Jump to content

2011–12 Arsenal F.C. season

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 102.252.64.95 (talk) at 19:36, 21 June 2020 (Matches). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Arsenal
2011–12 season
ChairmanPeter Hill-Wood
ManagerArsène Wenger
StadiumEmirates Stadium
Premier League3rd
FA CupFifth round
League CupQuarter-finals
UEFA Champions LeagueRound of 16
Top goalscorerLeague: Robin van Persie (30)
All: Robin van Persie (37)
Highest home attendance60,111 (vs. Chelsea, 21 April 2012, Premier League)
Lowest home attendance46,539 (vs. Shrewsbury Town, 20 September 2011, League Cup)
Average home league attendance59,313
(in all competitions)

The 2011–12 season was Arsenal's 20th season in the Premier League, and also marked the club's 125th anniversary.[1] In the Premier League, Arsenal struggled to recover from a poor start to the season. Though they did finish the season in the final qualification berth for the next season's UEFA Champions League. Arsenal's UEFA Champions League campaign once again proved unsuccessful, falling at the first hurdle in the knockout stage, with a 4–0 defeat at Milan ultimately proving fatal. Exiting the FA Cup at the fifth round stage at the hands of Sunderland, and the League Cup in the quarter-finals against Manchester City, the two domestic cups were also out of Arsenal's reach.

Arsenal finished the season in third place after winning their last league match 3–2 against West Bromwich Albion on 13 May 2012.[2] It was the first season since the invincibles in 2003–04 which Arsenal finished the top London club in the league, or in which Arsenal finished ahead of Chelsea.

Review

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. In the match, 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. Łukasz Fabiański was injured in the 25th minute and replaced by Vito Mannone.

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, equaling 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. Arsenal were still outside the Premier League top three, and it fell to Laurent Koscielny to score in the 54th minute to secure victory and 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.

Key events

Players

Squad information

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

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. Pos. Nation Player
33 FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Benik Afobe
34 MF Nigeria NGA Chuks Aneke
35 FW Ghana GHA Zak Ansah
37 DF Ghana GHA Daniel Boateng
38 DF England ENG George Brislen-Hall
40 MF England ENG Craig Eastmond
43 DF Switzerland SUI Sead Hajrović
44 MF Ireland EIR Conor Henderson
45 DF Trinidad and Tobago TRI Gavin Hoyte
47 GK Ireland EIR Sean McDermott
48 MF Jamaica JAM Jernade Meade
49 DF Spain ESP Ignasi Miquel
No. Pos. Nation Player
50 FW Ireland EIR Rhys Murphy
51 FW Jamaica JAM Nigel Neita
53 MF Turkey TUR Oğuzhan Özyakup
55 MF Jamaica JAM Sanchez Watt
56 DF Cyprus CYP Nico Yennaris
57 DF Switzerland SUI Martin Angha
58 MF Netherlands NED Kyle Ebecilio
59 GK Argentina ARG Emiliano Martínez
60 DF Switzerland SUI Elton Monteiro
61 MF England ENG Josh Rees
62 GK England ENG James Shea
64 GK England ENG Ray Ainston
65 FW Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Dijae Moketonga

Club

Coaching staff

This is Arsène Wenger's 16th season with Arsenal
Position Staff
Manager France Arsène Wenger
Assistant manager Northern Ireland Pat Rice
First team coach Bosnia and Herzegovina Boro Primorac
Goalkeeping coach Republic of Ireland Gerry Peyton
Fitness coach England Tony Colbert
Physiotherapist England Colin Lewin
Club doctor Republic of Ireland Gary O'Driscoll
Kit manager England Vic Akers
England Paul Johnson
Chief scout England Steve Rowley

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

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

Updated to match played 11 May 2010
Source: Arsenal F.C.

Competitions

Overall

Competition Started round Final
position / round
First match Last match
Premier League 3rd 13 August 13 May
UEFA Champions League Play-off round Round of 16 16 August 6 March
Football League Cup 3rd round Quarter-finals 20 September 29 November
FA Cup 3rd round 5th round 9 January 18 February

Updated to match played 13 May 2012
Source: Competitions

Pre-season

Friendlies

13 July 2011[75] Malaysia XI Malaysia 0–4 England 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
16 July 2011[76][deprecated source] Hangzhou Greentown China 1–1 England Arsenal Yiwu, China
19:30 CST
(12:30 BST)
Vázquez 16' Report Vela 45' Stadium: Meihu Sports Centre
Attendance: 20,583
23 July 2011[77] 1. FC Köln Germany 1–2 England 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

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts
1 United States New York Red Bulls 2 1 1 0 2 1 +1 4
2 France Paris Saint-Germain 2 1 0 1 3 1 +2 3
3 England Arsenal 2 0 2 0 3 3 0 2
4 Argentina Boca Juniors 2 0 1 1 2 5 −3 1
Source: [78]
Rules for classification: Three points were awarded for a win, and one point for a draw. Unlike previous Emirates Cups, no points were awarded for goals scored.[79]

