Van der Vaart  27',  40' Walker  73' Parker  74'	Report	32' Mertesacker  51' Ramsey	Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,274 Referee: Mike Dean

Arsenal v Sunderland

16 October 2011 8	Arsenal	2 – 1	Sunderland	London
13:30 BST	Van Persie  1', 83',  83' Song  57' Koscielny  63'	Report	31' Larsson  52' Vaughan  55' Larsson  61' Brown	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,078 Referee: Howard Webb

Arsenal v Stoke City

23 October 2011 9	Arsenal	3 – 1	Stoke City	London
13:30 BST	Gervinho  27' Van Persie  73', 82'	Report	31' Whitehead  34' Crouch  55' Wilkinson	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,671 Referee: Lee Mason

Chelsea v Arsenal

29 October 2011 10	Chelsea	3 – 5	Arsenal	London
12:45 BST	Lampard  14' Terry  45' Ivanović  79' Mata  80' Meireles  90+2'	Report	36', 85', 90+2',  78' Van Persie  49' Santos  50' Szczęsny  55' Walcott  90+1' Song	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,801 Referee: Andre Marriner

Arsenal v West Bromwich Albion

5 November 2011 11	Arsenal	3 – 0	West Bromwich Albion	London
15:00 GMT	Van Persie  22' Vermaelen  39' Arteta  74'	Report		Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,091 Referee: Michael Oliver

Norwich City v Arsenal

19 November 2011 12	Norwich City	1 – 2	Arsenal	Norwich
12:45 GMT	Morison  16' Bennett  66' Tierney  81' Holt  86'	Report	26', 59' Van Persie	Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 26,801 Referee: Phil Dowd

Arsenal v Fulham

26 November 2011 13	Arsenal	1 – 1	Fulham	London
17:30 GMT	Santos  28' Vermaelen  82'	Report	28' Zamora  45+1' Etuhu  65' (o.g.) Vermaelen  77' Senderos	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,043 Referee: Mike Dean

Wigan Athletic v Arsenal

3 December 2011 14	Wigan Athletic	0 – 4	Arsenal	Wigan
15:00 GMT	Caldwell  52' Gohouri  73' Diamé  88'	Report	28' Arteta  29' Vermaelen  57' Song  61' Gervinho  78' Van Persie  85' Coquelin	Stadium: DW Stadium Attendance: 19,280 Referee: Mark Clattenburg

Arsenal v Everton

10 December 2011 15	Arsenal	1 – 0	Everton	London
15:00 GMT	Arteta  16' Ramsey  38' Van Persie  70'	Report	24' Coleman  82' Distin	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,062 Referee: Howard Webb

Manchester City v Arsenal

18 December 2011 16	Manchester City	1 – 0	Arsenal	Manchester
16:10 GMT	Barry  39' Silva  53' Agüero  72'	Report	11' Song  45' Koscielny  74' Arteta	Stadium: Etihad Stadium Attendance: 47,303 Referee: Phil Dowd

Aston Villa v Arsenal

21 December 2011 17	Aston Villa	1 – 2	Arsenal	Birmingham
19:45 GMT	Clark  38' Albrighton  54' Hutton  90+3', 90+4'	Report	17' (pen.)  78' Van Persie  27' Coquelin  45' Mertesacker  87' Benayoun	Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 35,818 Referee: Jonathan Moss

Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers

27 December 2011 18	Arsenal	1 – 1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	London
15:00 GMT	Gervinho  8' Vermaelen  57' Song  69'	Report	32' Johnson  38' Fletcher  73' Guedioura  75' Milijaš  90+2' Hennessey	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,686 Referee: Stuart Attwell
Note: This match, originally scheduled for 26 December 2011, was postponed 24 hours due to industrial action.[80]

Arsenal v Queens Park Rangers

31 December 2011 19	Arsenal	1 – 0	Queens Park Rangers	London
15:00 GMT	Vermaelen  37' Djourou  40' Van Persie  60'	Report	27' Barton  54' Young	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,067 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Fulham v Arsenal

2 January 2012 20	Fulham	2 – 1	Arsenal	London
17:30 GMT	Sidwell  85' Zamora  90+3'	Report	21' Koscielny  63', 78' Djourou	Stadium: Craven Cottage Attendance: 25,700 Referee: Lee Probert

Swansea City v Arsenal

15 January 2012 21	Swansea City	3 – 2	Arsenal	Swansea
16:00 GMT	Sinclair  16' (pen.) Dyer  57' Graham  70'	Report	5' Van Persie  69' Walcott	Stadium: Liberty Stadium Attendance: 20,409 Referee: Michael Oliver

Arsenal v Manchester United

22 January 2012 22	Arsenal	1 – 2	Manchester United	London
16:00 GMT	Ramsey  43' Van Persie  71',  85' Koscielny  73' Rosický  86' Song  90+6'	Report	44' Rafael  45+1' Valencia  81' Welbeck  90' Evra	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,093 Referee: Mike Dean

