1987–88 Arsenal F.C. season

English football club season April 2022 November 2020 October 2013 Arsenal 1987–88 George Graham Peter Hill-Wood Highbury First Division 6th FA Cup Quarter-finals League Cup Runners-up Alan Smith (11) Alan Smith (16) 54,703 vs. Liverpool (15 August 1987) 18,321 vs. Doncaster Rovers (6 October 1987) 30,111 _arsenal8687h _arsenal8687h _arsenal8687h _arsenal8687h _arsenal8687hl FFFFFF FF0000 FFFFFF FFFFFF FF0000 _arsenal8687a _arsenal8687a _arsenal8687a _arsenal8687a _arsenal8687a FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF FFFFFF 1986–87 1988–89 The 1987–88 season was Arsenal Football Club's 62nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football.https://www.arsenal.com/news/features/48523/behind-the-numbers- All-time Arsenal James Josh 18 June 2013 Arsenal F.C. 22 June 2023 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230622042610/https://www.arsenal.com/news/features/48523/behind-the-numbers- 22 June 2023https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engall.html English Clubs Divisional Movements 1888–2016 Ross James Heneghan Michael Orford Stuart Culliton Eoin 25 August 2016 Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation 22 June 2023 live https://web.archive.org/web/20230622041929/https://www.rsssf.org/tablese/engall.html 22 June 2023 Arsenal finished sixth in the Football League First Division. Although the team again reached the final of the League Cup, Arsenal could not replicate the previous season's success, losing 3-2 to Luton Town. Arsenal lost in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup to Nottingham Forest. Arsenal saw several notable changes in the transfer market. Charlie Nicholas, hardly playing, departed and defender Viv Anderson left for Manchester United. Manager George Graham looked to strengthen Arsenal's defensive options, bringing in Nigel Winterburn at left-back and later in the season, Lee Dixon at right-back. Brian Marwood was also signed in the late window as an alternative to Martin Hayes, and soon formed a good relationship with striker Alan Smith. Michael Thomas and Paul Merson, Arsenal academy products, also became first team regulars. Near the end of the season, 21-year-old Tony Adams was named captain. Season summary After finishing fourth in the league and winning the Football League Cup a year earlier, Arsenal slipped to finish sixth. They did reach the League Cup final for the second year in a row. Although Arsenal took a 2–1 lead against Luton Town at Wembley, Nigel Winterburn missed a penalty which would have given them a 3–1 lead, and ended up losing the game 3–2. Arsenal were quarter-finalists in the FA Cup, losing to Nottingham Forest.Soar Phil Arsenal: Official History Tyler Martin Hamlyn 1995 0600588262 London 211–213 en In the league, Arsenal got off to a slow start, winning just one of their first five games, before going top of the table with a 10-match winning run. They won 14 consecutive games between 12 September and 17 November 1987, in all competitions, a club record at the time. However, Arsenal then went into freefall, winning just one of their next 11 league games. Injury to David O'Leary weakened the team's traditionally strong defense. Liverpool, the eventual league champion, easily won both their matches against Arsenal. Although their form improved during the final four months of the season, Arsenal could only manage a sixth-place finish. Young midfielders Michael Thomas and Paul Merson became regular members of the first team during this season. Defender Tony Adams, still only 21, succeeded Kenny Sansom as captain, on 6 March 1988 against Tottenham Hotspur at Highbury. Arsenal had agreed an £850,000 deal for Leicester City striker Alan Smith two months before the end of the previous season, although he had remained on loan back at the East Midlands club until the end of the campaign.Tanner Rob 8 November 