Eusébio Cup

6 August 2011[81] Eusébio Cup Benfica Portugal 2–1 England 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

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Manchester City (C) 38 28 5 5 93 29 +64 89 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Manchester United 38 28 5 5 89 33 +56 89
3 Arsenal 38 21 7 10 74 49 +25 70
4 Tottenham Hotspur 38 20 9 9 66 41 +25 69 Qualification for the Europa League group stage[a]
5 Newcastle United 38 19 8 11 56 51 +5 65 Qualification for the Europa League play-off round[a]
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Chelsea won the Champions League and thus qualified for the group stage as defending champions, forfeiting their spot in the Europa League as the FA Cup winners. This meant that Tottenham were to compete in the Europa League group stage, since, pursuant to the rules, only four clubs from the Premier League could play in the Champions League.

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
38 21 7 10 74 49  +25 70 12 4 3 39 17  +22 9 3 7 35 32  +3

Last updated: 13 May 2012.
Source: Premier League

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA
ResultDLLWLWLWWWWWDWWLWDWLLLDWWWWWWWLWWLDDDW
Position91417121713151011127765555545557644443333333333
Updated to match(es) played on 13 May 2012. Source: Competitive Matches
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

Matches

13 August 2011 1 Newcastle United 0–0 Arsenal Newcastle upon Tyne
17:30 BST Coloccini Yellow card 45+1'
Tioté Yellow card 67'
Barton Yellow card 76'
Report Yellow card 29' Song
Yellow card 48' Gibbs
Yellow card 52' Rosický
Red card 76' Gervinho
Yellow card 78' Szczęsny
Yellow card 90+1' Vermaelen
Stadium: St James' Park
Attendance: 46,894
Referee: Peter Walton
20 August 2011 2 Arsenal 0–2 Liverpool London
12:45 BST Frimpong Yellow card 8' Yellow-red card 70'
Lansbury Yellow card 89'
Report Yellow card 28' Carroll
Yellow card 45' Lucas
78' (o.g.) Ramsey
90' Suárez
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,090
Referee: Martin Atkinson
28 August 2011 3 Manchester United 8–2 Arsenal Manchester
16:00 BST Welbeck 22'
Young Yellow card 26', 28', 90+1'
Evans Yellow card 26'
Rooney 41', 64', 82' (pen.)
Nani 69'
Park 70'
Report Yellow card 14' Arshavin
Yellow card 39' Red card 76' Jenkinson
45+3' Walcott
Yellow card 62' Djourou
soccer ball with red X 27' 74' Van Persie
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 75,448
Referee: Howard Webb
10 September 2011 4 Arsenal 1–0 Swansea City London
15:00 BST Arshavin 40'
Walcott Yellow card 48'
Koscielny Yellow card 52'
Arteta Yellow card 77'
Report Yellow card 24' Agustien
Yellow card 68' Caulker
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,087
Referee: Stuart Attwell
17 September 2011 5 Blackburn Rovers 4–3 Arsenal Blackburn
12:45 BST Yakubu 25', 59'
Song 50' (o.g.)
Dann Yellow card 67'
Koscielny 69' (o.g.)
Olsson Yellow card 74'
Report 10' Gervinho
34' Arteta
Yellow card 57' Djourou
85' Chamakh
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 22,637
Referee: Andre Marriner
24 September 2011 6 Arsenal 3–0 Bolton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Van Persie 46', 71'
Song 89'
Report Red card 55' Wheater
Yellow card 58' Steinsson
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,727
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
2 October 2011 7 Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Arsenal London
16:00 BST Van der Vaart Yellow card 27', 40'
Walker 73'
Parker Yellow card 74'
Report Yellow card 32' Mertesacker
51' Ramsey
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 36,274
Referee: Mike Dean
16 October 2011 8 Arsenal 2–1 Sunderland London
13:30 BST Van Persie 1', 83', Yellow card 83'
Song Yellow card 57'
Koscielny Yellow card 63'
Report 31' Larsson
Yellow card 52' Vaughan
Yellow card 55' Larsson
Yellow card 61' Brown
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,078
Referee: Howard Webb
23 October 2011 9 Arsenal 3–1 Stoke City London
13:30 BST Gervinho 27'
Van Persie 73', 82'
