| 2005–06 season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Thierry Henry preparing to take a corner kick for Arsenal's final ever game atHighbury againstWigan. | ||||
| Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood | |||
| Manager | Arsène Wenger | |||
| Stadium | Highbury | |||
| Premier League | 4th | |||
| FA Cup | Fourth round | |||
| League Cup | Semi-finals | |||
| FA Community Shield | Runners-up | |||
| UEFA Champions League | Runners-up | |||
| Top goalscorer | League:Thierry Henry (27) All: Thierry Henry (33) | |||
| Highest home attendance | 38,359 vsWigan Athletic (7 May 2006) | |||
| Lowest home attendance | 34,498 vsThun (14 September 2005) | |||
| Average home league attendance | 37,295 | |||
The2005–06 season wasArsenal Football Club's 14th season in thePremier League and their 80th consecutive season in the top flight of English football.[1][2] It was the final season in which home matches were played at the club'sHighbury stadium after 93 years; Arsenal intended to move to its new 60,000 capacityEmirates Stadium in time for the following season. The club ended theirPremier League campaign in fourth, having pippedlocal rivalsTottenham Hotspur to the position on the final day. Arsenal became the first London club to reach aUEFA Champions League final, though lost 2–1 toBarcelona in Paris. In theLeague Cup, the club was eliminated in the semi-finals onaggregate score byWigan Athletic and knocked out of theFA Cup, againstBolton Wanderers in the fourth round.
Before the season commenced midfielderPatrick Vieira was sold toJuventus; strikerThierry Henry assumed his club captaincy role.Alexander Hleb was purchased fromStuttgart for an undisclosed fee in July 2005; in the winter transfer window Arsenal signed midfielderAbou Diaby, and forwardsEmmanuel Adebayor andTheo Walcott.
Arsenal lost to league championsChelsea in the2005 FA Community Shield at theMillennium Stadium. An indifferent start in the league saw Arsenal peak in second position after 13 matches, but a run of three consecutive defeats a month later had effectively ruled them out of title contention. On the final day, they beat Wigan Athletic 4–2 at Highbury; Tottenham Hotspur's defeat atWest Ham United meant Arsenal secured fourth place. The team's performances in Europe were more striking; they eliminatedReal Madrid, Juventus andVillarreal in the knockout stages. In the2006 UEFA Champions League Final held at theStade de France in Paris on 17 May 2006, goalkeeperJens Lehmann was sent off for a professional foul on Barcelona'sSamuel Eto'o. Although defenderSol Campbell gave Arsenal a first half lead from a set piece, the team conceded twice in the final 15 minutes to lose the match.
To mark the final season at Highbury, Arsenal held a valedictory campaign titled "Highbury – The Final Salute". The club staged several themed matchdays and a redcurrant home kit replaced the common red to honour the shirts worn in 1913.
Arsenal began the preceding season as league champions; a win againstBlackburn Rovers in August 2004 ensured they eclipsedNottingham Forest's record of 42 league matches unbeaten.[3] The run extended to six more matches, before losing 2–0 toManchester United at Old Trafford on 24 October 2004.[4] Poor form throughout November allowed league leadersChelsea to extend the gap at the top; Wenger conceded retaining the title in April 2005, calling his opponents "worthy champions ... they have been remarkably consistent."[5] A run of twelve league matches unbeaten, culminating in a 7–0 home win againstEverton helped Arsenal finish in second place.[6] In spite of exiting the Champions League toBayern Munich in the second round, the team won the2005 FA Cup Final against Manchester United – winning 5–4 on penalties after a goalless draw.[7]
The 2005–06 season marked Arsenal's final season atHighbury, their home since 1913. The club planned to move half a mile to theEmirates Stadium, considered "vital to our future" by Wenger, as it financially would help them to compete at the top level.[8] To mark the valedictory campaign titled "Highbury – The Final Salute", the club staged many special activities on matchdays "...to celebrate the many great players and moments that this fantastic stadium has witnessed."[6] A redcurrant home kit was designed to honour the shirts worn in the club's first season at Highbury.[9] It was adorned with gold lettering and accompanied by white shorts and redcurrant socks.[10]