2019 'I'm not going to play against Arsenal, am I?!' – when Alan Smith joined Arsenal from Leicester, then played for Leicester against Arsenal https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/1355704/2019/11/09/im-not-going-to-play-against-arsenal-am-i-when-alan-smith-joined-arsenal-from-leicester-then-played-for-leicester-against-arsenal/ https://web.archive.org/web/20220527064725/https://theathletic.com/1355704/2019/11/09/im-not-going-to-play-against-arsenal-am-i-when-alan-smith-joined-arsenal-from-leicester-then-played-for-leicester-against-arsenal/ 27 May 2022 live The Athletic Smith finished as Arsenal's top scorer in his first season at the club, finding the net 16 times in all competitions. Charlie Nicholas, meanwhile, fell into Arsenal obscurity. After playing in the first three matches, he exclusively featured for the reserves before being sold to Aberdeen in January 1988. A new signing at the start of the season was Nigel Winterburn, who arrived from Wimbledon to fill the right-back position left vacant by the sale of Viv Anderson to Manchester United. Michael Thomas started the 1987/88 season at right back but his athleticism and passing ability soon brought a move to central midfield. From January 1988 Winterburn, the left-footed defender initially had to settle for the right-back role. Later signings at the club, were defender Lee Dixon in January 1988, who started in six matches as right-back, as well as winger Brian Marwood in March 1988, who started in four before the end of the season.Soar Phil Arsenal: The Official Illustrated History, 1996-2011 Hamlyn 2011 978-0600623533 104–106 enSpurling Jon All Guns Blazing: Arsenal in the 1980s Aureus PublishingJames Josh Arsenal: The Complete Record deCoubertin Books 2018 Arsenal were in a great run of form when they travelled to The Dell to face Southampton on 9 April 1988. Arsenal were unbeaten in eight league games and, even though they were missing Tony Adams and David O’Leary, Southampton won 4–2. All the talk was centred on Southampton's new star, Alan Shearer who, at 17 years and 240 days, and broke Jimmy Greaves’ record of the youngest player to score a hat-trick in the English top flight. It had also been 21 years since a player had scored a hat-trick on his full debut in English football.Pye Steven 13 August 2020 When Alan Shearer scored a hat-trick on his full debut – while on £35 a week https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2020/aug/13/alan-shearer-scored-hat-trick-debut-southampton-arsenal https://web.archive.org/web/20231031213649/https://www.theguardian.com/football/that-1980s-sports-blog/2020/aug/13/alan-shearer-scored-hat-trick-debut-southampton-arsenal 31 October 2023 The Guardian2022-03-01 Today in history: Alan Shearer becomes the youngest player to score hat-trick https://www.modernghana.com/sports/610146/today-in-history-alan-shearer-becomes-the-younges.html https://web.archive.org/web/20220430172246/https://www.modernghana.com/sports/610146/today-in-history-alan-shearer-becomes-the-younges.html 30 April 2022 Modern Ghana Squad y y ENG GK John Lukic y ENG DF Michael Thomas y ENG DF Kenny Sansom captain 1 y ENG MF Steve Williams y IRL DF David O'Leary y ENG DF Tony Adams captain 2 y ENG MF David Rocastle y ENG MF Paul Davis y ENG FW Alan Smith y ENG FW Perry Groves y ENG MF Kevin Richardson y y ENG MF Martin Hayes y ENG DF Gus Caesar y ENG DF Nigel Winterburn y ENG FW Paul Merson y ENG MF Graham Rix y IRL FW Niall Quinn y ENG DF Lee Dixon y ENG MF Brian Marwood y SCO FW Charlie Nicholas y ENG FW Kevin Campbell y WAL GK Rhys Wilmot Top scorers First Division ENG Alan Smith 11 ENG Michael Thomas 9 ENG David Rocastle 7 ENG Perry Groves 6 ENG Paul Davis 5 ENG Paul Merson 5 Results First Division 1987–88 Football League#First Division First Division y ARS 1 15 August 1987 Arsenal 1–2 Liverpool Highbury London 54,073 L 2 19 August 1987 Manchester