Report Yellow card 31' Whitehead
34' Crouch
Yellow card 55' Wilkinson
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,671
Referee: Lee Mason
29 October 2011 10 Chelsea 3–5 Arsenal London
12:45 BST Lampard 14'
Terry 45'
Ivanović Yellow card 79'
Mata 80'
Meireles Yellow card 90+2'
Report 36', 85', 90+2', Yellow card 78' Van Persie
49' Santos
Yellow card 50' Szczęsny
55' Walcott
Yellow card 90+1' Song
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,801
Referee: Andre Marriner
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
19 November 2011 12 Norwich City 1–2 Arsenal Norwich
12:45 GMT Morison 16'
Bennett Yellow card 66'
Tierney Yellow card 81'
Holt Yellow card 86'
Report 26', 59' Van Persie Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 26,801
Referee: Phil Dowd
26 November 2011 13 Arsenal 1–1 Fulham London
17:30 GMT Santos Yellow card 28'
Vermaelen 82'
Report Yellow card 28' Zamora
Yellow card 45+1' Etuhu
65' (o.g.) Vermaelen
Yellow card 77' Senderos
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,043
Referee: Mike Dean
3 December 2011 14 Wigan Athletic 0–4 Arsenal Wigan
15:00 GMT Caldwell Yellow card 52'
Gohouri Yellow card 73'
Diamé Yellow card 88'
Report 28' Arteta
29' Vermaelen
Yellow card 57' Song
61' Gervinho
78' Van Persie
Yellow card 85' Coquelin
Stadium: DW Stadium
Attendance: 19,280
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
10 December 2011 15 Arsenal 1–0 Everton London
15:00 GMT Arteta Yellow card 16'
Ramsey Yellow card 38'
Van Persie 70'
Report Yellow card 24' Coleman
Yellow card 82' Distin
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,062
Referee: Howard Webb
18 December 2011 16 Manchester City 1–0 Arsenal Manchester
16:10 GMT Barry Yellow card 39'
Silva 53'
Agüero Yellow card 72'
Report Yellow card 11' Song
Yellow card 45' Koscielny
Yellow card 74' Arteta
Stadium: Etihad Stadium
Attendance: 47,303
Referee: Phil Dowd
21 December 2011 17 Aston Villa 1–2 Arsenal Birmingham
19:45 GMT Clark Yellow card 38'
Albrighton 54'
Hutton Yellow card 90+3' Yellow-red card 90+4'
Report 17' (pen.) Yellow card 78' Van Persie
Yellow card 27' Coquelin
Yellow card 45' Mertesacker
87' Benayoun
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 35,818
Referee: Jonathan Moss
27 December 2011 18 Arsenal 1–1 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 GMT Gervinho 8'
Vermaelen Yellow card 57'
Song Yellow card 69'
Report Yellow card 32' Johnson
38' Fletcher
Yellow card 73' Guedioura
Red card 75' Milijaš
Yellow card 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.[82]
31 December 2011 19 Arsenal 1–0 QPR London
15:00 GMT Vermaelen Yellow card 37'
Djourou Yellow card 40'
Van Persie 60'
Report Yellow card 27' Barton
Yellow card 54' Young
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,067
Referee: Martin Atkinson
2 January 2012 20 Fulham 2–1 Arsenal London
17:30 GMT Sidwell 85'
Zamora 90+3'
Report 21' Koscielny
Yellow card 63' Yellow-red card 78' Djourou
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 25,700
Referee: Lee Probert
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
22 January 2012 22 Arsenal 1–2 Manchester United London
16:00 GMT Ramsey Yellow card 43'
Van Persie 71', Yellow card 85'
Koscielny Yellow card 73'
Rosický Yellow card 86'
Song Yellow card 90+6'
Report Yellow card 44' Rafael
45+1' Valencia
81' Welbeck
Yellow card 90' Evra
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,093
Referee: Mike Dean
1 February 2012 23 Bolton Wanderers 0–0 Arsenal Bolton
20:00 GMT Steinsson Yellow card 39' Report Yellow card 37' Vermaelen Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Attendance: 24,371
Referee: Chris Foy
4 February 2012 24 Arsenal 7–1 Blackburn Rovers London
13:00 GMT Van Persie 2', 38', 62'
Koscielny Yellow card 31'
Oxlade-Chamberlain 40', 54'
Arteta 51'
Vermaelen Yellow card 85'
Dann 90+3' (o.g.)(Note)
Report Yellow card 15' Modeste
Yellow card 25' Nzonzi
31' Pedersen
Yellow card 40' Olsson
Red card 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[83]
11 February 2012 25 Sunderland 1–2 Arsenal Sunderland
