1986–87 Arsenal F.C. season

The 1986–87 season saw the return to Arsenal of their former player George Graham as manager. Graham had been appointed just after the end of the previous season as successor to Don Howe who had resigned in late March. He had been a member of Arsenal's double winning team in 1971, but Arsenal had gone since 1979 without winning a major trophy, finishing seventh in the two seasons leading up to Graham's arrival and finishing as low as 10th in 1983.

Arsenal F.C.
1986–87 season
ChairmanPeter Hill-Wood
ManagerGeorge Graham
First Division4th
FA CupQuarter-finals
League CupWinners
Top goalscorerLeague: Martin Hayes (19)
All: Martin Hayes (24)

Arsenal started the season well and were top of the league by Christmas, but a 10-match winless run went against their title hopes in the second half of the season and they eventually finished fourth, with Everton finishing champions for the second time in three seasons. Compensation for the failed title bid came in the form of the club's first ever Football League Cup victory, which came with a 2–1 win over Liverpool in the Wembley final. Charlie Nicholas scored both of Arsenal's goals.

Tony Adams, the 20-year-old centre-half who played in every single game for Arsenal this season, was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. Striker Niall Quinn and wingers David Rocastle and Martin Hayes both became regular members of the first team this season, with Hayes finishing as Arsenal's top scorer with 24 goals.

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 (captain)
MF  ENG Steve Williams
DF  IRL David O'Leary
DF  ENG Tony Adams
MF  ENG David Rocastle
MF  ENG Paul Davis
FW  IRL Niall Quinn
FW  SCO Charlie Nicholas
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW  ENG Martin Hayes
MF  ENG Perry Groves
MF  ENG Graham Rix
MF  ENG Michael Thomas
DF  ENG Gus Caesar
GK  WAL Rhys Wilmot
MF  ENG Ian Allinson
FW  ENG Paul Merson
MF  ENG Stewart Robson

