by Tony Attwood
By and large new articles on Arsenal’s history which relate to a specific date are published on the anniversary of that date. But it seems rather churlish to wait another 364 days to celebrate the record breaking 10 away wins in a row, so it is being added to the files a day late – but obviously will pop up next year.
So, to help us all remember yesterday when its anniversary comes around, on 18 September 2013 Arsenal gained their 10th consecutive win in all major competitions – a club record.
To start, let’s take in a few other records.
Arsenal hold the record for the longest unbeaten away sequence in league football – that being 27 games from 5 April 2003 to 25 September 2004.
Arsenal also hold the record for the most away wins in the top division: 638, although I am not sure that this figure includes the 2013/14 season.
But now to move on to the issue of the most consecutive away wins. The record of 10 is a record for Arsenal, not for all clubs – we have a little further to go for that.
However here is something which I am not sure has been picked up elsewhere – the goals tally during these 10 consecutive victories.
In all Arsenal has scored 20 goals during this away run, and conceded just four.
Can I say that again in black and white, just for the hell of it? Well, I’m going to any way.
- 10 away wins out of ten
- Goals for: 20
- Goals against: 4
What’s more, this all time away wins record which stretches across 2012/13 and 2013/14 has come at a time when the manager was under unprecedented derision and criticism. On the morning after the achievement of the 10th game the matter was by and large ignored as a headline maker, the radio and press focussing on Chelsea instead. It was ever thus.
Here is a list of the games. The year is 2013…
- 13 March Beat Bayern Munich 2-0 (CL)
- 16 March Beat Swansea City 2-0
- 6 April Beat West Bromwich Albion 2-1
- 20 April Beat Fulham 1-0
- 4 May Beat Queens Park Rangers 1-0
- 19 May Beat Newcastle 1-0
- 21 August Beat Fenerbahce 3-0 (CL)
- 24 August Beat Fulham 3-1
- 14 September Beat Sunderland 3-1
- 18 September Beat Marseille 2-1 (CL)
- Games 10
- Wins 10
- Goals for 20
- Goals against 4
Quite what these people have been thinking in their criticism of Mr Wenger, Ramsey, Giroud, Theo, and virtually everyone else on the pitch is utterly beyond me.
For those who criticise the manager’s every move, this must be a difficult moment. But for most of us, it is rather a pleasant day.
Arsenal’s Anniversaries for 18 September
- 18 September 1930: William Harper returns for second spell with Arsenal
- 18 September 1953: Tommy Lawton signed from Brentford
- 18 September 1976: Stephen Hughes born
- 18 September 1994: Fifth game without a win in a row – Arsenal 2 Newcastle 3
- 18 September 1999: Thierry Henry scored first goal for Arsenal to beat Southampton 1-0
(The Anniversary File is now split in two, because of its size. January to June and July to December)
The books…
- Woolwich Arsenal: The club that changed football – Arsenal’s early years
- Making the Arsenal – how the modern Arsenal was born in 1910
- The Crowd at Woolwich Arsenal FC: crowd behaviour at the early matches
When I was young my dad said Rambo was fictional HOW WRONG WAS HE
Three of the four goals that have been conceded were pens!!!
COYG!!!
So the players and the managers must do something right after all ;)Long may it continue
And 3 of the 4 goals conceeded were panelties
I do think that Ramsey should be sent out on loan,(to get some experience), And why Oh why, do we persist with this Zonal marking at corners?? Its just a liability we concede from set pieces game after game, all the top TV pros know it does not work,why cant Wenger see it?
Any way we are just 5 or 6 player from being a top side COYG…………
Yes, it’s a great achievement. This team started to gel in the last few months of last season, and is developing well from that base.
Yes, an impressive string of results, it’s just a shame that recently Wenger can’t do it in the crunch games that bring in a trophy. Maybe this year will end that 8 year run.
For curiosity’s sake, what is the record for most consecutive away wins among all clubs – or at least among English ones? It would be good to know how much further we have to go to break more records….
Mike I have looked and can’t find it. The record Premier League away wins in a row is 11, held by Chelsea.
In looking at news headlines this morning (it’s only 7am in western Canada where I am), one newspaper said that Arsenal has not lost in 11 consecutive games against French opposition (7 wins 4 draws). The article was written before the game, so I did the arithmetic manually.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/430444/STAT-SPECIAL-Arsenal-go-in-search-of-Champions-League-away-record-against-Marseille
Mike,
Rather we won something a bit more tangible than a statisticians award!
Philbet: Man you are off your rocker!!!! You think we should loan out Ramsey?
When was the last goal we conceded at a set piece? In fact have u been watching us at all in the last year and a half?
4 goals conceded on lady 10 games, 3 were pens!
I thought the game was tonight but found out its Sunday night now, was planning my whole day, oh well have to wait another day!
COYG!!!
Hi Tony,
Thanks for this article.
Would you agree that, despite the win on penalties, the run is now over as last night’s game is classified as a draw?
Cheers,
Lee
No not at all. The laws of the game are absolute – a win caused by a penalty in normal time is a win as much as a win from a penalty shoot out at the end. There are not bigger or lesser wins.
Is the shootout not then considered to be outside of the actual result, statistically speaking? For example the ‘goals’ are not counted towards a player’s tally, but merely a way of deciding who goes through.
A bit pedantic I know, I just wondered of the history books will consider it a victory. Hope so.
Lee
You are correct. It is a draw with Arsenal winning on penalties. Result is officially given as 1-1, Arsenal win on penalties 4-3
If it was statistically a win it would be given as Arsenal 5 West Brom 4.
So the away run has ended.
Thanks Andrew, that was my interpretation too, as you could win a shootout after losing a game (in a two-legged game).