15:00 GMT Richardson Yellow card 18'
Campbell Yellow card 44'
McClean 70'
Report 75' Ramsey
Yellow card 77' Rosický
90+1' Henry
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 40,312
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
26 February 2012 26 Arsenal 5–2 Tottenham Hotspur London
13:30 GMT Koscielny Yellow card 31'
Sagna 40'
Arteta Yellow card 42'
Van Persie 43', Yellow card 79'
Rosický 51'
Walcott 65', 68'
Report 4' Saha
Yellow card 29' Modrić
Yellow card 30' Yellow-red card 87' Parker
    34' (pen.) Adebayor
   Yellow card 61' Sandro
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,106
Referee: Mike Dean
3 March 2012 27 Liverpool 1–2 Arsenal Liverpool
12:45 GMT Koscielny 23' (o.g.) Report 31', 90+2' Van Persie
Yellow card 64' Vermaelen
Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 44,922
Referee: Mark Halsey
12 March 2012 28 Arsenal 2–1 Newcastle United London
20:00 GMT Van Persie 15', Yellow card 90+7'
Koscielny Yellow card 77'
Vermaelen 90+5'
Report 14' Ben Arfa
Yellow card 64' Tioté
Yellow card 86' Gutiérrez
Yellow card 90+7' Krul
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,095
Referee: Howard Webb
21 March 2012 29 Everton 0–1 Arsenal Liverpool
20:00 GMT Cahill Yellow card 52'
Pienaar Yellow card 61'
Report 8' Vermaelen
Yellow card 39' Sagna
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 30,330
Referee: Lee Mason
24 March 2012 30 Arsenal 3–0 Aston Villa London
15:00 GMT Gibbs 16'
Walcott 25'
Arteta 90+3'
Report Yellow card 15' Petrov
Yellow card 52' Warnock
Yellow card 70' Ireland
Yellow card 89' Collins
Yellow card 90+2' Lichaj
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,108
Referee: Phil Dowd
31 March 2012 31 QPR 2–1 Arsenal London
15:00 BST Taarabt 22', Yellow card 23'
Mackie Yellow card 62'
Diakité 66', Yellow card 90+4'
Ferdinand Yellow card 90'
Barton Yellow card 90+4'
Report 37' Walcott
Yellow card 62' Vermaelen
Yellow card 65' Song
Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 18,033
Referee: Mike Dean
8 April 2012 32 Arsenal 1–0 Manchester City London
16:00 BST Santos Yellow card 60'
Koscielny Yellow card 68'
Arteta 87'
Report Yellow card 2' Y. Touré
Yellow card 38' Yellow-red card 90' Balotelli
   Yellow card 56' Milner
   Yellow card 90+5' Zabaleta
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,096
Referee: Martin Atkinson
11 April 2012 33 Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–3 Arsenal Wolverhampton
19:45 BST Bassong Red card 8'
Doyle Yellow card 40'
Zubar Yellow card 57'
Kightly Yellow card 58'
Report Van Persie 9' (pen.)
Walcott 11'
Benayoun 69'
Stadium: Molineux
Attendance: 25,815
Referee: Neil Swarbrick
16 April 2012 34 Arsenal 1–2 Wigan Athletic London
20:00 BST Vermaelen 21'
Sagna Yellow card 33'
Song Yellow card 72'
Report 7' Di Santo
8' Gómez
Yellow card 59' Caldwell
Yellow card 90+1' Al-Habsi
Yellow card 90+5' McArthur
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,060
Referee: Andre Marriner
21 April 2012 35 Arsenal 0–0 Chelsea London
12:45 BST Rosický Yellow card 30'
Van Persie Yellow card 50'
Diaby Yellow card 76'
Report Yellow card 49' Malouda
Yellow card 54' Cahill
Yellow card 72' Boswinga
Yellow card 81' Cole
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,111
Referee: Mike Dean
28 April 2012 36 Stoke City 1–1 Arsenal Stoke-on-Trent
15:00 BST Whitehead Yellow card 3'
Crouch 9'
Report 15' Van Persie
Yellow card 63' Benayoun
Yellow card 67' Song
Stadium: Britannia Stadium
Attendance: 27,502
Referee: Chris Foy
5 May 2012 37 Arsenal 3–3 Norwich City London
12:45 BST Benayoun 2'
Ramsey Yellow card 20'
Vermaelen Yellow card 45+3'
Van Persie 72', 80'
Report 12', Yellow card 60' Hoolahan
27' Holt
Yellow card 30' Jackson
85' Morison
Yellow card 90+2' Wilbraham
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,092
Referee: Anthony Taylor
13 May 2012 38 West Bromwich Albion 2–3 Arsenal West Bromwich
15:00 BST Long 12'
Dorrans 15'
Report 4' Benayoun
30' Santos
Yellow card 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

