The 1988–89 season was the 94th in the history of Arsenal Football Club and their 63rd consecutive season in the top flight of English football. It began on 1 July 1988 and concluded on 30 June 1989, with competitive matches played between August and May. The club ended its 18-year wait for the league title by winning the Football League First Division championship in the most closely fought title race in the competition's history. Arsenal beat Liverpool 2–0 in the final match of the season to take the title on goals scored, as both clubs shared the same points total and goal difference. During the season Arsenal also enjoyed success in the Football League Centenary Trophy, but exited the League Cup to Liverpool in the third round and fell at the same stage of the FA Cup to West Ham United.
Earlier in the year manager George Graham had started to assemble a squad with a blend of youth and experience. Having already signed defenders Steve Bould and Lee Dixon, he set about trimming the squad letting Steve Williams and Kenny Sansom leave. Arsenal were not considered favourites for the league title at the start of the season, but a 5–1 win away at Wimbledon on the opening day led to talk over their chances. They continued their fine start to the campaign, particularly away from home and led the table from the Christmas period. At one stage Arsenal were 11 points clear of Liverpool, but a series of draws and surprising defeats allowed the gap to be closed. By the time Arsenal faced Liverpool on the final day, they were faced with an improbable challenge – winning by a two-goal margin against the defending champions to claim the title. Graham's cautious approach paid dividends as Arsenal led after the break, and deep into stoppage time midfielder Michael Thomas scored the all-important second goal.
17 different players represented Arsenal in four competitions and there were 14 different goalscorers. Arsenal's top goalscorer was Alan Smith, who scored 25 goals in 46 appearances. Smith and David Rocastle were the only Arsenal representatives in the PFA Team of the Year. Forward Paul Merson was named the PFA Young Player of the Year, an award voted for by his fellow peers. Once the league season finished, Arsenal players and staff paraded the trophy before a crowd of 250,000 on their way to a civic reception.
Background
In May 1986, George Graham was appointed as Arsenal manager. He made an instant impact, guiding his team to League Cup success, and the club finished fourth in the Football League First Division. Arsenal however slipped to sixth in the league the following season, and lost out to Luton Town in the League Cup final a year later. Graham sought to resolve inconsistencies by freshening up his squad, promoting number of academy graduates while selling ageing players. By the summer of 1988, he achieved a blend of youth and experience, but little was thought of Arsenal's chances of winning the First Division.
Transfers Arsenal sold a number of fringe players throughout the season so Graham could freshen the squad with new players. Having already signed Lee Dixon and Steve Bould from Stoke City, defender Kenny Sansom became surplus to requirement and eventually joined Newcastle United. Steve Williams was sold to Luton Town for £300,000 in June 1988. as the player felt first-team opportunities were scarce; the fee Luton paid was £100,000 less than Arsenal originally wanted. Graham Rix went to Caen on a free transfer. Other transfers saw Rhys Wilmot leave the club he joined as a trainee in 1977 after failing to displace John Lukic as first choice, and Andy Marriott left to join Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest in a deal worth £50,000.
Out PositionPlayerTransferred fromFeeDateRefMFGraham RixCaenFree22 June 1988MFSteve WilliamsLuton Town£300,00022 July 1988DFKenny SansomNewcastle United£300,00023 December 1988GKRhys WilmotPlymouth Argyle£100,00014 July 1989GKAndy MarriottNottingham Forest£50,00020 June 1989
Loan out PositionPlayerClubDateReturnRefGKRhys WilmotSwansea City23 February 1989End of the seasonGKAlan MillerPlymouth Argyle24 November 1988End of the seasonFWKevin CampbellLeyton Orient16 January 1989End of the season
Pre-season and friendlies
Football League First Division
A total of 20 teams competed in the First Division in the 1988–89 season. Each team played 38 matches; two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats.
August–November
Arsenal began the league season away at Plough Lane, where they faced Wimbledon on 27 August 1988. The team started badly, going a goal behind after eight minutes but came back to win 5–1 with Alan Smith scoring a hat-trick. The manner of Arsenal's comeback had journalist Dennis Signy mulling over the club's chances of winning the league; he wrote in his Times match report: "...the Gunners made the bookmakers' odds of 16–1 against them for the championship look generous." At Highbury, Arsenal were beaten by newly promoted Aston Villa; for much of the first half Graham's side struggled to break through Villa's back five. The visitors were two goals up in the match before Arsenal equalised in the space of ten minutes. Andy Gray scored the winner in the 62nd minute from a free-kick contentiously awarded by the referee. Arsenal then faced Tottenham Hotspur in the season's first North London Derby, staged at White Hart Lane. A fast-paced and open first-half saw five goals in 17 minutes with Arsenal running out 3–2 winners. Graham later described it a "great" and "wonderful advertisement for the game", and felt the supporters and media would go away happy. Arsenal's home form continued to blight them as the team dropped two points against Southampton on 17 September 1988. The match was best remembered for an altercation between Paul Davis and Glenn Cockerill. The Arsenal midfielder punched Cockerill which was missed by the referee, but caught on camera. Davis was later banned for nine matches and handed a record £3,000 fine. Arsenal ended the month with a 2–1 defeat away to Sheffield Wednesday and sat in seventh position.