| Matchday | Date |
|---|---|
| Players Day | 14 August 2005 |
| Goal Celebrations Day | 24 August 2005 |
| European Night | 14 September 2005 |
| 2 November 2005 | |
| Doubles Day | 19 September 2005 |
| Internationals Day | 2 October 2005 |
| Wenger Day | 22 October 2005 |
| Memorial Day | 5 November 2005 |
| 49-ers Day | 26 November 2005 |
| League Cup Night | 29 November 2005 |
| 24 January 2006 | |
| Boxers v Jockeys Day | 7 December 2005 |
| Great Saves Day | 18 December 2005 |
| Hat-trick Heroes Day | 28 December 2005 |
| Back Four Day | 3 January 2006 |
| FA Cup Day | 7 January 2006 |
| 1913 Day | 14 January 2006 |
| London Derbies Day | 1 February 2006 |
| Home Grown Players Day | 11 February 2006 |
| Managers Day | 8 March 2006 |
| Captains Day | 12 March 2006 |
| Junior Gunners Day | 18 March 2006 |
| Decades Day | 28 March 2006 |
| David Rocastle Day | 1 April 2006 |
| Dennis Bergkamp Day | 15 April 2006 |
| Records Day | 19 April 2006 |
| Kits Day | 22 April 2006 |
| Goals Day | 7 May 2006 |
Arsenal signed youth playersNicklas Bendtner,Vito Mannone andArmand Traoré in the summer transfer window. BelarusianAlexander Hleb joined the club for an undisclosed fee on 12 July 2005. Arsenal made four more additions during the season: goalkeeperMart Poom, signed on a permanent deal, midfielderAbou Diaby, who reportedly turned down an offer to join Chelsea[12] and forwardsEmmanuel Adebayor andTheo Walcott.
After the early departures ofJermaine Pennant andStuart Taylor, club captainPatrick Vieira joined Italian sideJuventus in a £13.7 million deal. Wenger did not intend to sign a replacement, saying: "I am not in a hurry. We have Gilberto, Flamini, and Fàbregas. Pires can play in there also so we have plenty of players."[13] English midfielderDavid Bentley made his loan deal at Blackburn Rovers permanent in the January transfer window.
In
| Out
|
Loans in
| Loans out
|
| 16 July 2005Friendly | Barnet | 1–4 | Arsenal | Barnet |
Sinclair 74' | Report | Hleb 2',Henry pen' (?),Bergkamp ?',Hoyte ?' | Stadium:Underhill Stadium |
| 20 July 2005Friendly | SC Weiz | 0–5 | Arsenal | Weiz |
| 19:00CET | Report | Flamini 1',Henry 4',37',Bentley 15',Bergkamp 50' | Stadium:Sparkassen-Stadion |
| 24 July 2005Friendly | Ritzing | 2–5 | Arsenal | Ritzing |
| 16:00CET | Pajer 38',Schiffer 75' | Report | Bergkamp 10',Henry 17',Reyes 35' (pen.),Hleb 79',Larsson 90' | Stadium:Sparkassen-Stadion |
| 26 July 2005Friendly | Utrecht | 0–3 | Arsenal | Bad Waltersdorf |
| Report | Pires 13' (pen.),Reyes 54',Henry 77' |
| 29 July 2005Amsterdam Tournament | Ajax | 0–1 | Arsenal | Amsterdam |
| Report | Lupoli 87' | Stadium:Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 35,000 Referee:Dick van Egmond (Netherlands) |
| 31 July 2005Amsterdam Tournament | Porto | 1–2 | Arsenal | Amsterdam |
| Lisandro 37' | Report | Ljungberg 49',58' | Stadium:Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 35,000 Referee:Ruud Bossen (Netherlands) |
As winners of the FA Cup in theprevious season, Arsenal contested the 2005 FA Community Shield against league champions Chelsea. Two goals scored by strikerDidier Drogba meant Arsenal lost the match. Wenger commented afterwards that Chelsea's gameplan made it difficult for the Arsenal defenders, and noted his opposition's strength was playinglong balls.[39] When asked if he was concerned by the performance, Wenger replied: "Why should I worry? Did you see the game? You can worry for the Chelsea supporters."[39]
| 7 August 2005 | Arsenal | 1–2 | Chelsea | Cardiff, Wales |
| 15:00BST | Fàbregas 64' | Report | Drogba 8',58' | Stadium:Millennium Stadium Attendance: 58,014 Referee:Howard Webb |
"If you look at the history of the championship, this is very early to have lost two games. If we lose more than four, it's going to be a struggle."