16 August 2011 First leg Arsenal England 1–0 Italy Udinese London, England
19:45 BST Walcott 4', Yellow card 12'
Gibbs Yellow card 45'
Report Yellow card 2' Benatia
Yellow card 11' Neuton
Yellow card 71' Pinzi
Yellow card 79' Armero
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 58,159
Referee: Kevin Blom (Netherlands)
24 August 2011 Second leg Udinese Italy 1–2
(1–3 agg.)
England Arsenal Udine, Italy
19:45 BST Di Natale 39'
Isla Yellow card 52'
Benatia Yellow card 74'
Fabbrini Yellow card 87'
Report 55' Van Persie
Yellow card 58' Vermaelen
69', Yellow card 74' Walcott
Yellow card 70' Sagna
Yellow card 75' Jenkinson
Stadium: Stadio Friuli
Attendance: 25,687
Referee: Olegário Benquerença (Portugal)

Group stage

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 England Arsenal 6 3 2 1 7 6 +1 11 Advance to knockout phase
2 France Marseille 6 3 1 2 7 4 +3 10
3 Greece Olympiacos 6 3 0 3 8 6 +2 9 Transfer to Europa League
4 Germany Borussia Dortmund 6 1 1 4 6 12 −6 4
Source: Soccerway
13 September 2011 1 Borussia Dortmund Germany 1–1 England Arsenal Dortmund, Germany
19:45 BST Schmelzer Yellow card 76'
Perišić 88'
Bender Yellow card 90'+4'
Report 42' Van Persie
Yellow card 75' Sagna
Stadium: Signal Iduna Park
Attendance: 75,000
Referee: Gianluca Rocchi (Italy)
28 September 2011 2 Arsenal England 2–1 Greece Olympiacos London, England
19:45 BST Oxlade-Chamberlain 8'
Santos 20'
Rosický Yellow card 34'
Arteta Yellow card 77'
Report 27', Yellow card 70' Fuster
Yellow card 49' Holebas
Yellow card 85' Djebbour
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,676
Referee: Carlos Velasco Carballo (Spain)
19 October 2011 3 Marseille France 0–1 England Arsenal Marseille, France
19:45 BST Ayew Yellow card 14'
Diawara Yellow card 49'
Gignac Yellow card 84'
Report Yellow card 4' Song
Yellow card 16' Santos
Yellow card 74' Djourou
90+2' Ramsey
Stadium: Stade Vélodrome
Attendance: 24,534
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)
1 November 2011 4 Arsenal England 0–0 France Marseille London, England
19:45 GMT Rosický Yellow card 85' Report Yellow card 40' Diarra Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,961
Referee: Paolo Tagliavento (Italy)
23 November 2011 5 Arsenal England 2–1 Germany Borussia Dortmund London, England
19:45 GMT Van Persie 49', 86'
Walcott Yellow card 63'
Ramsey Yellow card 76'
Benayoun Yellow card 78'
Report Yellow card 53' Schmelzer
90+2' Kagawa
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,531
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)
6 December 2011 6 Olympiacos Greece 3–1 England Arsenal Piraeus, Greece
19:45 GMT Papadopoulos Yellow card 4'
Djebbour 16'
Holebas Yellow card 30'
Fuster 36'
Modesto 89'
Report 57' Benayoun
Yellow card 61' Frimpong
Yellow card 81' Oxlade-Chamberlain
Stadium: Karaiskakis Stadium
Attendance: 32,000
Referee: Alberto Mallenco (Spain)

Knockout phase

Round of 16
15 February 2012 First leg Milan Italy 4–0 England Arsenal Milan, Italy
19:45 GMT Boateng 15'
Robinho 38', 49'
Antonini Yellow card 45+3'
Mexès Yellow card 62'
Ibrahimović 79' (pen.)
Ambrosini Yellow card 81'
Report Yellow card 72' Song
Yellow card 78' Djourou
Stadium: San Siro
Attendance: 68,257
Referee: Viktor Kassai (Hungary)
6 March 2012 Second leg Arsenal England 3–0
(3–4 agg.)
Italy Milan London, England
19:45 GMT Koscielny 7'
Sagna Yellow card 13'
Gibbs Yellow card 15'
Rosický 26'
Van Persie 43' (pen.)
Song Yellow card 57'
Report Yellow card 5' Van Bommel
Yellow card 86' Nocerino
Yellow card 86' Ibrahimović
Yellow card 90+3' Abate
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,973
Referee: Damir Skomina (Slovenia)

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

FA Cup

9 January 2012 Third round Arsenal 1–0 Leeds United London
19:45 GMT Henry 78'
Arshavin Yellow card 90+2'
Report Yellow card 43' O'Dea
Yellow card 64' Townsend
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,615
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
29 January 2012 Fourth round Arsenal 3–2 Aston Villa London
16:00 GMT Van Persie 54' (pen.), 61' (pen.)
Walcott 57'
Koscielny Yellow card 80'
Report 33', Yellow card 44' Dunne
45+1' Bent
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,019
Referee: Mike Jones
18 February 2012 Fifth round Sunderland 2–0 Arsenal Sunderland
17:15 GMT Richardson 40'
Larrson Yellow card 66'
Gardner Yellow card 75'
Oxlade-Chamberlain 78' (o.g.)
Cattermole Yellow card 79'
Report Yellow card 39' Djourou
Yellow card 47' Sagna
Yellow card 57' Vermaelen
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 26,042
Referee: Howard Webb

Last updated: 18 February 2012
Source: Arsenal F.C.

