2009–10 Arsenal F.C. season

The 2009–10 season was Arsenal Football Club's 18th season in the Premier League and their 84th consecutive season in the top flight of English football.[2][3] It began on 1 July 2009 and concluded on 30 June 2010, with competitive matches played between August and May. The club ended the Premier League campaign in third position, 11 points behind champions Chelsea. In the domestic cup competitions, Arsenal were knocked out in the fourth round of the FA Cup to Stoke City and the fifth round of the League Cup against Manchester City. They failed to progress past the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, losing to reigning champions Barcelona in a two-legged tie.

Arsenal F.C.
2009–10 season
Arsenal and Everton players shake hands before their Premier League game at the Emirates
ChairmanPeter Hill-Wood
ManagerArsène Wenger
StadiumEmirates Stadium
Premier League3rd
FA CupFourth round
League CupFifth round
UEFA Champions LeagueQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague:
Cesc Fàbregas (15)

All:
Cesc Fàbregas (19)
Highest home attendance60,103 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 31 October 2009)
Lowest home attendance56,592 (vs. West Bromwich Albion, 22 September 2009)
Average home league attendance59,920[1]

Arsenal did little business in the transfer market; their only outfield signing of the summer was defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax. Several players however left the club before the campaign got under way, including Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Touré in separate deals to Manchester City. To reinvigorate the side and benefit from Cesc Fàbregas's creativity, manager Arsène Wenger instituted a fluid 4–3–3 formation. The team made an impressive start; by November they had scored 36 goals in 11 league games and qualified for the Champions League knockout stage with a game to spare. Arsenal's defensive fragility was a recurring theme throughout the season and meant the team struggled to sustain a title challenge; they suffered back-to-back Premier League losses on four occasions.

41 different players represented Arsenal in four competitions and there were 14 different goalscorers. Arsenal's top goalscorer was Fàbregas, who scored 19 goals in 36 appearances.

Background

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Transfers

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Arsenal made one outfield signing during the summer, defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax in a deal estimated at £10 million.[4] Several players were let go, including Amaury Bischoff who joined in 2008 and played the majority of his football in the reserves and Rui Fonte.[4] Striker Emmanuel Adebayor was sold to Manchester City for a fee of £25 million and Kolo Touré soon joined him, ending a seven-year association with Arsenal. His former teammate Sol Campbell rejoined the club during the winter transfer window, having been a free agent.[5] Wenger, who signed him to bolster the squad's defensive options, said: "He has a fantastic attitude and good fitness. Of course he is not the youngest but he is in a very good shape. He can still play in the Premier League. He is important in the dressing room as well. He's positive with the young players."[5]

A number of players were loaned out during the season for game time and career development. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny joined Brentford in November 2009 and stayed their for the remainder of the season, while in the January window Jack Wilshere and Philippe Senderos moved to Bolton Wanderers and Everton respectively.

No. Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Ref
5 DF Thomas Vermaelen Ajax £10,000,000 19 June 2009 [6]
MF Samuel Galindo Real América Free transfer 15 January 2010 [7]
31 DF Sol Campbell Free agent Free transfer 16 January 2010 [8]
No. Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Ref
28 MF Amaury Bischoff Académica de Coimbra Free transfer (Released) 30 June 2009 [9]
39 FW Rui Fonte Sporting CP Free transfer (Released) 30 June 2009 [9]
49 DF Paul Rodgers Northampton Town Free transfer (Released) 30 June 2009 [9]
25 FW Emmanuel Adebayor Manchester City £25,000,000 20 July 2009 [10]
5 DF Kolo Touré Manchester City £16,000,000 29 July 2009 [11]

Loan out

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No. Position Player Loaned from Date Loan expires Ref
DF Pedro Botelho Celta Vigo 23 July 2009 End of the season [12]
DF Håvard Nordtveit 1. FC Nürnberg 7 August 2009 End of the season [13]
38 MF Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Blackpool 17 August 2009 17 November 2009 [14]
45 MF Henri Lansbury Watford 21 August 2009 End of the season [15]
50 FW Jay Simpson Queens Park Rangers 27 August 2009 End of the season [16]
44 DF Gavin Hoyte Brighton & Hove Albion 9 October 2009 End of the season [17]
53 GK Wojciech Szczęsny Brentford 20 November 2009 End of the season [18]
47 FW Rhys Murphy Brentford 24 November 2009 24 February 2010 [19]
48 MF Mark Randall Milton Keynes Dons 15 January 2010 End of the season [20]
42 DF Kerrea Gilbert Peterborough United 15 January 2010 End of the season [21]
6 DF Philippe Senderos Everton 25 January 2010 End of the season [22]
19 MF Jack Wilshere Bolton Wanderers 29 January 2010 End of the season [23]
54 MF Sanchez Watt Southend United 1 February 2010 28 February 2010 [24]
34 DF Kyle Bartley Sheffield United 9 February 2010 12 May 2010 [25]
51 FW Gilles Sunu Derby County 19 February 2010 End of the season [26]
38 MF Jay Emmanuel-Thomas Doncaster Rovers 27 February 2010 End of the season [27]
46 DF Luke Ayling Yeovil Town 17 March 2010 End of the season [28]
54 MF Sanchez Watt Leeds United 25 March 2010 End of the season [29]