Arsenal began their final league season at Highbury against Newcastle United on 14 August 2005. In spite of having a man advantage after midfielderJermaine Jenas was sent off for a challenge onGilberto Silva, strikerThierry Henry scored from the penalty spot in the 81st minute.[41]Robin van Persie added a second, four minutes from the end of the match.[41] A fortunate goal from Drogba inflicted Arsenal's first defeat against Chelsea in the league for almost a decade.[42] The team responded with a 4–1 victory againstFulham, whereby Henry and defenderPascal Cygan both scored twice.[43] Arsenal lost away toMiddlesbrough on 10 September 2005, in a performance derided by Wenger as being "unacceptable".[40] Abrace (two goals) fromSol Campbell against Everton[44] was followed by a goalless draw against newly promotedWest Ham United.[45]
An own goal scored byStephen Clemence gave Arsenal a 1–0 victory in the first week of October at home toBirmingham City.[46] Despite being "technically the better side" away toWest Bromwich Albion, Arsenal lost 2–1; Wenger after the match commented that the team "played with great spirit but ... were punished for a lack of experience and maturity because we didn't take advantage of the chances we created."[47] A penalty scored byRobert Pires was enough to secure three points against Manchester City.[48] The midfielder wasted a second penalty in the second half, choosing to recreate a spot kick executed byJohan Cruyff andJesper Olsen for Ajax.[48] Having attempted to roll the ball towards onrushing Henry, Pires inadvertently flicked the ball twice, enabling referee Mike Riley to award a free-kick to Manchester City.[48] Although both players were scrutinised by Chelsea managerJosé Mourinho,[49] they were commended by Cryuff for showing a desire to try something different.[50] The final league match of October ended in a 1–1 draw against local rivalsTottenham Hotpsur.[51]
A 3–1 win at home toSunderland on 5 November 2005 meant Arsenal moved third in the league table.[52] This was followed by a trip to theJJB Stadium; Arsenal beatWigan Athletic 3–2 in a "hugely entertaining game on a cold, frosty afternoon".[53] Henry scored his 100th goal at Highbury againstBlackburn Rovers to extend a club unbeaten run of nine matches.[54] Defeat atBolton Wanderers in early December concerned Wenger, admitting the opponents showed the template required to beat his team.[55] A further defeat against Newcastle United, whereGilberto Silva was sent off in the second half highlighted the "physical absence" of Vieira in midfield.[56] In losing 2–0 to Chelsea a week after – their third successive defeat for the first time under Wenger, Arsenal lay in eighth position, 11 points behind Manchester United.[57] An early morning kick-off away toCharlton Athletic ended in a 1–0 victory for Arsenal;José Antonio Reyes scored his second goal in the league.[58] Four first-half goals againstPortsmouth helped Arsenal to close the gap on second place by nine points.[59] They ended the calendar year and began 2006 with goalless draws againstAston Villa and Manchester United respectively.[60][61]
Arsenal recorded the biggest win of the league season, against Middlesbrough at Highbury. Henry scored a hat-trick in a 7–0 victory; the striker post-match deemed it was vital for the club to finish in the top four "...for me, for the club and for the fans."[62] They suffered two consecutive defeats: away to Everton[63] and at home to West Ham United.[64] In the latter match, Campbell was substituted at his request before the second half, having been at fault forNigel Reo-Coker andBobby Zamora's goals.[64] He "went missing" after the match, subsequently returning to training five days later.[65]Emmanuel Adebayor scored his first goal for Arsenal in a 2–0 win against Birmingham City on 4 February 2006.[66] A stoppage time goal scored by Gilberto earned the team a point against Bolton Wanderers at Highbury; they went 1–0 down in the 12th minute after Kevin Nolan chipped the ball past goalkeeperJens Lehmann.[67] Arsenal conceded a late goal away to Liverpool on Valentine's Day – a result which left the club 10 points behind their opponents.[68] Defeat against Blackburn Rovers meant they lost for the second consecutive game.[69] Having collected just three wins out of a possible 14 away from home, Wenger admitted the form of the team remained "a big worry" given they needed to play five more.[69]
In the first week of March, Arsenal beat Fulham 4–0 with a "commanding performance" from Henry, who scored two goals.[70] The striker scored the winning goal against Liverpool in their next match, from aSteven Gerrard backpass.[71] A polished performance against Charlton Athletic[72] was followed by a five-goal win at home to Aston Villa on 1 April 2006.[73] Arsenal lost 2–0 to Manchester United and dropped two points against relegation-threatened Portsmouth, meaning a fourth-place finish was in Tottenham Hotspur's favour.[74][75]