League Cup

20 September 2011 Third round Arsenal 3–1 Shrewsbury Town London
19:45 BST Gibbs 33'
Oxlade-Chamberlain 58'
Benayoun 78'
Report 16' Collins
Yellow card 43' McAllister
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 46,539
Referee: Anthony Bates
25 October 2011 Fourth round Arsenal 2–1 Bolton Wanderers London
19:45 BST Squillaci Yellow card 27'
Arshavin 53'
Park 56'
Report 47' Muamba Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 56,628
Referee: Anthony Taylor
29 November 2011 Quarter-finals Arsenal 0–1 Manchester City London
20:00 GMT Report Yellow card 53' Hargreaves
83' Agüero
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,028
Referee: Lee Probert

Last updated: 29 November 2011
Source: Arsenal F.C.

Squad statistics

Appearances and goals

As of 13 May 2012
No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier League FA Cup League Cup Champions League
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK Spain ESP Manuel Almunia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2 MF France FRA Abou Diaby 5 0 0+4 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0
3 DF France FRA Bacary Sagna 28 1 19+1 1 1+1 0 0 0 6 0
4 DF Germany GER Per Mertesacker 28 0 22 0 1 0 0 0 5 0
5 DF Belgium BEL Thomas Vermaelen 40 6 28+1 6 2 0 1+1 0 7 0
6 DF France FRA Laurent Koscielny 42 3 33 2 2 0 1 0 6 1
7 MF Czech Republic CZE Tomáš Rosický 38 2 19+9 1 1+1 0 0 0 5+3 1
8 MF Spain ESP Mikel Arteta 38 6 29 6 2+1 0 0 0 6 0
9 FW South Korea KOR Park Chu-young 6 1 0+1 0 0 0 3 1 1+1 0
10 FW Netherlands NED Robin van Persie 48 37 37+1 30 2 2 0 0 6+2 5
11 DF Brazil BRA André Santos 21 3 10+5 2 0 0 0 0 5+1 1
12 FW France FRA Thierry Henry 7 2 0+4 1 0+2 1 0 0 0+1 0
13 GK Poland POL Wojciech Szczęsny 48 0 38 0 1 0 0 0 9 0
14 FW England ENG Theo Walcott 46 11 32+3 8 1+2 1 0 0 8 2
15 FW England ENG Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 26 4 6+10 2 3 0 3 1 3+1 1
16 MF Wales WAL Aaron Ramsey 44 3 27+7 2 3 0 0 0 5+2 1
17 MF Cameroon CMR Alex Song 46 1 34+0 1 3 0 0 0 9 0
18 DF France FRA Sébastien Squillaci 6 0 0+1 0 1+1 0 2 0 1 0
19 MF England ENG Jack Wilshere 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
20 DF Switzerland SUI Johan Djourou[84] 27 0 14+4 0 1 0 2 0 2+4 0
21 GK Poland POL Łukasz Fabiański 6 0 0 0 2 0 3 0 1 0
23 MF Russia RUS Andrey Arshavin [L] 27 2 8+11 1 1 0 1+1 1 3+2 0
24 GK Italy ITA Vito Mannone [L] 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0
25 DF England ENG Carl Jenkinson 14 0 5+4 0 0 0 1 0 3+1 0
26 MF Ghana GHA Emmanuel Frimpong 14 0 3+3 0 0 0 3 0 3+2 0
27 FW Ivory Coast CIV Gervinho 37 4 19+9 4 1 0 0+1 0 6+1 0
28 DF England ENG Kieran Gibbs 22 2 15+1 1 0 0 1 1 4+1 0
29 FW Morocco MAR Marouane Chamakh[85] 19 1 1+10 1 1 0 2 0 3+2 0
30 MF Israel ISR Yossi Benayoun 25 6 10+9 4 0 0 3 1 2+1 1
31 FW Japan JPN Ryo Miyaichi [L] 2 0 0 0 0 0 0+2 0 0 0
34 MF England ENG Chuks Aneke [R] [L] 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0
37 DF England ENG Daniel Boateng [R] 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0
39 MF France FRA Francis Coquelin 17 0 6+4 0 3 0 3 0 1 0
46 MF England ENG Henri Lansbury [L] 2 0 0+2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
49 DF Spain ESP Ignasi Miquel [R] 9 0 1+3 0 1 0 3 0 0+1 0
52 FW Denmark DEN Nicklas Bendtner [L] 1 0 0+1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
53 MF Turkey TUR Oğuzhan Özyakup[86][R] 2 0 0 0 0 0 0+2 0 0 0
56 DF England ENG Nico Yennaris [R] 3 0 0+1 0 0+1 0 1 0 0 0
MF France FRA Samir Nasri [S] 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
DF Senegal SEN Armand Traoré[87] [S] 2 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0