Results

First Division

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Liverpool 42 23 8 11 72 42 +30 77 Excluded from the 1987–88 UEFA Cup[lower-alpha 1]
3 Tottenham Hotspur 42 21 8 13 68 43 +25 71
4 Arsenal 42 20 10 12 58 35 +23 70 League Cup winners, excluded from the 1987–88 UEFA Cup[lower-alpha 1]
5 Norwich City 42 17 17 8 53 51 +2 68
6 Wimbledon 42 19 9 14 57 50 +7 66
Source:
Notes:
  1. All 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.
23 August 1986 1 Arsenal 1–0 Manchester United London
Nicholas Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 41,382
26 August 1986 2 Coventry City 2–1 Arsenal Coventry
Anderson Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 11,182
30 August 1986 3 Liverpool 2–1 Arsenal Liverpool
Mølby  19' (pen.)
Rush  57'
Adams Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 38,637
2 September 1986 4 Arsenal 2–0 Sheffield Wednesday London
Quinn
Adams
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 20,101
6 September 1986 5 Arsenal 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 44,707
13 September 1986 6 Luton Town 0–0 Arsenal Luton
Stadium: Kenilworth Road
Attendance: 9,876
20 September 1986 7 Arsenal 0–0 Oxford United London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 20,676
4 October 1986 9 Everton 0–1 Arsenal Liverpool
Williams Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 30,007
11 October 1986 10 Arsenal 3–1 Watford London
Groves
Hayes  pen.'
Quinn
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 24,076
25 October 1986 12 Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea London
Hayes  pen.'
Rocastle
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 32,990
8 November 1986 14 Arsenal 0–0 West Ham United London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 36,084
15 November 1986 15 Southampton 0–4 Arsenal Southampton
Hayes  pen.'
Anderson
Quinn
Groves
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 18,728
22 November 1986 16 Arsenal 3–0 Manchester City London
Quinn
Anderson
Adams
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 29,009
29 November 1986 17 Aston Villa 0–4 Arsenal Birmingham
Hayes
Groves
Rocastle
own goal
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 21,658
6 December 1986 18 Arsenal 3–1 Queens Park Rangers London
Hayes
Quinn
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 34,049
13 December 1986 19 Norwich City 1–1 Arsenal Norwich
Hayes  pen.' Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 21,409
20 December 1986 20 Arsenal 3–0 Luton Town London
Quinn
Adams
Hayes
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 28,217
26 December 1986 21 Leicester City 1–1 Arsenal Leicester
Hayes  pen.' Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 19,205
27 December 1986 22 Arsenal 1–0 Southampton London
Quinn Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,118
1 January 1987 23 Arsenal 3–1 Wimbledon London
Nicholas
Hayes  pen.'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 36,144
4 January 1987 24 Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal London
Adams
Davis
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 37,723
18 January 1987 25 Arsenal 0–0 Coventry City London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 17,561
24 January 1987 26 Manchester United 2–0 Arsenal Manchester
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 51,367
14 February 1987 27 Sheffield Wednesday 1–1 Arsenal Sheffield
Quinn Stadium: Hillsborough
Attendance: 24,792
25 February 1987 28 Oxford United 0–0 Arsenal Oxford
Stadium: Manor Ground
Attendance: 13,296
7 March 1987 29 Chelsea 1–0 Arsenal London
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 29,301
10 March 1987 30 Arsenal 0–1 Liverpool London
Rush  20' Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 47,777
17 March 1987 31 Arsenal 0–0 Nottingham Forest London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 18,352
21 March 1987 32 Watford 2–0 Arsenal Watford
Stadium: Vicarage Road
Attendance: 18,172
28 March 1987 33 Arsenal 0–1 Everton London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 36,218
8 April 1987 34 West Ham United 3–1 Arsenal London
Hayes  pen.' Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 26,174
11 April 1987 35 Arsenal 2–1 Charlton Athletic London
Davis
Hayes
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 26,111
14 April 1987 36 Arsenal 0–1 Newcastle United London
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 17,353
18 April 1987 37 Wimbledon 1–2 Arsenal London
Merson
Davis
Stadium: Plough Lane
Attendance: 8,515
20 April 1987 38 Arsenal 4–1 Leicester City London
Hayes  pen.'
Davis
Nicholas
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 18,767
25 April 1987 39 Manchester City 3–0 Arsenal Manchester
Stadium: Maine Road
Attendance: 18,072
2 May 1987 40 Arsenal 2–1 Aston Villa London
Hayes  pen.' Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 18,463
4 May 1987 41 Queens Park Rangers 1–4 Arsenal London
Rix
Merson
Davis
Stadium: Loftus Road
Attendance: 13,387
9 May 1987 42 Arsenal 1–2 Norwich City London
Merson Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 24,001

Football League Cup

23 September 1986 Second round
(1st Leg)
Arsenal 2–0 Huddersfield Town London
Davis
Quinn
Stadium: Highbury
7 October 1986 Second round
(2nd Leg)
Huddersfield Town 1–1
(1–3 agg.)
Arsenal Huddersfield
Hayes Stadium: Leeds Road
28 October 1986 Third round Arsenal 3–1 Manchester City London
Rocastle
Hayes (p)
Davis
Stadium: Highbury
18 November 1986 Fourth round Arsenal 2–0 Charlton Athletic London
Quinn
own goal
Stadium: Highbury
21 January 1987 Quarter-Final Arsenal 2–0 Nottingham Forest London
Nicholas
Hayes
Stadium: Highbury
8 February 1987 Semi-Final
(1st Leg)
Arsenal 0–1 Tottenham Hotspur London
Stadium: Highbury
1 March 1987 Semi-Final
(2nd Leg)
Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 (aet)
(2–2 agg.)
Arsenal London
Anderson
Quinn
Stadium: White Hart Lane
4 March 1987 Semi-Final
(replay)
Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal London
Allinson
Rocastle
Stadium: White Hart Lane
5 April 1987 Final Arsenal 2–1 Liverpool London
Nicholas (2) Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 96,000

FA Cup

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

10 January 1987 Third round Reading 1–3 Arsenal Reading
Senior  22' Nicholas  20', 52'
Hayes  36' (pen.)
Stadium: Elm Park
21 February 1987 Fifth round Arsenal 2–0 Barnsley London
Hayes (pen)
Nicholas
Stadium: Highbury
14 March 1987 Sixth round Arsenal 1–3 Watford London
Allinson  12' Blissett  23', 88'
Barnes  52'
Stadium: Highbury

Top scorers

First Division

References

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