United 0–0 Arsenal Old Trafford Manchester D 3 22 August 1987 Queen's Park Rangers 2–0 Arsenal Loftus Road London L 4 29 August 1987 Arsenal 6–0 Portsmouth Highbury London W 5 31 August 1987 Luton Town 1–1 Arsenal Kenilworth Road Luton D 6 12 September 1987 Nottingham Forest 0–1 Arsenal City Ground Nottingham W 7 19 September 1987 Arsenal 3–0 Wimbledon Highbury London W 8 26 September 1987 Arsenal 1–0 West Ham United Highbury London W 9 3 October 1987 Charlton Athletic 0–3 Arsenal Selhurst Park London W 10 10 October 1987 Arsenal 2–0 Oxford United Highbury London W 11 18 October 1987 Tottenham Hotspur 1–2 Arsenal White Hart Lane London W 12 24 October 1987 Arsenal 2–1 Derby County Highbury London W 13 31 October 1987 Newcastle United 0–1 Arsenal St James' Park Newcastle W 14 3 November 1987 Arsenal 3–1 Chelsea Highbury London W 15 14 November 1987 Norwich City 2–4 Arsenal Carrow Road Norwich W 16 21 November 1987 Arsenal 0–1 Southampton Highbury London L 17 28 November 1987 Watford 2–0 Arsenal Vicarage Road London L 18 5 December 1987 Arsenal 3–1 Sheffield Wednesday Highbury London W 19 13 December 1987 Coventry City 0–0 Arsenal Highfield Road Coventry D 20 19 December 1987 Arsenal 1–1 Everton Highbury London D 21 26 December 1987 Arsenal 0–2 Nottingham Forest Highbury London L 22 28 December 1987 Wimbledon 3–1 Arsenal Plough Lane London L 23 1 January 1988 Portsmouth 1–1 Arsenal Fratton Park Portsmouth D 24 2 January 1988 Arsenal 0–0 Queen's Park Rangers Highbury London D 25 16 January 1988 Liverpool 2–0 Arsenal Anfield Liverpool L 26 24 January 1988 Arsenal 1–2 Manchester United Highbury London L 27 13 February 1988 Arsenal 2–1 Luton Town Highbury London W 28 27 February 1988 Arsenal 4–0 Charlton Athletic Highbury London W 29 6 March 1988 Arsenal 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur Highbury London W 30 19 March 1988 Arsenal 1–1 Newcastle United Highbury London D 31 26 March 1988 Derby County 0–0 Arsenal Baseball Ground Derby D 32 30 March 1988 Oxford United 0–0 Arsenal Manor Ground Oxford D 33 2 April 1988 Chelsea 1–1 Arsenal Stamford Bridge London D 34 4 April 1988 Arsenal 2–0 Norwich City Highbury London W 35 9 April 1988 Southampton 4–2 Arsenal The Dell Southampton L 36 12 April 1988 West Ham United 0–1 Arsenal Upton Park London W 37 15 April 1988 Arsenal 0–1 Watford Highbury London L 38 30 April 1988 Sheffield Wednesday 3–3 Arsenal Hillsborough Stadium Sheffield D 39 2 May 1988 Arsenal 1–1 Coventry City Highbury London D 40 7 May 1988 Everton 1–2 Arsenal Goodison Park Liverpool W Football League Cup 1987–88 Football League Cup Second round (1st Leg) 23 September 1987 Doncaster Rovers 0–3 Arsenal Doncaster Belle Vue W Second round (2nd Leg) 6 October 1987 Arsenal 1–0 4–0 Doncaster Rovers London Highbury W Third round 27 October 1987 Arsenal 3–0 Bournemouth London Highbury W Fourth round 17 November 1987 Arsenal 3–0 Stoke City London Highbury W Quarter-Final 20 January 1988 Sheffield Wednesday 0–1 Arsenal Sheffield Hillsborough Stadium W Semi-Final (1st Leg) 7 February 1988 Everton 0–1 Arsenal Liverpool Goodison Park W Semi-Final (2nd Leg) 24 February 1988 Arsenal 3–1 4–1 Everton London Highbury W Final 24 April 1988 Arsenal 2–3 Luton Town Hayes, Smith London Wembley Stadium 95,732 L FA Cup 1987–88 FA Cup Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round proper, in which they were drawn to face Millwall. Third round 9 January 1988 Arsenal 2–0 Millwall Hayes, Rocastle London Highbury 42,083 W Fourth round 30 January 1988 Brighton & Hove Albion 1–2 Arsenal Richardson, Groves Brighton Goldstone Ground 26,467 W Fifth round 20 February 1988 Arsenal 2–1 Manchester United Smith, o.g. London Highbury 54,161 W Sixth round 12 March 1988 Arsenal 1–2 Nottingham Forest Rocastle London Highbury 50,157 L See also English football 1987–88 in English football List of Arsenal F.C. seasons References Arsenal Category:Arsenal F.C. seasons