1980–81 Arsenal F.C. season

Arsenal F.C.
1980–81 season
Chairman	Denis Hill-Wood
Manager	Terry Neill
First Division	3rd
FA Cup	Third round
League Cup	Fourth round
Top goalscorer	League: ; Frank Stapleton (14); All: ; Frank Stapleton (16)
Highest home attendance	54,045 vs Tottenham Hotspur; (30 August 1980)
Lowest home attendance	17,431 vs Birmingham City; (31 March 1981)
Home colours	Away colours
	← 1979–80 1981–82 →

Pre-season and friendlies

Date	Opponents	Venue	Result	Score F–A	Scorers	Attendance
1 August 1980	Rangers	A	L	0–2		27,000
3 August 1980	Aberdeen	A	L	1–2	Stapleton
9 August 1980	Vasco da Gama	N	L	1–2	Talbot
10 August 1980	Partizan Belgrade	A	D	0–0

First Division

16 August 1980 1	West Bromwich Albion	0–1	Arsenal	West Bromwich
				Stadium: The Hawthorns

19 August 1980 2	Arsenal	1–1	Southampton	London
				Stadium: Highbury

23 August 1980 3	Coventry City	3–1	Arsenal	Coventry
				Stadium: Highfield Road

30 August 1980 4	Arsenal	2–0	Tottenham Hotspur	London
				Stadium: Highbury

6 September 1980 5	Manchester City	1–1	Arsenal	Manchester
				Stadium: Maine Road

13 September 1980 6	Arsenal	2–0	Stoke City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

20 September 1980 7	Middlesbrough	2–1	Arsenal	Middlesbrough
				Stadium: Ayresome Park

27 September 1980 8	Arsenal	1–0	Nottingham Forest	London
				Stadium: Highbury

4 October 1980 9	Arsenal	1–0	Leicester City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

7 October 1980 10	Birmingham City	3–1	Arsenal	Birmingham
				Stadium: St Andrews Stadium

11 October 1980 11	Manchester United	0–0	Arsenal	Manchester
				Stadium: Old Trafford

18 October 1980 12	Arsenal	2–2	Sunderland	London
				Stadium: Highbury

21 October 1980 13	Arsenal	3–1	Norwich City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

25 October 1980 14	Liverpool	1–1	Arsenal	Liverpool
				Stadium: Anfield

1 November 1980 15	Arsenal	2–0	Brighton & Hove Albion	London
				Stadium: Highbury

8 November 1980 16	Leeds United	0–5	Arsenal	Leeds
				Stadium: Elland Road

11 November 1980 17	Southampton	3–1	Arsenal	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell

15 November 1980 18	Arsenal	2–2	West Bromwich Albion	London
				Stadium: Highbury

22 November 1980 19	Arsenal	2–1	Everton	London
				Stadium: Highbury

29 November 1980 20	Aston Villa	1–1	Arsenal	Birmingham
				Stadium: Villa Park

6 December 1980 21	Arsenal	1–1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	London
				Stadium: Highbury

13 December 1980 22	Sunderland	2–0	Arsenal	Sunderland
				Stadium: Roker Park

20 December 1980 23	Arsenal	2–1	Manchester United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

26 December 1980 24	Crystal Palace	2–2	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: Selhurst Park

27 December 1980 25	Arsenal	1–1	Ipswich Town	London
				Stadium: Highbury

10 January 1981 26	Everton	1–2	Arsenal	Liverpool
				Stadium: Goodison Park

17 January 1981 27	Tottenham Hotspur	2–0	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: White Hart Lane

31 January 1981 28	Arsenal	2–2	Coventry City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

7 February 1981 29	Stoke City	1–1	Arsenal	Stoke on Trent
				Stadium: Victoria Ground

21 February 1981 30	Nottiingham Forest	3–1	Arsenal	Nottingham
				Stadium: City Ground

24 February 1981 31	Arsenal	2–0	Manchester City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

28 February 1981 32	Arsenal	2–2	Middlesbrough	London
				Stadium: Highbury

7 March 1981 33	Leicester City	1–0	Arsenal	Leicester
				Stadium: Filbert Street

21 March 1981 34	Norwich City	1–1	Arsenal	Norwich
				Stadium: Carrow Road

28 March 1981 35	Arsenal	1–0	Liverpool	London
				Stadium: Highbury

31 March 1981 36	Arsenal	2–1	Birmingham City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

4 April 1981 37	Brighton & Hove Albion	0–1	Arsenal	Brighton
				Stadium: Goldstone Ground

11 April 1981 38	Arsenal	0–0	Leeds United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

18 April 1981 39	Ipswich Town	0–2	Arsenal	Ipswich
				Stadium: Portman Road

20 April 1981 40	Arsenal	3–2	Crystal Palace	London
				Stadium: Highbury

25 April 1981 41	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–2	Arsenal	Wolverhampton
				Stadium: Molineux Stadium

2 May 1981 42	Arsenal	2–0	Aston Villa	London
				Stadium: Highbury

Football League Cup

26 August 1980 Second round (1st Leg)	Swansea City	1 – 1	Arsenal	Swansea
				Stadium: Vetch Field

2 September 1980 Second round (2nd Leg)	Arsenal	3 – 1 (4 – 2 agg.)	Swansea City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

22 September 1980 Third round	Stockport County	1 – 3	Arsenal	Stockport
				Stadium: Edgeley Park

4 November 1980 Fourth round	Tottenham Hotspur	1 – 0	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: White Hart Lane

FA Cup

Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round proper, in which they were drawn to face Everton.

3 January 1981 Third round	Everton	2 – 0	Arsenal	Liverpool
				Stadium: Goodison Park

Squad

^[1] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	NIR	Pat Jennings
—	DF	IRL	John Devine
—	DF	ENG	Kenny Sansom
—	MF	ENG	Brian Talbot
—	DF	IRL	David O'Leary
—	DF	SCO	Willie Young
—	MF	ENG	Steve Gatting
—	MF	ENG	John Hollins
—	FW	IRL	Frank Stapleton
—	FW	ENG	Alan Sunderland


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	MF	ENG	Graham Rix
—	DF	ENG	Steve Walford
—	MF	ENG	Brian McDermott
—	GK	SCO	George Wood
—	MF	ENG	David Price
—	MF	ENG	Paul Davis
—	MF	WAL	Peter Nicholas
—	FW	ENG	Paul Vaessen
—	DF	NIR	Pat Rice
—	DF	NIR	Sammy Nelson

Reserve squad

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


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	WAL	Rhys Wilmot
—	DF	ENG	Richie Powling
—	DF	ENG	Chris Whyte
—	DF	ENG	Nicky Law
—	MF	IRL	Paul Gorman

References

^ Arsenal and Man United in hunt for Germany U-21 ace. "Arsenal FC - Kader 1980/1981". Worldfootball.net. Retrieved 19 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[1] Arsenal and Man United in hunt for Germany U-21 ace. "Arsenal FC - Kader 1980/1981". Worldfootball.net. Retrieved 19 August 2012.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[1]

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