Pre-season

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18 July 2009 Barnet 2–2 Arsenal Barnet
15:00 BST Yakubu   45'
Charles   83'
Report   43' Arshavin
  51' Barazite
Stadium: Underhill Stadium
Attendance: 5,099
21 July 2009 SC Columbia   1–7   Arsenal Columbiaplatz
18:30 CEST Lehner   35' Report   36', 44' Bendtner
  39', 83' Ramsey
  56' (pen.), 73' Van Persie
  77' Gallas
Stadium: Schwarzlackenau Stadium
Attendance: 6,900
27 July 2009 Szombathelyi Haladás   0–5   Arsenal Szombathely
19:00 CEST Report   17', 43' Bendtner
  24', 40' Eduardo
  66' (pen.) Van Persie
Stadium: Rohonci Street Stadium
Attendance: 12,500
1 August 2009 Emirates Cup Arsenal   2–1   Atlético Madrid London
16:15 BST Arshavin   86', 90' Report   29' Juanito
  44' Ujfaluši
  88' Pacheco
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 54,224
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
2 August 2009 Emirates Cup Arsenal   3–0   Rangers London
16:15 BST Wilshere   2', 72'
Eduardo   11'
Report   50' McCulloch Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 56,758
Referee: Mike Dean
8 August 2009 Valencia   2–0   Arsenal Valencia
21:30 CEST Míchel   75'
Villa   90'
Report Stadium: Mestalla Stadium
Attendance: 55,000

Premier League

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A total of 20 teams competed in the Premier League in the 2009–10 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. At the end of the season the top three teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; the team in fourth needed to play a qualifier.[30]

The provisional fixture list was released on 17 June 2009, but was subject to change in the event of clashes with other competitions, inclement weather, or matches being selected for television coverage.[31]

August–October

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Emmanuel Adebayor scored against Arsenal and reacted by celebrating in front of the visiting supporters.

The league campaign began for Arsenal with a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton on 15 August 2009. Denílson scored the opening goal four minutes before the half-hour and Vermaelen doubled Arsenal's lead, heading the ball in from a Robin van Persie cross.[32] Everton's failure to mark Gallas brought about the visitors' third just before the break.[32] Fàbregas scored two goals in the second half and substitute Eduardo added Arsenal's sixth, before Saha scored for Everton in stoppage time.[32] The game marked Vermaelen's league debut and the player was described by The Guardian's match correspondent Andy Hunter as "comfortably the finest defender on display," having limited his counterpart Marouane Fellaini to so few chances while "anticipating danger expertly".[33] The following week Abou Diaby scored two goals as Arsenal beat Portsmouth 4–1.[34] Arsenal then travelled to play the incumbent champions Manchester United at Old Trafford. Arshavin's goal in the 40th minute gave Arsenal the lead, but Manuel Almunia conceded a penalty in the second half, as he adjusted to have fouled striker Wayne Rooney in the penalty box.[35] Rooney converted the spot kick to level the scoreline, before Diaby headed the ball into his own net from a United free-kick.[35] Late on, Wenger was sent to the stands for kicking a water bottle after Van Persie's equaliser was correctly disallowed.[35] He felt the defeat was an "undeserved" one, going further to criticise his opponents' tactics: "I have seen a player make 20 fouls without getting a yellow card. If you have seen the game, you don't need me to tell you who but their player gets away without a yellow card. It's quite amazing."[36]

Arsenal did not play another game for a fortnight because of the international football break. On the resumption of club football, they faced Manchester City. At the City of Manchester Stadium, Arsenal lost for the second league match in succession, this time by a two-goal margin.[37] Adebayor scored against his former club and caused controversy by running towards the Arsenal section and celebrating in front of them.[38] Television replays also caught the striker attempting to stamp Van Persie's face.[39] At home, Arsenal responded with a 4–0 win against Wigan Athletic and a single Van Persie's goal was enough to beat Fulham away in the team's final match of September.[40][41] Vito Mannone's performance at Craven Cottage was praised; he stood in for the injured Almunia.[41] After six games, Arsenal garnered 12 points and stood in fifth position, having played a game less than each of the teams occupying the top four.[42]

The visit of Blackburn Rovers to the Emirates Stadium in early October coincided with the start of Wenger's 13th year at the club.[43] Six different players (Vermaelen, Van Persie, Arshavin, Fàbregas, Theo Walcott and Nicklas Bendtner) scored in the team's 6–2 win.[43] Arsenal defeated Birmingham City 3–1 at home before conceding twice away to West Ham United on 25 October 2009 to draw.[44] Arsenal's final game of October was a North London derby against Tottenham Hotspur. Van Persie scored the opening goal in the 42nd minute, before Fàbregas added a second immediately – he won the ball straight from the kick-off and went past Tottenham's static defence, before shooting past Heurelho Gomes.[45] Van Persie scored Arsenal's third in the second half and the 3–0 win moved Arsenal into third position, five points behind Chelsea in first who played a game more.[45]

November–January

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Aaron Ramsey made his breakthrough into the first eleven for Arsenal during the 2009–10 season.

