By Tony Attwood 22 September is indeed a day of curious games involving Arsenal. We’ve picked just four of them.
1897: Woolwich Arsenal were playing Loughborough in a United League game when the game was abandoned with 8½ minutes remaining – probably due to failing light. It was agreed that the remaining minutes be played on 18 December 1897 following the Football League fixture between the two clubs. Ten of the eleven players that played in the first fixture played in the second fixture, with Paddy Farrell playing in place of Frank McAvoy, thus making Farrell Arsenal’s first substitute in a league match!
1917: Arsenal were “away” to Tottenham but because Tottenham played their home matches at Highbury during the war, Tottenham chose to play this game at Clapton’s ground. 10,000 turned up and Arsenal won 2-1, making it four wins in a row.
2013: Arsenal 3 Stoke City 1. Arsenal had lost the first match of the season 1-3 to Aston Villa in highly controversial circumstances, but this was the seventh match in a row subsequent to the Villa game that Arsenal won. Arsenal ended the season 3rd and Villa 17th showing the first game doesn’t always mean that much.
2019: Arsenal became just the ninth side in Premier League history to win a match despite trailing by both a man and a goal at any point of the match. Arsenal beat Aston Villa 3-2. The result meant Arsenal had scored seven in the last three games, but only won one of them.
