1985–86 Arsenal F.C. season

Arsenal F.C.
1985–86 season
Chairman	Peter Hill-Wood
Manager	Don Howe (to 22 March) ; Steve Burtenshaw (caretaker, for remainder of season)
First Division	7th
FA Cup	Fifth Round
League Cup	Quarter-finals
Top goalscorer	League: Tony Woodcock (11); All: Charlie Nicholas (18)
	← 1984–85 1986–87 →

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	ENG	John Lukic
—	DF	ENG	Viv Anderson
—	DF	ENG	Kenny Sansom
—	MF	ENG	Stewart Robson
—	DF	IRL	David O'Leary
—	DF	ENG	Martin Keown
—	MF	ENG	Ian Allinson
—	MF	ENG	Paul Davis
—	FW	SCO	Charlie Nicholas
—	FW	ENG	Tony Woodcock
—	MF	ENG	Graham Rix


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	DF	ENG	Tommy Caton
—	MF	ENG	Steve Williams
—	MF	ENG	David Rocastle
—	FW	ENG	Martin Hayes
—	DF	ENG	Tony Adams (captain)
—	FW	IRL	Niall Quinn
—	DF	ENG	Chris Whyte
—	FW	ENG	Paul Mariner
—	DF	ENG	Gus Caesar
—	GK	WAL	Rhys Wilmot

Results

First Division

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
5	Sheffield Wednesday^[a]	42	21	10	11	63	54	+9	73	Disqualified from the UEFA Cup^[1]
6	Chelsea	42	20	11	11	57	56	+1	71
7	Arsenal	42	20	9	13	49	47	+2	69
8	Nottingham Forest	42	19	11	12	69	53	+16	68
9	Luton Town	42	18	12	12	61	44	+17	66

Source: World Football
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored
Notes:

^ Since Everton would have instead qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup qualification would have been passed down to Sheffield Wednesday.