Arsenal's first fixture of November was against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium. The team moved into second place as a result of a 4–1 win.[46] Wenger was sceptical of whether his team could reach a century of goals in the league, but was overjoyed at Arsenal's goal tally of 36 in 11 league matches: "[It] shows that the way we play football, the way we are organised and the way we go forward suits our players."[47] Following the international football break, Arsenal played Sunderland at the Stadium of Light. Eduardo deputised for Van Persie, who injured himself whilst playing for the Netherlands. Darren Bent's goal in the 71st minute won the match for Sunderland, who became the first team to prevent Arsenal from scoring in a league match.[48] Manchester United's defeat of Everton moved Arsenal down into third position in the league table, three points ahead. At home to league leaders Chelsea on 29 November 2009, Arsenal lost 3–0; striker Didier Drogba scored two goals in either interval of the game. When asked if Arsenal's title chances were over, Wenger replied, "It is not over and I believe, on what I have seen of Chelsea, that the team can drop points."[49]

December saw Arsenal win five out of six league matches. Arshavin and Aaron Ramsey each scored against Stoke City at home, and the team came from behind to beat Liverpool at Anfield – a ground where they were winless in five years.[50] The victory was attributed to Wenger's half-time team talk where he uncharacteristically shouted at his players and told them they were "not fit to wear the shirt" after a poor first-half performance.[51] "Of course it can always go the other way and you can lose 6–1. Then it's a crisis; it is like that." he told reporters.[51] Arsenal were then held to a 1–1 draw at Burnley which meant they remained in third spot, with the gap between themselves and Chelsea ever increasing.[52] The team returned to winning ways at home to Hull City as Denílson, Eduardo and Diaby got on the scoresheet in a 3–0 victory.[53] A day after Boxing Day, Arsenal beat Aston Villa by the same scoreline; Fàbregas came off the substitutes' bench and scored twice.[54] The Arsenal captain however injured himself in the closing stages of the match and was ruled out for their next game, away to Portsmouth. Nevertheless, the team recorded a 4–1 victory to move four points behind leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.[55]

Tomáš Rosický scored in stoppage time to deny Everton their first win at Arsenal in 14 years. The match, which saw the visitors lead twice, was played in cold conditions as a result of the "Big Freeze". Arsenal then faced Bolton Wanderers back-to-back; the home fixture was originally called off on 6 January 2010 due to heavy snow.[56] At the Reebok Stadium, goals from Fàbregas and Fran Mérida saw the visitors to victory in what was Owen Coyle's first game in charge of Bolton.[57] In the reverse fixture three days later Arsenal won again to go back in first spot, this time coming back from two goals down to win 4–2.[58] Their stay at the top of the table was brief and moved back down to third, after they were held to a goalless stalemate against Aston Villa in the midweek round, while Chelsea beat Birmingham.[59] Arsenal's best chances in the match came in the first half; Fàbregas and Rosicky both had efforts hit the post and crossbar respectively.[59]

The end of January brought the visit of Manchester United to the Emirates Stadium. Wenger described the game as an opportunity for Arsenal to prove they were "mentally prepared" to compete in the title race, but his team were outclassed by the visitors which prompted boos from the home support at the final whistle.[60] Nani opened the scoring just after the half-hour mark and was involved in the counter-attack that led to the second goal four minutes later, finished off by Rooney.[61] Park Ji-sung added a third for United in the second half, before Vermaelen scored late on to make the scoreline 3–1.[61] The defeat left Arsenal still in third with 14 games remaining, five points behind leaders Chelsea.[61]

February–May

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Arsenal's poor form against the title challengers continued: at Stamford Bridge they were unable to get the better of a Chelsea side that powered into a 2–0 lead in the first half-hour.[62] Drogba opened the scoring in the eighth minute when John Terry headed the ball across the face of goal and he tapped in at the far post.[62] The striker scored his second of the game from a counter-attack.[62] In his match report for The Guardian, Kevin McCarra opined that Arsenal were "strangled by stereotype" and a second successive defeat put end to their title bid.[62] Wenger downplayed the defeat, and told reporters "we didn't get a demonstration of football but they were efficient;” his comments on possession irked Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack.[63][64] Arsenal returned to winning ways in midweek with a narrow victory against Liverpool and then scored twice to beat Sunderland.[65][66] At the Britannia Stadium, Arsenal forged a comeback against Stoke City but their win was overshadowed by the injury to Ramsey.[67] The midfielder broke his right leg following a challenge by Stoke defender Ryan Shawcross, who was immediately sent off.[67] Wenger described the tackle as "horrendous" and added "People say we don’t fancy the physical side of it, but this is the result. If you see a player getting injured like that, it’s not acceptable."[67]