[R]Reserve team player [L] – Out on loan [S] – Sold

Top scorers

Place Position Nationality Number Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup Champions League Total
1 FW Netherlands 10 Robin van Persie 30 2 0 5 37
2 FW England 14 Theo Walcott 8 1 0 2 11
3 MF Spain 8 Mikel Arteta 6 0 0 0 6
MF Israel 30 Yossi Benayoun 4 0 1 1 6
DF Belgium 5 Thomas Vermaelen 6 0 0 0 6
6 FW Ivory Coast 27 Gervinho 4 0 0 0 4
FW England 15 Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 2 0 1 1 4
8 DF France 6 Laurent Koscielny 2 0 0 1 3
MF Wales 16 Aaron Ramsey 2 0 0 1 3
DF Brazil 11 André Santos 2 0 0 1 3
11 MF Russia 23 Andrey Arshavin 1 0 1 0 2
DF England 28 Kieran Gibbs 1 0 1 0 2
FW France 12 Thierry Henry 11 1 0 0 21
MF Czech Republic 7 Tomáš Rosický 1 0 0 1 2
15 FW Morocco 29 Marouane Chamakh 1 0 0 0 1
FW South Korea 9 Park Chu-young 0 0 1 0 1
DF France 3 Bacary Sagna 1 0 0 0 1
MF Cameroon 17 Alex Song 1 0 0 0 1
TOTALS 72 4 5 13 94

1Thierry Henry originally had 3 goals accredited to his name, but the seventh goal in Arsenal's 7–1 win over Blackburn Rovers was given as an own goal to Scott Dann. This takes his club figure down to 228 goals.[83]

Disciplinary record

Number Nationality Position Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup Champions League Total
Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card Yellow card Red card
20 Switzerland DF Johan Djourou 4 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 7 1
26 Ghana MF Emmanuel Frimpong 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1
25 Finland DF Carl Jenkinson 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 1
27 Ivory Coast FW Gervinho 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
17 Cameroon MF Alex Song 10 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 13 0
6 France DF Laurent Koscielny 9 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 10 0
5 Belgium DF Thomas Vermaelen 7 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 9 0
10 Netherlands FW Robin van Persie 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
7 Czech Republic MF Tomáš Rosický 4 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 6 0
3 France DF Bacary Sagna 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 0 6 0
8 Spain MF Mikel Arteta 4 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 5 0
16 Wales MF Aaron Ramsey 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
14 England FW Theo Walcott 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 4 0
28 England DF Kieran Gibbs 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 3 0
11 Brazil DF André Santos 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 3 0
23 Russia MF Andrey Arshavin 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
30 Israel MF Yossi Benayoun 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 2 0
39 France MF Francis Coquelin 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
4 Germany DF Per Mertesacker 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
13 Poland GK Wojciech Szczęsny 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
15 England FW Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0
2 France MF Abou Diaby 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
46 England MF Henri Lansbury 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
18 France DF Sébastien Squillaci 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0
TOTALS 66 4 5 0 1 0 22 0 94 4

Captains

No. P Name Country No. games Notes
10 FW van Persie Netherlands 45 Club captain
5 DF Vermaelen Belgium 4 Club vice captain
17 MF Alex Song Cameroon 1 Club 3rd captain
8 MF Arteta Spain 1
7 MF Rosický Czech Republic 1
20 DF Djourou Switzerland 1
30 MF Benayoun Israel 1

Last updated: 13 May 2012
Source: Competitive match reports.
Competitive matches only
Matches started as captain only
Country: FIFA nationality; No.: Squad number; P: Position; Name: Player name; No. Games: Number of games started as captain.

Transfers

In

# Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Team Source
25 DF England Carl Jenkinson England Charlton Athletic £1,000,000 8 June 2011 First-team [5]
MF Spain Jon Toral Spain Barcelona £350,000 1 July 2011 Academy [88]
DF Spain Héctor Bellerín Spain Barcelona £400,000 1 July 2011 Academy [88]
27 FW Ivory Coast Gervinho France Lille £10,500,000 11 July 2011 First-team [6]
15 FW England Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain England Southampton £12,000,000 8 August 2011 First-team [8]
FW Costa Rica Joel Campbell Costa Rica Deportivo Saprissa £900,000 19 August 2011 First-team [71]
9 FW South Korea Park Chu-young France Monaco £1,800,000 30 August 2011 First-team [13]
11 DF Brazil André Santos Turkey Fenerbahçe £6,200,000 31 August 2011 First-team [14]
4 DF Germany Per Mertesacker Germany Werder Bremen £8,000,000 31 August 2011 First-team [15]
8 MF Spain Mikel Arteta England Everton £10,000,000 31 August 2011 First-team [16]
MF Germany Thomas Eisfeld Germany Borussia Dortmund £420,000 31 January 2012 Reserves [89]
MF England Tarum Dawkins England Luton Town Undisclosed 2 March 2012 Academy [90]