Bolton Wanderers v Arsenal

1 February 2012 23	Bolton Wanderers	0 – 0	Arsenal	Bolton
20:00 GMT	Steinsson  39'	Report	37' Vermaelen	Stadium: Reebok Stadium Attendance: 24,371 Referee: Chris Foy

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

4 February 2012 24	Arsenal	7 – 1	Blackburn Rovers	London
13:00 GMT	Van Persie  2', 38', 62' Koscielny  31' Oxlade-Chamberlain  40', 54' Arteta  51' Vermaelen  85' Dann  90+3' (o.g.)(Note)	Report	15' Modeste  25' Nzonzi  31' Pedersen  40' Olsson  43' Givet	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,643 Referee: Andre Marriner
Note: The goal was originally awarded to Thierry Henry, but the Dubious Goals Committee eventually awarded it as an own goal to Scott Dann[81]

Sunderland v Arsenal

11 February 2012 25	Sunderland	1 – 2	Arsenal	Sunderland
15:00 GMT	Richardson  18' Campbell  44' McClean  70'	Report	75' Ramsey  77' Rosický  90+1' Henry	Stadium: Stadium of Light Attendance: 40,312 Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

26 February 2012 26	Arsenal	5 – 2	Tottenham Hotspur	London
13:30 GMT	Koscielny  31' Sagna  40' Arteta  42' Van Persie  43',  79' Rosický  51' Walcott  65', 68'	Report	4' Saha  29' Modrić  30', 87' Parker      34' (pen.) Adebayor     61' Sandro	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,106 Referee: Mike Dean

Liverpool v Arsenal

3 March 2012 27	Liverpool	1 – 2	Arsenal	Liverpool
12:45 GMT	Koscielny  23' (o.g.)	Report	31', 90+2' Van Persie  64' Vermaelen	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,922 Referee: Mark Halsey

Arsenal v Newcastle United

12 March 2012 28	Arsenal	2 – 1	Newcastle United	London
20:00 GMT	Van Persie  15',  90+7' Koscielny  77' Vermaelen  90+5'	Report	14' Ben Arfa  64' Tioté  86' Gutiérrez  90+7' Krul	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,095 Referee: Howard Webb

Everton v Arsenal

21 March 2012 29	Everton	0 – 1	Arsenal	Liverpool
20:00 GMT	Cahill  52' Pienaar  61'	Report	8' Vermaelen  39' Sagna	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 30,330 Referee: Lee Mason

Arsenal v Aston Villa

24 March 2012 30	Arsenal	3 – 0	Aston Villa	London
15:00 GMT	Gibbs  16' Walcott  25' Arteta  90+3'	Report	15' Petrov  52' Warnock  70' Ireland  89' Collins	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,108 Referee: Phil Dowd

Queens Park Rangers v Arsenal

31 March 2012 31	Queens Park Rangers	2 – 1	Arsenal	London
15:00 BST	Taarabt  22',  23' Mackie  62' Diakité  66',  90+4' Ferdinand  90' Barton  90+4'	Report	37' Walcott  62' Vermaelen  65' Song	Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 18,033 Referee: Mike Dean

Arsenal v Manchester City

8 April 2012 32	Arsenal	1 – 0	Manchester City	London
16:00 BST	Santos  60' Koscielny  68' Arteta  87'	Report	2' Y. Touré  38', 90' Balotelli     56' Milner     90+5' Zabaleta	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,096 Referee: Martin Atkinson

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal

11 April 2012 33	Wolverhampton Wanderers	0 – 3	Arsenal	Wolverhampton
19:45 BST	Bassong  8' Doyle  40' Zubar  57' Kightly  58'	Report	Van Persie  9' (pen.) Walcott  11' Benayoun  69'	Stadium: Molineux Attendance: 25,815 Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Arsenal v Wigan Athletic

16 April 2012 34	Arsenal	1 – 2	Wigan Athletic	London
20:00 BST	Vermaelen  21' Sagna  33' Song  72'	Report	7' Di Santo  8' Gómez  59' Caldwell  90+1' Al-Habsi  90+5' McArthur	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,060 Referee: Andre Marriner

Arsenal v Chelsea

21 April 2012 35	Arsenal	0 – 0	Chelsea	London
12:45 BST	Rosický  30' Van Persie  50' Diaby  76'	Report	49' Malouda  54' Cahill  72' Boswinga  81' Cole	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,111 Referee: Mike Dean

Stoke City v Arsenal

28 April 2012 36	Stoke City	1 – 1	Arsenal	Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 BST	Whitehead  3' Crouch  9'	Report	15' Van Persie  63' Benayoun  67' Song	Stadium: Britannia Stadium Attendance: 27,502 Referee: Chris Foy