A win against Burnley in March put Arsenal level on points with second-place Chelsea having played a game more.[68] The team needed a late goal against Hull City, courtesy of Bendtner in the third minute of stoppage time to get three points and move above Manchester United into second place.[69] Wenger was defiant his team could win the title after Arsenal beat West Ham to move top; it was their sixth consecutive league win and victory was ensured when Fàbregas converted a penalty late on.[70] They were without Vermaelen for the trip to St Andrew's as the defender was sent off against West Ham.[71] Arsenal were unable to hold on to their lead against Birmingham as Almunia's error gifted a stoppage-time equaliser, scored by Kevin Phillips. With six games remaining, Arsenal stood in third place, three points behind Chelsea and four on leaders Manchester United.[72]

At home against Wolverhampton Wanderers, Bendtner scored the winning goal in stoppage time, rising highest inside the six-yard box and heading in Sagna's cross.[73] In the North London derby, Tottenham beat Arsenal at White Hart Lane to record their first league win against Wenger's side since November 1999.[74] Danny Rose on his debut opened the scoring with a 30-yard volley and Gareth Bale doubled the host's lead minutes into the second half.[74] Bendtner scored with five minutes remaining of normal time but the game ended 2–1 to Tottenham, leaving Arsenal six points adrift of Chelsea at the top.[74]

Wenger was so incensed by Arsenal's response against Wigan – conceding three in the final 10 minutes to throw away a 2–0 lead – that he ordered the team bus to drop his players at Wigan railway station and told them to make their way back home.[75] With Arsenal's title bid over, the team played out a goalless draw against Manchester City and then lost to Blackburn Rovers in early May.[76][77] Arsenal secured third place on the final day, beating Fulham at home by four goals.[78]