Total spending: Decrease £51,570,000

Out

# Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Source
13 GK Germany Jens Lehmann Retired N/A 1 July 2011 [91]
38 DF England Thomas Cruise England Torquay United Free transfer 1 July 2011 [92]
54 MF England Mark Randall England Chesterfield Free transfer 1 July 2011 [93]
39 FW England Roarie Deacon England Sunderland Free transfer 1 July 2011 [94]
22 DF France Gaël Clichy England Manchester City £7,000,000 4 July 2011 [7]
41 MF England Jay Emmanuel-Thomas England Ipswich Town £1,100,000 26 July 2011 [95]
MF England Jamie Edge England West Bromwich Albion Free transfer 2 August 2011 [96]
4 MF Spain Cesc Fàbregas Spain Barcelona £35,000,000 15 August 2011 [4]
27 DF Ivory Coast Emmanuel Eboué Turkey Galatasaray £3,000,000 16 August 2011 [9]
8 MF France Samir Nasri England Manchester City £25,000,000 24 August 2011 [10]
30 DF Senegal Armand Traoré England Queens Park Rangers £1,500,000 30 August 2011 [11]
54 FW France Gilles Sunu France Lorient £1,300,000 31 August 2011 [97]
41 FW England Luke Freeman England Stevenage Undisclosed 10 January 2011 [98]

Total income: Increase £73,900,000

Loan in

Squad # Position Player Loaned from Date Loan expires Team Source
30 MF Israel Yossi Benayoun England Chelsea 31 August 2011 End of the season First-team [17]
12 FW France Thierry Henry United States New York Red Bulls 6 January 2012 16 February 2012 First-team [99]

Loan out

Squad # Position Player Loaned to Date Loan expires Source
FW Brazil Wellington Spain Levante 10 July 2011 End of the season [100]
15 MF Brazil Denílson Brazil São Paulo 19 July 2011 End of the season [19]
GK England James Shea England Dagenham and Redbridge 26 July 2011 5 December 2011[101] [102]
MF Bolivia Samuel Galindo Spain Gimnàstic de Tarragona 4 August 2011 End of the season [103]
DF England Kyle Bartley Scotland Rangers 5 August 2011 End of the season [104]
11 FW Mexico Carlos Vela Spain Real Sociedad 16 August 2011 End of the season [20]
DF Brazil Pedro Botelho Spain Rayo Vallecano 16 August 2011 End of the season [20]
46 MF England Henri Lansbury England West Ham United 31 August 2011 End of the season [105]
FW Costa Rica Joel Campbell France Lorient 31 August 2011 End of the season [106]
52 FW Denmark Nicklas Bendtner England Sunderland 31 August 2011 End of the season [18]
1 GK Spain Manuel Almunia England West Ham United 30 September 2011 31 October 2011[107] [108]
41 FW England Luke Freeman England Stevenage 18 November 2011 8 January 2012 [109]
34 MF England Chuks Aneke England Stevenage 22 November 2011 6 March 2012[110] [111]
55 FW England Sanchez Watt England Sheffield Wednesday 23 November 2011 16 January 2012[112] [113]
26 MF Ghana Emmanuel Frimpong England Wolverhampton Wanderers 1 January 2012 End of the season [114]
24 GK Italy Vito Mannone England Hull City 4 January 2012 End of the season [115]
43 DF Switzerland Sead Hajrović England Barnet 18 January 2012 18 February 2012 [116]
FW Brazil Wellington Spain Alcoyano 20 January 2012 End of the season [117]
37 DF Ghana Daniel Boateng England Swindon Town 20 January 2012 End of the season [118]
55 MF England Sanchez Watt England Crawley Town 26 January 2012 End of the season [119]
45 DF England Gavin Hoyte England AFC Wimbledon 27 January 2012 27 February 2012 [120]
50 FW Republic of Ireland Rhys Murphy England Preston North End 30 January 2012 End of the season [121]
31 FW Japan Ryo Miyaichi England Bolton Wanderers 31 January 2012 End of the season [122]
40 MF England Craig Eastmond England Wycombe Wanderers 21 February 2012 End of the season [123]
23 MF Russia Andrey Arshavin Russia Zenit St. Petersburg 25 February 2012 End of the season [124]
47 GK Republic of Ireland Sean McDermott England Leeds United 12 March 2012 12 April 2012 [125]
33 FW England Benik Afobe England Reading 22 March 2012 End of the season [126]
34 MF England Chuks Aneke England Preston North End 22 March 2012 End of the season [127]
56 DF England Nico Yennaris England Notts County 23 March 2012 End of the season [128]

Overall transfer activity