Arsenal v Norwich City

5 May 2012 37	Arsenal	3 – 3	Norwich City	London
12:45 BST	Benayoun  2' Ramsey  20' Vermaelen  45+3' Van Persie  72', 80'	Report	12',  60' Hoolahan  27' Holt  30' Jackson  85' Morison  90+2' Wilbraham	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,092 Referee: Anthony Taylor

West Bromwich Albion v Arsenal

13 May 2012 38	West Bromwich Albion	2 – 3	Arsenal	West Bromwich
15:00 BST	Long  12' Dorrans  15'	Report	4' Benayoun  30' Santos  39' Van Persie  54' Koscielny	Stadium: The Hawthorns Attendance: 26,358 Referee: Mike Jones

Last updated: 13 May 2012
Source: Arsenal F.C.
Note: Premier League fixtures not listed due to copyright

UEFA Champions League

Play-off round

Main article: 2011–12 UEFA Champions League qualifying phase and play-off round § Play-off round

Arsenal v Udinese

16 August 2011 First leg	Arsenal	1 – 0	Udinese	London, England
19:45 BST	Walcott  4',  12' Gibbs  45'	Report	2' Benatia  11' Neuton  71' Pinzi  79' Armero	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 58,159 Referee: Kevin Blom (Netherlands)

Udinese v Arsenal

24 August 2011 Second leg	Udinese	1 – 2 (1 – 3 agg.)	Arsenal	Udine, Italy
19:45 BST	Di Natale  39' Isla  52' Benatia  74' Fabbrini  87'	Report	55' Van Persie  58' Vermaelen  69',  74' Walcott  70' Sagna  75' Jenkinson	Stadium: Stadio Friuli Attendance: 25,687 Referee: Olegário Benquerença (Portugal)

Group stage

Main article: 2011–12 UEFA Champions League group stage § Group F

Group F
Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Arsenal	6	3	2	1	7	6	+1	11
Marseille	6	3	1	2	7	4	+3	10
Olympiacos	6	3	0	3	8	6	+2	9
Borussia Dortmund	6	1	1	4	6	12	−6	4

Borussia Dortmund v Arsenal

13 September 2011 1	Borussia Dortmund	1 – 1	Arsenal	Dortmund, Germany
19:45 BST	Schmelzer  76' Perišić  88' Bender  90'+4'	Report	42' Van Persie  75' Sagna	Stadium: Signal Iduna Park Attendance: 75,000 Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)

Arsenal v Olympiacos

28 September 2011 2	Arsenal	2 – 1	Olympiacos	London, England
19:45 BST	Oxlade-Chamberlain  8' Santos  20' Rosický  34' Arteta  77'	Report	27',  70' Fuster  49' Holebas  85' Djebbour	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,676 Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)

Marseille v Arsenal

19 October 2011 3	Marseille	0 – 1	Arsenal	Marseille, France
19:45 BST	Ayew  14' Diawara  49' Gignac  84'	Report	4' Song  16' Santos  74' Djourou  90+2' Ramsey	Stadium: Stade Vélodrome Attendance: 24,534 Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Arsenal v Marseille

1 November 2011 4	Arsenal	0 – 0	Marseille	London, England
19:45 GMT	Rosický  85'	Report	40' Diarra	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,961 Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)

Arsenal v Borussia Dortmund

23 November 2011 5	Arsenal	2 – 1	Borussia Dortmund	London, England
19:45 GMT	Van Persie  49', 86' Walcott  63' Ramsey  76' Benayoun  78'	Report	53' Schmelzer  90+2' Kagawa	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,531 Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

Olympiacos v Arsenal

6 December 2011 6	Olympiacos	3 – 1	Arsenal	Piraeus, Greece
19:45 GMT	Papadopoulos  4' Djebbour  16' Holebas  30' Fuster  36' Modesto  89'	Report	57' Benayoun  61' Frimpong  81' Oxlade-Chamberlain	Stadium: Karaiskakis Stadium Attendance: 32,000 Referee: Alberto Mallenco (Spain)

Knockout phase

Main article: 2011–12 UEFA Champions League knockout phase

Round of 16

Milan v Arsenal

15 February 2012 First leg	Milan	4 – 0	Arsenal	Milan, Italy
19:45 GMT	Boateng  15' Robinho  38', 49' Antonini  45+3' Mexès  62' Ibrahimović  79' (pen.) Ambrosini  81'	Report	72' Song  78' Djourou	Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 68,257 Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)

Arsenal v Milan

6 March 2012 Second leg	Arsenal	3 – 0 (3 – 4 agg.)	Milan	London, England
19:45 GMT	Koscielny  7' Sagna  13' Gibbs  15' Rosický  26' Van Persie  43' (pen.) Song  57'	Report	5' Van Bommel  86' Nocerino  86' Ibrahimović  90+3' Abate	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,973 Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

Last updated: 6 March 2012
Source: Arsenal F.C.