Dennis Bergkamp scored his final goal for Arsenal against West Bromwich Albion in a 3–1 win; he came on as a substitute in the second half to set up Pires to score the winning goal, moments afterNigel Quashie had leveled the scoreline; fittingly the day was dedicated to him.[76] Arsenal drew 1–1 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, with Wenger choosing to rest players in mind for the club's Champions League semi-final. A 3–0 win away at Sunderland was overshadowed by a tackle onAbou Diaby, ruling him out for the remainder of the season.[77] Two late goals scored by Reyes against Manchester City moved Arsenal a point behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth.[78] In the final competitive match played at Highbury, Arsenal faced Wigan Athletic, needing to better their rivals result to guarantee Champions League qualification. Henry scored a hat-trick in a six-goal match, helping Arsenal end the season with 67 points from 38 matches.[79] Tottenham Hotspur's defeat against West Ham United meant Arsenal finished fourth, a position Gilberto felt the club "deserved".[80]
| 14 August 20051 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Newcastle United | London |
| 13:30BST | Henry 81' (pen.) van Persie 87' | Report | Jenas 32' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,072 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 21 August 20052 | Chelsea | 1–0 | Arsenal | London |
| 16:00BST | Drogba 73' | Report | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 42,136 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 24 August 20053 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Fulham | London |
| 19:45BST | Cygan 32',90+1' Henry 53',82' | Report | Jensen 22' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,867 Referee:Mark Clattenburg |
| 10 September 20054 | Middlesbrough | 2–1 | Arsenal | Middlesbrough |
| 17:15BST | Yakubu 40' Maccarone 59' | Report | Reyes 90+3' | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 28,075 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 19 September 20055 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Everton | London |
| 20:00BST | Campbell 11',30' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,121 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 24 September 20056 | West Ham United | 0–0 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00BST | Report | Stadium:Upton Park Attendance: 34,742 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 2 October 20057 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Birmingham City | London |
| 13:30BST | Clemence 81' (o.g.) | Report | Cunningham 24' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,891 Referee:Chris Foy |
| 15 October 20058 | West Bromwich Albion | 2–1 | Arsenal | West Bromwich |
| 15:00BST | Kanu 37' Carter 76' | Report | Senderos 17' | Stadium:The Hawthorns Attendance: 26,604 Referee:Barry Knight |
| 22 October 20059 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Manchester City | London |
| 15:00BST | Pires 61' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,189 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 29 October 200510 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 13:00BST | King 17' | Report | Pires 77' | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,154 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 5 November 200511 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Sunderland | London |
| 15:00GMT | van Persie 12' Henry 36',82' | Report | Stubbs 75' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,210 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 19 November 200512 | Wigan Athletic | 2–3 | Arsenal | Wigan |
| 12:45GMT | Camara 28' Bullard 45' | Report | van Persie 11' Henry 21',41' | Stadium:JJB Stadium Attendance: 25,004 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 26 November 200513 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Blackburn Rovers | London |
| 15:00GMT | Fàbregas 4' Henry 45'van Persie 90' | Report | Stadium:Higbury Attendance: 38,192 Referee:Chris Foy |
| 3 December 200514 | Bolton Wanderers | 2–0 | Arsenal | Bolton |
| 15:00GMT | Faye 20' Giannakopoulos 32' | Report | Stadium:Reebok Stadium Attendance: 26,792 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 10 December 200515 | Newcastle United | 1–0 | Arsenal | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
| 17:15GMT | Solano 82' | Report | Gilberto | Stadium:St James' Park Attendance: 52,297 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 18 December 200516 | Arsenal | 0–2 | Chelsea | London |
| 16:00GMT | Report | Robben 39' J. Cole 73' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,347 Referee:Rob Styles |