Matches

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15 August 2009 1 Everton 1–6 Arsenal Liverpool
17:30 BST Saha   90' Report   26' Denílson
  37' Vermaelen
  41' Gallas
  48', 70' Fàbregas
  89' Eduardo
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 39,309
Referee: Mark Halsey
22 August 2009 2 Arsenal 4–1 Portsmouth London
15:00 BST Diaby   18', 22'   90'
Gallas   51'
Ramsey   69'
Report   37' Kaboul Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,049
Referee: Steve Bennett
29 August 2009 3 Manchester United 2–1 Arsenal Manchester
17:15 BST   35' Evra
  59' (pen.)   62' Rooney
  62' Brown
  64' (o.g.) Diaby
Report   23' Song
  32' Gallas
  40' Arshavin
  45' Van Persie
  58' Almunia
  71' Eboué
  75' Sagna
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 75,095
Referee: Mike Dean
12 September 2009 4 Manchester City 4–2 Arsenal Manchester
15:00 BST   14' Lescott
  20' (o.g.) Almunia
  72' Bellamy
  80'   81' Adebayor
  84' Wright-Phillips
  90+3' de Jong
Report   19' Sagna
  63' Van Persie
  72' Song
  88' Rosický
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
Attendance: 47,339
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
19 September 2009 5 Arsenal 4–0 Wigan Athletic London
15:00 BST   25', 49' Vermaelen
  59'   23' Eboué
  90' Fàbregas
  40' Song
Report   53' Gómez
  65' Scharner
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,103
Referee: Mike Jones
26 September 2009 6 Fulham 0–1 Arsenal London
17:30 BST   26' Murphy
  45' Zamora
  70' Pantsil
  79' Konchesky
Report   52' Van Persie Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 25,700
Referee: Martin Atkinson
4 October 2009 7 Arsenal 6–2 Blackburn Rovers London
13:30 BST   17' Vermaelen
  33'   45' Van Persie
  37' Arshavin
  57' Fàbregas
  75' Walcott
  89' Bendtner
Report   4' Nzonzi
  30' Dunn
  11' Di Santo
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,431
Referee: Peter Walton
17 October 2009 8 Arsenal 3–1 Birmingham City London
15:00 BST   16' Van Persie
  18' Diaby
  84' Arshavin
  73' Song
Report   38' Bowyer
  58' Hart
  63' Ridgewell
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,082
Referee: Lee Probert
25 October 2009 9 West Ham United 2–2 Arsenal London
16:15 GMT   74' Cole
  80' (pen.) Diamanti
  78'   85' Parker
  71' Hines
  78' Collison
Report   16' Van Persie
  37' Gallas
  77' Eboué
  80' Mannone
Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 34,442
Referee: Chris Foy
31 October 2009 10 Arsenal 3–0 Tottenham Hotspur London
12:45 GMT   42', 60' Van Persie
  43' Fàbregas
  78' Vermaelen
Report   62' Crouch Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,103
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
7 November 2009 11 Wolverhampton Wanderers 1–4 Arsenal Wolverhampton
17:30 GMT   89' Craddock
  27' Ebanks-Blake
  60' Milijaš
Report   28' (o.g.) Zubar
  36' (o.g.) Craddock
  45' Fàbregas
  66'   40' Arshavin
  10' Gallas
  59' Gibbs
Stadium: Molineux Stadium
Attendance: 28,937
Referee: Steve Bennett
21 November 2009 12 Sunderland 1–0 Arsenal Sunderland
15:00 GMT   71' Bent
  84' Bardsley
  90' Richardson
Report   90' Traoré Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 44,918
Referee: Alan Wiley
29 November 2009 13 Arsenal 0–3 Chelsea London
16:00 GMT   26' Traoré
  90+5' Fàbregas
Report   41', 86'   37' Drogba
  45' (o.g.) Vermaelen
  70' Mikel
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,067
Referee: Andre Marriner
5 December 2009 14 Arsenal 2–0 Stoke City London
15:00 GMT   26' Arshavin
  79' Ramsey
  20' Fàbregas
Report Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,041
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
13 December 2009 15 Liverpool 1–2 Arsenal Liverpool
16:00 GMT   41' Kuyt
  44' Aurélio
  55' Mascherano
  85' Lucas
Report   50' (o.g.) Johnson
  58'   81' Arshavin
  24' Denílson
  82' Fàbregas
Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 43,853
Referee: Howard Webb
16 December 2009 16 Burnley 1–1 Arsenal Lancashire
19:45 GMT   28' (pen.) Alexander
  40' Eagles
  88' Caldwell
Report   7' Fàbregas Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 21,309
Referee: Mike Dean
19 December 2009 17 Arsenal 3–0 Hull City London
17:30 GMT   45+4' Denílson
  59' Eduardo
  80' Diaby
  45' Nasri
Report   45' Barmby
  45' Hunt
  45+2' Zayatte
  45+5' Boateng
  90+3' Olofinjana
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,006
Referee: Steve Bennett
27 December 2009 18 Arsenal 3–0 Aston Villa London
13:30 GMT   65', 81' Fàbregas
  90+1' Diaby
  67' Song
Report   55' A. Young
  76' Cuéllar
  90+4' Delph
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,056
Referee: Phil Dowd
30 December 2009 19 Portsmouth 1–4 Arsenal Portsmouth
19:45 GMT   74' Belhadj
  45+2' Mokoena
  86' Hughes
Report   28' Eduardo
  42' Nasri
  69' Ramsey
  81' Song
Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20,404
Referee: Alan Wiley
9 January 2010 20 Arsenal 2–2 Everton London
15:00 GMT   28' Denílson
  90+2' Rosický
  87' Sagna
Report   12' Osman
  81'   90+1' Pienaar
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,053
Referee: Peter Walton
17 January 2010 21 Bolton Wanderers 0–2 Arsenal Bolton
16:00 GMT   35' Robinson Report   28' Fàbregas
  78' Mérida
  37' Rosický
  77' Vermaelen
Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Attendance: 23,893
Referee: Phil Dowd
20 January 2010 22 Arsenal 4–2 Bolton Wanderers London
19:45 GMT   43' Rosický
  52' Fàbregas
  65' Vermaelen
  85' Arshavin
  87' Clichy
Report   7' Cahill
  28' (pen.) Taylor
  47' Muamba
  68' McCann
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,084
Referee: Alan Wiley
27 January 2010 23 Aston Villa 0–0 Arsenal Birmingham
19:45 GMT   55' Heskey
  90+3' Dunne
Report   13' Vermaelen
  84' Clichy
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 39,601
Referee: Lee Probert
31 January 2010 24 Arsenal 1–3 Manchester United London
16:00 GMT   80' Vermaelen
  17' Song
Report   33' (o.g.) Almunia
  37' Rooney
  52' Park
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,091
Referee: Chris Foy
7 February 2010 25 Chelsea 2–0 Arsenal London
16:00 GMT   8', 23' Drogba
  88' Zhirkov
  88' J. Cole
Report   83' Song
  84' Fàbregas
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,794
Referee: Mike Dean
10 February 2010 26 Arsenal 1–0 Liverpool London
19:45 GMT   72' Diaby
  40' Clichy
  64' Bendtner
  90+5' Fàbregas
Report   41' Rodríguez
  62' Degen
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,045
Referee: Howard Webb
20 February 2010 27 Arsenal 2–0 Sunderland London
15:00 GMT   27' Bendtner
  90+3' (pen.) Fàbregas
  50' Fàbregas
Report   34' Cana
  44' Turner
  58' Richardson
  71' Mensah
  90+2' Ferdinand
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,083
Referee: Steve Bennett
27 February 2010 28 Stoke City 1–3 Arsenal Stoke-on-Trent
17:30 GMT   8' Pugh
  66' Shawcross
Report   32' Bendtner
  90+1' (pen.) Fàbregas
  90+4' Vermaelen
  62' Song
Stadium: Britannia Stadium
Attendance: 27,011
Referee: Peter Walton
6 March 2010 29 Arsenal 3–1 Burnley London
15:00 GMT   34' Fàbregas
  60' Walcott
  90+4' Arshavin
Report   50' Nugent
  27' McDonald
  48' Paterson
  69' Carlisle
  72' Elliott
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,043
Referee: Chris Foy
13 March 2010 30 Hull City 1–2 Arsenal Kingston upon Hull
17:30 GMT   28' (pen.) Bullard
  39' Dawson
  41'   45+1'Boateng
Report   14' Arshavin
  90+3'   40' Bendtner
  28' Campbell
Stadium: KC Stadium
Attendance: 25,023
Referee: Andre Marriner
20 March 2010 31 Arsenal 2–0 West Ham United London
17:30 GMT   5' Denílson
  83' (pen.) Fàbregas
  44' Vermaelen
  39' Campbell
Report   38'   44' Diamanti
  45+1' Kováč
  62' Upson
  90+1' Daprelà
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,077
Referee: Martin Atkinson
27 March 2010 32 Birmingham City 1–1 Arsenal Birmingham
15:00 GMT   90+2' Phillips
  73' Ferguson
  85' Gardner
  89' Carr
Report   81' Nasri
  16' Song
  25' Clichy
Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 27,039
Referee: Howard Webb
3 April 2010 33 Arsenal 1–0 Wolverhampton Wanderers London
15:00 BST   90+4' Bendtner Report   66' Henry
  64' Jarvis
  79' Mancienne
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,067
Referee: Andre Marriner
14 April 2010 34 Tottenham Hotspur 2–1 Arsenal London
20:00 BST   10' Rose
  47' Bale
  33' Modrić
  36' Kaboul
  83' Dawson
Report   85' Bendtner
  36' Denílson
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 36,041
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
18 April 2010 35 Wigan Athletic 3–2 Arsenal Wigan
13:30 BST   80' Watson
  89',   68' Bramble
  90+1' N'Zogbia
  24' Diamé
Report   41' Walcott
  48' Silvestre
  37' Nasri
Stadium: DW Stadium
Attendance: 22,113
Referee: Lee Mason
24 April 2010 36 Arsenal 0–0 Manchester City London
17:30 BST   42' Silvestre
  51' Diaby
  67' Song
  82' Van Persie
Report   81' Bellamy
  83' Zabaleta
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,086
Referee: Mike Dean
3 May 2010 37 Blackburn Rovers 2–1 Arsenal Blackburn
17:00 BST Grella   25'
Dunn   44'
Pedersen   59'
Samba   68'
Report   13' Van Persie
  65' Silvestre
  90' Campbell
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 26,138
Referee: Martin Atkinson
9 May 2010 38 Arsenal 4–0 Fulham London
16:00 BST Arshavin   21'
Van Persie   26'
Baird   37' (o.g.)
Eboué   68'
Fabiański   69'
Vela   84'
Report   65' Dempsey
  90+3' Kelly
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,039
Referee: Mike Jones