17 August 1985 1	Liverpool	2–0	Arsenal	Liverpool
				Stadium: Anfield

20 August 1985 2	Arsenal	3–2	Southampton	London
				Stadium: Highbury

24 August 1985 3	Arsenal	1–2	Manchester United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

27 August 1985 4	Luton Town	2–2	Arsenal	Luton
				Stadium: Kenilworth Road

31 August 1985 5	Arsenal	1–0	Leicester City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

3 September 1985 6	Queen's Park Rangers	0–1	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: Loftus Road

7 September 1985 7	Coventry City	0–1	Arsenal	Coventry
				Stadium: Highfield Road

14 September 1985 8	Arsenal	1–0	Sheffield Wednesday	London
				Stadium: Highbury

21 September 1985 9	Chelsea	2–1	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: Stamford Bridge

28 September 1985 10	Arsenal	0–0	Newcastle United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

5 October 1985 11	Arsenal	3–2	Aston Villa	London
				Stadium: Highbury

12 October 1985 12	West Ham United	0–0	Arsenal	London
	Hayes pen.' Rocastle			Stadium: Upton Park

19 October 1985 13	Arsenal	1–0	Ipswich Town	London
				Stadium: Highbury

26 October 1985 14	Nottingham Forest	3–2	Arsenal	Nottingham
				Stadium: City Ground

2 November 1985 15	Arsenal	1–0	Manchester City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

9 November 1985 16	Everton	6–1	Arsenal	Liverpool
				Stadium: Goodison Park

16 November 1985 17	Arsenal	2–1	Oxford United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

23 November 1985 18	West Bromwich Albion	0–0	Arsenal	West Bromwich
				Stadium: The Hawthorns

30 November 1985 19	Arsenal	0–0	Birmingham City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

7 December 1985 20	Southampton	3–0	Arsenal	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell

14 December 1986 21	Arsenal	2–0	Liverpool	London
				Stadium: Highbury

21 December 1985 22	Manchester United	0–1	Arsenal	Manchester
				Stadium: Old Trafford

28 December 1985 23	Arsenal	3–1	Queen's Park Rangers	London
				Stadium: Highbury

1 January 1986 24	Arsenal	0–0	Tottenham Hotspur	London
				Stadium: Highbury

18 January 1986 25	Leicester City	2–2	Arsenal	Leicester
				Stadium: Filbert Street

1 February 1986 26	Arsenal	2–1	Luton Town	London
				Stadium: Highbury

1 March 1986 27	Newcastle United	1–0	Arsenal	Newcastle upon Tyne
				Stadium: St James' Park

8 March 1986 28	Aston Villa	1–4	Arsenal	Birmingham
				Stadium: Villa Park

11 March 1986 29	Ipswich Town	1–2	Arsenal	Ipswich
				Stadium: Portman Road

15 March 1986 30	Arsenal	1–0	West Ham United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

22 March 1986 31	Arsenal	3–0	Coventry City	London
				Stadium: Highbury

29 March 1986 32	Tottenham Hotspur	1–0	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: White Hart Lane

31 March 1986 33	Arsenal	0–2	Watford	London
				Stadium: Highbury

1 April 1986 34	Watford	3–0	Arsenal	London
				Stadium: Vicarage Road

5 April 1986 35	Manchester City	0–1	Arsenal	Manchester
				Stadium: Maine Road

8 April 1986 36	Arsenal	1–1	Nottingham Forest	London
				Stadium: Highbury

12 April 1986 37	Arsenal	0–1	Everton	London
				Stadium: Highbury

16 April 1986 38	Sheffield Wednesday	2–0	Arsenal	Sheffield
				Stadium: Hillsborough

26 April 1986 39	Arsenal	2–2	West Bromwich Albion	London
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 14,843

29 April 1986 40	Arsenal	2–0	Chelsea	London
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 24,025

3 May 1986 41	Birmingham City	0–1	Arsenal	Birmingham
				Stadium: St Andrew's Stadium Attendance: 6,234

5 May 1986 42	Oxford United	3–0	Arsenal	Oxford
				Stadium: Manor Ground Attendance: 13,651

Football League Cup

25 September 1985 Second round (1st Leg)	Hereford United	0–0	Arsenal	Hereford
				Stadium: Edgar Street

8 October 1985 Second round (2nd Leg)	Arsenal	2–1 (2–1 agg.)	Hereford United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

30 October 1985 Third round	Manchester City	1–2	Arsenal	Manchester
				Stadium: Maine Road

19 November 1985 Fourth round	Arsenal	0–0	Southampton	London
				Stadium: Highbury

26 November 1985 Fourth round (replay)	Southampton	0–3	Arsenal	Southampton
				Stadium: The Dell, Southampton

22 January 1986 Fifth round	Aston Villa	1–1	Arsenal	Birmingham
				Stadium: Villa Park

4 February 1986 Fifth round (replay)	Arsenal	1–2	Aston Villa	London
				Stadium: Highbury

^[2]

FA Cup

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

4 January 1986 Third round	Grimsby Town	3–4	Arsenal	Grimsby
				Stadium: Blundel Park

25 January 1986 Fourth round	Arsenal	5–1	Rotherham United	London
				Stadium: Highbury

15 February 1986 Fifth round	Luton Town	2–2	Arsenal	Luton
				Stadium: Kenilworth Road

3 March 1986 Fifth round (replay)	Arsenal	0–0	Luton Town	London
				Stadium: Highbury

5 March 1986 Fifth round (2nd replay)	Luton Town	3–0	Arsenal	Luton
				Stadium: Kenilworth Road

Top scorers

First Division

References

^ English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985, involving Liverpool fans.
^ https://www.11v11.com/teams/arsenal/tab/matches/season/1986/

External links

Arsenal 1985–86 on statto.com

[table_note_SHW0.71209160457928-2] Since Everton would have instead qualified for the European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup qualification would have been passed down to Sheffield Wednesday.

[1] English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985, involving Liverpool fans.

[3] ttps://www.11v11.com/teams/arsenal/tab/matches/season/1986/

[a]

[1]

[2]