| 26 December 200517 | Charlton Athletic | 0–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 12:45GMT | Murphy | Report | Reyes 58' | Stadium:The Valley Attendance: 27,111 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 28 December 200518 | Arsenal | 4–0 | Portsmouth | London |
| 19:45GMT | Bergkamp 7' Reyes 13'Henry 37',43' (pen.) | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,223 Referee:Mark Clattenburg |
| 31 December 200519 | Aston Villa | 0–0 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 12:45GMT | Report | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 37,114 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 3 January 200620 | Arsenal | 0–0 | Manchester United | London |
| 20:00GMT | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,313 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 14 January 200621 | Arsenal | 7–0 | Middlesbrough | London |
| 15:00GMT | Henry 20',30',68' Senderos 22'Pires 45+2'Silva 59'Hleb 84' | Report | Doriva 72' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,186 Referee:Rob Styles |
| 21 January 200622 | Everton | 1–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 12:45GMT | Beattie 13' | Report | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 36,920 Referee:Alan Wiley |
| 1 February 200623 | Arsenal | 2–3 | West Ham United | London |
| 20:00GMT | Henry 45' Pires 89' | Report | Reo-Coker 25' Zamora 32'Etherington 80' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,216 Referee:Mark Halsey |
| 4 February 200624 | Birmingham City | 0–2 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Adebayor 21' Henry 63' | Stadium:St Andrew's Attendance: 27,075 Referee:Mike Riley |
| 11 February 200625 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Bolton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00GMT | Silva 90+3' | Report | Nolan 12' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,193 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 14 February 200626 | Liverpool | 1–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 20:00GMT | Luis García 87' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,012 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 25 February 200627 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–0 | Arsenal | Blackburn |
| 15:00GMT | Pedersen 18' | Report | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 22,504 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 4 March 200628 | Fulham | 0–4 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00GMT | Report | Henry 31',77' Adebayor 35'Fàbregas 86' | Stadium:Craven Cottage Attendance: 22,397 Referee:Rob Styles |
| 12 March 200629 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00GMT | Henry 21',83' | Report | Luis García 76' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,221 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 18 March 200630 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Charlton Athletic | London |
| 15:00GMT | Pires 12' Adebayor 32'Hleb 49' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,223 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 1 April 200631 | Arsenal | 5–0 | Aston Villa | London |
| 15:00BST | Adebayor 19' Henry 25',46'van Persie 71'Diaby 80' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,183 Referee:Mark Atkinson |
| 9 April 200632 | Manchester United | 2–0 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 16:00BST | Rooney 54' Park 78' | Report | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 70,908 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 12 April 200633 | Portsmouth | 1–1 | Arsenal | Portsmouth |
| 20:00BST | LuaLua 66' | Report | Henry 36' | Stadium:Fratton Park Attendance: 20,230 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| 15 April 200634 | Arsenal | 3–1 | West Bromwich Albion | London |
| 15:00BST | Hleb 44' Pires 76'Bergkamp 89' | Report | Quashie 72' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,167 Referee:Mike Dean |
| 22 April 200635 | Arsenal | 1–1 | Tottenham Hotspur | London |
| 12:45BST | Henry 84' | Report | Keane 66' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,326 Referee:Steve Bennett |
| 1 May 200636 | Sunderland | 0–3 | Arsenal | Sunderland |
| 17:15BST | Report | Collins 29' (o.g.) Fàbregas 40'Henry 43' | Stadium:Stadium of Light Attendance: 44,003 Referee:Dermot Gallagher |
| 4 May 200637 | Manchester City | 1–3 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 19:45BST | Sommeil 38' | Report | Ljungberg 30' Reyes 78',84' | Stadium:City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 41,875 Referee:Graham Poll |
| 7 May 200638 | Arsenal | 4–2 | Wigan Athletic | London |
| 15:00BST | Pires 8' Henry 35',56',76' (pen.) | Report | Scharner 10' Thompson 33' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,359 Referee:Uriah Rennie |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Manchester United | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 72 | 34 | +38 | 83 | Qualification for theChampions League group stage |