Classification

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Chelsea (C) 38 27 5 6 103 32 +71 86 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Manchester United 38 27 4 7 86 28 +58 85
3 Arsenal 38 23 6 9 83 41 +42 75
4 Tottenham Hotspur 38 21 7 10 67 41 +26 70 Qualification for the Champions League play-off round
5 Manchester City 38 18 13 7 73 45 +28 67 Qualification for the Europa League play-off round[a]
Source: Premier League
(C) Champions
Notes:
  1. ^ Since Manchester United won the League Cup and then qualified for the Champions League, their spot in the Europa League was passed down to the 6th-placed team. The 6th-placed Aston Villa was coincidentally also the League Cup runners-up.

Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
38 23 6 9 83 41  +42 75 15 2 2 48 15  +33 8 4 7 35 26  +9

Source: [79]

Results by round

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Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHAAHAHHAHAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAH
ResultWWLLWWWWDWWLLWWDWWWDWWDLLWWWWWWDWLLDLW
Position11586544332343333333323333333323333333
Source: [79]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

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Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round (last 64), in which they were drawn to face fellow Premier League club West Ham United away from home.[80] They came from a goal down to beat their London rivals and progress,[81] but made an exit the following round against Stoke where an understrength side were undone in the final 20 minutes. Wenger defended his team selection, pointing out to the media: "We had 10 injuries and a very difficult programme coming up."[82]

3 January 2010 Third round West Ham United 1–2 Arsenal London
16:15 GMT Diamanti   45+1'
Daprelà   45'
Report   78' Ramsey
  83' Eduardo
  27' Song
Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 25,549
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
24 January 2010 Fourth round Stoke City 3–1 Arsenal Stoke-on-Trent
13:30 GMT Fuller   2', 78'
Whitehead   86'
Report   42' Denílson Stadium: Britannia Stadium
Attendance: 19,735
Referee: Martin Atkinson

