Arsenal are one of the biggest and most popular Premier League teams in England today. They’ve won record numbers of trophies, league titles, and are one of the most successful teams anywhere in the world.

But where does the team come from? As you might expect, their history is long and storied, and they have come a long way from where they started. Their story is fascinating, and their future today looks just as bright as ever.

Let’s look at that history.

Origins

When a team of munitions workers formed Dial Square Football Club in 1886, little did they know what they were beginning. They renamed to Royal Arsenal in the beginning of 1887, little more than a month after forming. They got the name from the Royal Arsenal munitions factory, where they all worked.

They were finally promoted by the Football League in 1919 into the First Division. Thus began their true history in the 20th Century.

20th Century

Under the transformation of the former manage of Huddersfield Town, Herbert Chapman, the team was changed. He took over in 1925, and Arsenal took home their first national trophy only five years later.

 They won the FA Cup in 1930, and went on to win the League Championships in the following two seasons. When Chapman died in 1934, Joe Shaw and George Allison took overf, and went on to win the 1936 FA Cup.

After further success in the FA Cup of 1950 and a record breaking seventh win in the League Championship in the ’52-’53 season, the team would fall on harder times, not winning a League or FA cup for almost 2 decades.

They would breakthrough again in the ’71-’72 season, winning the League and FA Cup double. Under George Graham into the late 90s, they continued to have great success, with another League and Cup double in 1993.

From there, the team as we know it today developed.

Today

Arséne Wenger took over the club in 1996, and built the team as we know it today. He brought the team to the finals in the 2000, 2003, and 2005 FA Cup finals, being victorious in the latter two.

They have won countless trophies and set countless records since then, such as a run of 49 unbeaten league matches in 2003-2004.

Since 2018, the club has been passed around more than once. Unai Emery was fired after a lacklustre season in 2019, and was replaced by Mikel Arteta. They finished the 2021 season in 8th place, failing to qualifying for the European competition for the first time in a quarter of a century.

Despite that, the team are still among the top in the country.

Arsenal F.C. is a powerhouse of competition, and have been major players in English premier football for almost 140 years. Today, the team has global recognition, and international popularity in all corners of the globe. But their popularity has been long and hard fought, and it’s clear to see that they’ve overcome their share of adversity.