| 3 | Liverpool | 38 | 25 | 7 | 6 | 57 | 25 | +32 | 82 | Qualification for theChampions League third qualifying round |
| 4 | Arsenal | 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 68 | 31 | +37 | 67 | |
| 5 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 53 | 38 | +15 | 65 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round[a] |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 19 | 6 | 13 | 51 | 42 | +9 | 63 |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 20 | 7 | 11 | 68 | 31 | +37 | 67 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 48 | 13 | +35 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 20 | 18 | +2 |
Source:[81]
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a 2–1 home win againstCardiff City on 7 January 2006, with both goals scored by Pires.[83] Arsenal facedBolton Wanderers the following round; an understrength team lost 1–0 after Giannakopulos headed in the winning goal, six minutes from the end of the match.[84]
| 7 January 2006Third round | Arsenal | 2–1 | Cardiff City | London |
| Pires 6',18' | Report | Jerome 87' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 36,552 Referee:Martin Atkinson |
| 28 January 2006Fourth round | Bolton Wanderers | 1–0 | Arsenal | Bolton |
| Giannakopulos 84' | Report | Stadium:Reebok Stadium Attendance: 13,326 Referee:Mike Dean |
Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round, where they were drawn away to Sunderland.[85] A 3–0 victory meant they progressed to the fourth round, where they beat First Division clubReading by an identical scoreline.[86][87] Extra time and penalties was required in Arsenal's fifth round tie againstDoncaster Rovers, after a 2–2 draw in 90 minutes. Two saves by goalkeeperManuel Almunia helped Arsenal win 3–1 on penalties and reach the semi-finals of the competition for the first time since 1998.[88] They faced Wigan Athletic, losing 1–0 in the first leg and in spite of winning the second leg 2–1 with a full strength team, Arsenal was eliminated on theaway goals rule.[89]
| 25 October 2005Third round | Sunderland | 0–3 | Arsenal | Sunderland |
| Report | Eboué 61' van Persie 67',87' (pen.) | Stadium:Stadium of Light Attendance: 47,366 Referee:Matt Messias |
| 29 November 2005Fourth round | Arsenal | 3–0 | Reading | London |
| Reyes 12' van Persie 42'Lupoli 65' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 36,167 Referee:Lee Mason |
| 21 December 2005Quarter-finals | Doncaster Rovers | 2–2 (a.e.t.) (1–3p) | Arsenal | Doncaster |
| McIndoe 2' Green 104' | Report | Owusu-Abeyie 63' Gilberto 120' | Stadium:Belle Vue Attendance: 10,006 Referee:Phil Dowd |
| 10 January 2006Semi-final, first leg | Wigan Athletic | 1–0 | Arsenal | Wigan |
| Scharner 78' | Report | Stadium:JJB Stadium Attendance: 12,181 Referee:Howard Webb |
| 24 January 2006Semi-final, second leg | Arsenal | 2–1 (a.e.t.) (2–2aagg.) | Wigan Athletic | London |
| 19:45GMT | Henry 65' van Persie 108' | Report | Roberts 119' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,086 Referee:Phil Dowd |
Arsenal qualified for the group stages of the Champions League in the2005–06 season on virtue of finishing runners-up in the Premier League the preceding season. They were drawn in Group B, along with Swiss'Thun, Czech clubSparta Prague andAjax of the Netherlands.[90] In spite of Van Persie's dismissal against Thun in the opening group match, Arsenal won 2–1, courtesy of a late goal by substitute Bergkamp.[91] A 2–1 win against Ajax[92] was followed by a 2–0 victory against Sparta Prague; Henry scored both goals to surpass Ian Wright's all-time leading scorer record.[93] A goal from Henry and two from Van Persie in the reverse fixture meant the club reached the knockout stages.[94] A win at Thun on 22 November 2005 ensured Arsenal topped the group; they ended the group stages with a draw at Highbury against Ajax.[95][96]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arsenal | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | +8 | 16 | Advance toknockout stage |
| 2 |  Ajax | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 6 | +4 | 11 | |
| 3 |  Thun | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 9 | −5 | 4 | Transfer toUEFA Cup |
| 4 |  Sparta Prague | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 9 | −7 | 2 |
| 14 September 20051 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Thun | London, England |
| 19:45BST | van Persie 45' Silva 51'Bergkamp 90+2' | Report | Ferreira 53' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 34,498 Referee:Grzegorz Gilewski (Poland) |
| 27 September 20052 | Ajax | 1–2 | Arsenal | Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| 20:45CET | Rosenberg 71' | Report | Ljungberg 2' Pires 69' (pen.) | Stadium:Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 47,820 Referee:Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain) |