"He's anaemic, but he's leading the line superbly," was Graham's assessment of Smith as the striker scored two goals in Arsenal's 4–1 win at West Ham United. David Rocastle and Michael Thomas were the other goalscorers, contributing to the team's 13 league goals in four away matches. Goals from Adams and Smith saw Arsenal defeat Queens Park Rangers at home two weeks later, but they were held to a 1–1 draw at Luton Town despite dominating much of the game. Adams scored his second league goal of the season, at home to Coventry City to earn three points for the team. They also extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to seven matches. Kevin Richardson and Brian Marwood were singled out for praise by journalist Vince Wright, with the former "doing an excellent job on [David] Speedie," and the latter seemingly "involved in every penetrating move".
A live match audience witnessed Arsenal trounce Nottingham Forest at the City Ground in early November. Steve Bould, Brian Marwood, Adams and Smith each scored as the team came back from a goal behind to win. "It was a performance of true quality which must have made excellent viewing," was Graham's verdict and he described it as "satisfying" to beat Forest at their home ground. Arsenal were not at their fluent best against Newcastle United though came away from St James' Park with a clean sheet and a 1–0 win – Bould scored for the second successive match. Paul Merson scored twice against Middlesbrough as Arsenal recorded a 3–0 win and moved into second place, just two points behind Norwich City. Arsenal's five England internationals, who featured against Saudi Arabia a week before, were lauded in The Times for their performances, despite playing tamely for country. The match reporter suggested the club versus country dilemma could be solved by including more Arsenal players, something Graham was sceptical about when put to him. "I want England to do very well. It's just I want Arsenal to do better," he said. Arsenal's unbeaten run came to an end against Derby County, where at the Baseball Ground a debatable penalty was awarded to the home side which allowed them to get back into the game.
December–February The visit of champions Liverpool in early December was seen by Graham and the media as a test of Arsenal's championship credentials. Arsenal entered the match boasting the division's best attacking record, while Liverpool conceded the fewest in the competition. In the game Liverpool went ahead through left winger John Barnes, but their lead was short lived as Smith equalised. Both sides spurned chances to win the game late on and the score stayed 1–1 at full time; Kenny Dalglish, the Liverpool player-manager however was delighted with a point and said afterwards: "That was as entertaining as any of the other four games we have played against each other this season." Arsenal failed to score for the first time in the season when they played league leaders Norwich City on 10 December 1988. The team returned to winning ways during the Christmas period. More than 37,000 spectators saw Arsenal defeat Manchester United by two goals to one, and on Boxing Day a brace from Marwood ensured Arsenal beat Charlton Athletic to go top of the league table. They continued their good form on New Year's Eve, beating Aston Villa 3–0.
The Highbury clock was unveiled in an elevated position before the game against Tottenham Hotspur as part of the ground's refurbishment work. Merson and Thomas scored a goal apiece against their bitter rivals, handing the team a fourth straight league win and send them two points clear of Norwich City. Match reporter Clive White conceded Tottenham had a legitimate claim for a penalty in the first half, but felt they never merited anything from the game, contrasting the visitor's disappointing play to Arsenal – "the epitome of pure, free-flowing football". The team continued their good away form by taking apart Everton at Goodison Park. Graham labelled his team as "nice and solid" after a goalless first half and the visitors sprung to life in the second, scoring three goals. Richardson, scorer of Arsenal's third, assessed the squad was more experienced than last year, adding "Everybody knows what they have to do." Arsenal failed to record a sixth straight win as Sheffield Wednesday held on for a 1–1 draw at Highbury the following weekend.
Victory against West Ham United moved Arsenal 10 points clear of third-place Coventry City and significantly ahead of defending champions Liverpool. The team came from behind against Millwall to seal another win. Their performance up until the second half was insipid, and after the interval they did as their manager asked and "upped their tempo" in search of an equaliser. Marwood eventually scored and the midfielder had a part to play in Smith getting the winning goal. Arsenal dropped two points away to Queens Park Rangers and were beaten by Coventry City – Bould conceded a late second-half penalty which was converted by Brian Kilcline. John Sillett, the manager of Coventry City felt pressure on Arsenal was "beginning to tell on them" and wanted to exploit that. Smith and Perry Groves each scored in Arsenal's 2–0 win against Luton Town, but February ended with a goalless draw at home to Millwall. Doubts were raised over Arsenal's championship credentials as Millwall successfully nullified their opponents' attacking threat. The visitors' own attacking duo – Teddy Sheringham and Tony Cascarino got the better of a struggling Adams, who was fortunate not to have conceded a penalty in the first half. Though Arsenal remained in first place after 27 matches, the gap built at the start of the calendar year was diminishing.
March–May