Football League Cup

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Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round, where they were drawn at home against West Bromwich Albion. Helped by the dismissal of Jerome Thomas, Arsenal's young team – averaging at 20 years – were able to beat the visitors by two goals to progress.[83] A strong performance against Liverpool followed in the competition,[84] but Arsenal were knocked out in the quarter-final stage when Manchester City defeated them by three goals.[85]

22 September 2009 Third round Arsenal 2–0 West Bromwich Albion London
19:45 BST Watt   68'
Vela   76'
Senderos   32'
Ramsey   57'
Report   37' Thomas
  38' Cox
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 56,592
Referee: Lee Mason
28 October 2009 Fourth round Arsenal 2–1 Liverpool London
19:45 GMT Mérida   19'
Bendtner   50'
Report   26' Insúa Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,004
Referee: Alan Wiley
2 December 2009 Fifth round Manchester City 3–0 Arsenal Manchester
19:45 GMT Tevez   50'
Wright-Phillips   69'
Weiss   89'
Kompany   82'
Bellamy   83'
Report   38' Traoré
  39' Eastmond
  58' Silvestre
  77' Wilshere
  79' Song
  82' Ramsey
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
Attendance: 46,015
Referee: Chris Foy

UEFA Champions League

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Given Arsenal finished fourth in the league the previous season, the club played a qualifying round against Celtic to ensure progression into the group stages.[86] In the first leg at Celtic Park, Arsenal broke the deadlock when Fábregas' free-kick deflected in off defender William Gallas and past the goal net.[87] Gary Caldwell's own goal deep into the second half strengthened Arsenal's advantage on a night when their midfielder Alex Song was described by journalist David Hytner as being "…outstanding, his strength, smart positioning and interceptions helping to stem Celtic raids and launch those of his own team."[88]

Arsenal beat Celtic 3–1 in the return leg a week later; it was not without controversy as the Celtic players accused Eduardo of diving to win his team a penalty that led to the first goal.[89] UEFA charged the striker and banned him for two matches as he was found guilty of deceiving referee Manuel Gonzalez.[90] Arsenal lodged an appeal and the ban was overturned at a later date.[91]

Play-off round

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18 August 2009 First leg Celtic   0–2   Arsenal Glasgow, Scotland
19:45 BST   52' Fox
  58' N'Guemo
  86' Loovens
Report   43' Gallas
  71' (o.g.) Caldwell
  84' Clichy
Stadium: Celtic Park
Attendance: 58,165
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
26 August 2009 Second leg Arsenal   3–1
(5–1 agg.)
  Celtic London, England
19:45 BST   28' (pen.) Eduardo
  53',   53' Eboué
  74' Arshavin
  83' Denílson
Report   90+2' Donati
  33' Caldwell
  56' McGeady
  83' Brown
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,962
Referee: Manuel Mejuto González (Spain)

Group stage

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Arsenal were drawn in Group H, along with Greek club Olympiacos, Belgian side Standard Liège and Dutch champions AZ Alkmaar.[92] The team mounted a comeback against Standard Liège on the first night of the competition, having conceded twice in the space of the first five minutes.[93] Eduardo's deciding goal, which came nine minutes before the end marked the fifth season in the previous six that Arsenal opened their campaign with a win.[94] Late goals from Van Persie and Arshavin secured a 2–0 win at home to Olympiacos,[95] but the team were unable to make it three wins after conceding a stoppage-time goal to draw 1–1 against AZ.[96] In the reverse match, staged on matchday four, Fábregas scored twice in Arsenal's 4–1 win which put the club on 10 points in the group.[97] Victory against Standard Liège ensured qualification into the knockout stages with a match to spare.[98] That game was against Olympiacos, which Wenger made changes to his first XI. Arsenal lost 1–0 at the Karaiskakis Stadium.[99]