| 18 October 20053 | Sparta Prague | 0–2 | Arsenal | Prague, Czech Republic |
| 20:45CET | Report | Henry 21',74' | Stadium:Stadion Letná Attendance: 12,528 Referee:Wolfgang Stark (Germany) |
| 2 November 20054 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Sparta Prague | London, England |
| 19:45GMT | Henry 23' van Persie 81',86' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,155 Referee:Alain Sars (France) |
| 22 November 20055 | Thun | 0–1 | Arsenal | Bern, Switzerland |
| 20:45CET | Deumi 35' | Report | Pires 88' (pen.) | Stadium:Stade de Suisse Attendance: 31,330 Referee:Lucílio Batista (Portugal) |
| 7 December 20056 | Arsenal | 0–0 | Ajax | London, England |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,376 Referee:Eduardo Iturralde González (Spain) |
The club facedReal Madrid in the last 16 – the first encounter between both clubs in the competition.[97] A solo goal by Henry at theSantiago Bernabéu in the first leg inflicted the home team's first defeat in 18 Champions League matches.[98] A disciplined display at home a fortnight after helped Arsenal to reach the quarter-finals and become the sole English representative left in the competition.[99]
| 21 February 2006First leg | Real Madrid | 0–1 | Arsenal | Madrid, Spain |
| 20:45CET | Report | Henry 47' | Stadium:Santiago Bernabéu Attendance: 80,000 Referee:Stefano Farina (Italy) |
| 8 March 2006Second leg | Arsenal | 0–0 (1–0agg.) | Real Madrid | London, England |
| 19:45GMT | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,487 Referee:Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia) |
At home to Juventus, Arsenal won 2–0 with goals from Fàbregas and Henry; the match was overshadowed by the return of former captain Vieira.[100] A goalless draw at theStadio delle Alpi meant the club progressed into the semi-finals againstVillarreal.[101]
| 28 March 2006First leg | Arsenal | 2–0 | Juventus | London, England |
| 19:45GMT | Fàbregas 40' Henry 69' | Report | Camoranesi 87' Zebina 89' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,472 Referee:Peter Fröjdfeldt (Sweden) |
| 5 April 2006Second leg | Juventus | 0–0 (0–2agg.) | Arsenal | Turin, Italy |
| 20:45CEST | Report | Stadium:Stadio delle Alpi Attendance: 50,000 Referee:Herbert Fandel (Germany) |
In the club's final European match at Highbury, Touré scored a first-half goal to give Arsenal a 1–0 win over Villareal.[102] A late penalty save by goalkeeper Lehmann in the second leg helped Arsenal become the first London club to reach a Champions League final.[103] The result, another goalless draw was Arsenal's tenth clean sheet in a row – a new competition record.[104] Campbell, returning from injury praised the team performance in his post-match interview: "It's brilliant for us. It's also great for the manager Arsène Wenger to get to the final in France – I'm sure he will get a great reception."[105]
| 19 April 2006First leg | Arsenal | 1–0 | Villarreal | London, England |
| 19:45BST | Touré 41' | Report | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 35,438 Referee:Konrad Plautz (Austria) |
| 25 April 2006Second leg | Villarreal | 0–0 (0–1agg.) | Arsenal | Villarreal, Spain |
| 20:45CEST | Report | Stadium:Estadio El Madrigal Attendance: 22,000 Referee:Ivan Ivanov (Russia) |
In the final against Barcelona at theStade de France inSaint-Denis, Paris, Arsenal fielded a 4–5–1 formation, with Eboué replacing the injuredLauren, and Cole making a return at left-back for Flamini.[106]
Lehmann was sent off in 18th minute for a professional foul on strikerSamuel Eto'o.[106] Wenger reacted by substituting Pires for goalkeeperManuel Almunia, altering the formation.[106] In spite of the disadvantage, Arsenal took the lead in the 37th minute, after Henry's free kick was headed in by Campbell.[106] Henry missed a chance in the second half to give Arsenal a two-nil lead before Eto'o equalised with 14 minutes left.[106] SubstituteHenrik Larsson set upJuliano Belletti to score the winner for Barcelona.[106] Wenger used his post-match press conference to criticise refereeTerje Hauge for sending off Lehmann, a view later shared by club captain Henry and FIFA presidentSepp Blatter.[107]
| 17 May 2006Final | Barcelona | 2–1 | Arsenal | Paris, France |
| 20:45CEST | Oleguer 69'Eto'o 76'Belletti 81'Larsson 90+3' | Report | Lehmann 18' Eboué 22'Campbell 37'Henry 51' | Stadium:Stade de France Attendance: 79,610 Referee:Terje Hauge (Norway) |
Arsenal used a total of 34 players during the 2005–06 season and there were 16 different goalscorers. There were also six squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. The team played in a 4–4–2 formation for much of the season, though Wenger deployed a 4–5–1 formation in Europe – a five-man midfield with Ljungberg playing behind the main striker Henry.[108][109] Fàbregas featured in 50 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign; Lehmann started in all 38 league matches.
The team scored a total of 96 goals in all competitions. The highest scorer was Henry, with 33 goals, followed by Van Persie and Pires who both scored 11 goals. Four Arsenal players were sent off during the season: Lehmann, Fàbregas, Van Persie and Gilberto.
No. = Squad number Pos = Playing position Nat. = Nationality Apps = Appearances | GK =Goalkeeper DF =Defender MF =Midfielder FW =Forward |
|
Numbers in parentheses denote appearances assubstitute. Players with number struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season. Players with names in italics and marked * were on loan from another club for the whole of their season with Arsenal.
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | Community Shield | Champions League | Total | Discipline | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  | ||||
| 1 | GK |  GER | Jens Lehmann | 38 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 47 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | MF |  FRA | Abou Diaby | 9 (3) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 11 (5) | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Ashley Cole | 9 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 (2) | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | FRA | Robert Pires | 23 (10) | 7 | 1 | 2 | (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 (5) | 2 | 32 (16) | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | MF |  SWE | Freddie Ljungberg | 21 (4) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 32 (4) | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | FW |  ESP | José Antonio Reyes | 22 (4) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | (1) | 0 | 11 (1) | 0 | 38 (6) | 6 | 9 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | NED | Dennis Bergkamp | 8 (16) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 (3) | 1 | 12 (19) | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | FW | NED | Robin van Persie | 13 (11) | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 (1) | 4 | (1) | 0 | 3 (4) | 2 | 21 (17) | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| 12 | DF |  CMR | Lauren | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 (1) | 0 | 30 (1) | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| 13 | MF |  BLR | Alexander Hleb | 17 (8) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 9 (1) | 0 | 30 (10) | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | FW | FRA | Thierry Henry | 30 (2) | 27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10 (1) | 5 | 42 (3) | 33 | 5 | 0 |
| 15 | MF | ESP | Cesc Fàbregas | 30 (5) | 3 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 (3) | 1 | 41 (9) | 5 | 7 | 1 |
| 16 | MF | FRA | Mathieu Flamini | 19 (12) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 (1) | 0 | 35 (14) | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | CMR | Alex Song* | 3 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 6 (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | DF | FRA | Pascal Cygan | 11 (1) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 2 (1) | 0 | 16 (4) | 2 | 7 | 0 |
| 19 | MF |  BRA | Gilberto Silva | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | (1) | 0 | 10 | 1 | 47 (1) | 4 | 4 | 1 |
| 20 | DF | SUI | Philippe Senderos | 19 (1) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 34 (1) | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | DF | FRA | Gaël Clichy | 5 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 7 (4) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 23 | DF | ENG | Sol Campbell | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | GK | ESP | Manuel Almunia | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 (1) | 0 | 12 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FW | ENG | David Bentley † | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 25 | FW |  TOG | Emmanuel Adebayor | 12 (1) | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 (1) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| FW | NED | Quincy Owusu-Abeyie † | (4) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 (2) | 0 | 5 (7) | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 27 | DF |  CIV | Emmanuel Eboué | 11 (7) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 (2) | 0 | 24 (9) | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 28 | DF | CIV | Kolo Touré | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 46 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 29 | MF | SWE | Sebastian Larsson | 2 (1) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 2 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 (4) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DF | ENG | Justin Hoyte | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 33 | FW |  DEN | Nicklas Bendtner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (3) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MF |  IRL | Patrick Cregg † | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 36 | DF | SUI | Johan Djourou | 6 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 (1) | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 38 | DF | ENG | Kerrea Gilbert | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 7 (2) | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 41 | FW |  ITA | Arturo Lupoli | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 44 | MF | ENG | Fabrice Muamba | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 45 | FW | IRL | Anthony Stokes | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Own Goals | 2 | ||||||||||||||||
Source:[110]
You have to wonder why they did that penalty. Because they have so many penalties in the season, that's why. They have to do something special and different.