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1   Arsenal 6 4 1 1 12 5 +7 13 Advance to knockout phase
2   Olympiacos 6 3 1 2 4 5 −1 10
3   Standard Liège 6 1 2 3 7 9 −2 5 Transfer to Europa League
4   AZ 6 0 4 2 4 8 −4 4
Source: RSSSF
16 September 2009 1 Standard Liège   2–3   Arsenal Liège, Belgium
20:45 CEST Mangala   3'
Jovanović   5' (pen.)
Witsel   68'
Nicaise   76'
Report Clichy   34'
Bendtner   45'
Vermaelen   78'
Eduardo   81'
Stadium: Stade Maurice Dufrasne
Attendance: 23,022
Referee: Eduardo Iturralde González (Spain)
29 September 2009 2 Arsenal   2–0   Olympiacos London, England
19:45 BST Van Persie   52',   78'
Arshavin   86'
Fàbregas   90'
Report Żewłakow   52'
Dudu   66'
Torosidis   80'
Bravo   89'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,884
Referee: Stéphane Lannoy (France)
20 October 2009 3 AZ   1–1   Arsenal Alkmaar, Netherlands
20:45 CEST Mendes da Silva   90+3'
Lens   89'
Report Fàbregas   36'
Van Persie   48'
Clichy   66'
Vela   77'
Stadium: DSB Stadion
Attendance: 16,666
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden)
4 November 2009 4 Arsenal   4–1   AZ London, England
19:45 GMT Fàbregas   25', 52'
Nasri   43'
Diaby   72'
Report Moisander   66'
Lens   82'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,345
Referee: Alain Hamer (Luxembourg)
24 November 2009 5 Arsenal   2–0   Standard Liège London, England
19:45 GMT Nasri   35'
Denílson   45+2'
Fàbregas   87'
Report Mulemo   68'
Mangala   70'
Carcela   86'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,941
Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)
9 December 2009 6 Olympiacos   1–0   Arsenal Piraeus, Greece
21:45 EET Leonardo   24',   47' Report Mérida   40' Stadium: Karaiskakis Stadium
Attendance: 30,277
Referee: Lucílio Batista (Portugal)

Knockout phase

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Round of 16

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Arsenal faced Porto in the knockout stages. In the first leg at the Estádio do Dragão, an own goal by goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański gave Porto the lead, but Campbell scored Arsenal a crucial away goal seven minutes later when he headed in a corner.[100] Radamel Falcao restored Porto's lead in the second half and the tie finished 2–1 in their favour.[100] At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal overturned Porto's slender advantage as Bendtner scored twice inside the first 25 minutes.[101] Nasri and Emmanuel Eboué added further goals before Bendtner converted a penalty to round off a hat-trick.[101]

17 February 2010 First leg Porto   2–1   Arsenal Porto, Portugal
19:45 WET Fabiański   11' (o.g.)
Falcao   51'
Alves   34'
Fucile   64'
Pereira   78'
Fernando   84'
Report Campbell   18'
Diaby   31'
Stadium: Estádio do Dragão
Attendance: 40,717
Referee: Martin Hansson (Sweden)
9 March 2010 Second leg Arsenal   5–0
(6–2 agg.)
  Porto London, England
19:45 GMT Bendtner   10', 25', 90+1' (pen.),   44'
Nasri   63'
Eboué   66'
Vermaelen   38'
Report Falcao   24'
Pereira   59'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,661
Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

Quarter-finals

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In the quarter-finals, Arsenal played Barcelona which marked the return of former club captain Thierry Henry.[102] Barcelona dominated proceedings but did not find a way through the Arsenal defence until the early stages of the second half; Zlatan Ibrahimovic took advantage of Almunia leaving his box and rushing towards him by lofting the ball over the goalkeeper.[103] Ibrahimovic doubled Barcelona's lead, to which Wenger responded by bringing Walcott on. The forward made an instant impact with his pace and acceleration, scoring past Victor Valdes.[103] Barcelona defender Carles Puyol was sent off for a second bookable offence when he fouled Fábregas in the box, and the Arsenal captain converted the penalty awarded by the referee to equalise.[103]

Walcott, who Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola described as Arsenal's biggest threat,[104] was named in the first XI for the return leg and set Bendtner up to score.[105] The joy was short lived as Messi equalised within minutes and he added a further three goals to give Barcelona a 6–3 aggregate win – 4–1 on the night.[105] Wenger was full of praise for Messi afterwards, telling reporters: "…We lost against a team that is better than us and that has the best player in the world. Once he's on the run, Messi is unstoppable. He's the only player who can change direction at such a pace."[106]

31 March 2010 First leg Arsenal   2–2   Barcelona London, England
19:45 BST Walcott   69'
Fàbregas   85' (pen.)   44'
Arshavin   21'
Song   40'
Eboué   74'
Diaby   79'
Report Ibrahimović   46', 59'
Puyol   84'
Piqué   72'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,572
Referee: Massimo Busacca (Switzerland)
6 April 2010 Second leg Barcelona   4–1
(6–3 agg.)
  Arsenal Barcelona, Spain
20:45 CEST Messi   21', 37', 42', 88' Report Bendtner   18'
Denílson   31'
Rosický   45'
Eboué   67'
Stadium: Camp Nou
Attendance: 93,330
Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany)

Squad statistics

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Arsenal used a total of 41 players during the 2009–10 season and there were 20 different goalscorers. There were also four squad members who did not make a first-team appearance in the campaign. This was the first season the team played in a 4–3–3 formation, utilised for the benefit of Fàbregas. Sagna featured in 44 matches – the most of any Arsenal player in the campaign. Vermaelen started in 33 league matches.

The team scored a total of 115 goals in all competitions. The highest scorer was Fàbregas, with 19 goals, 15 of which scored in the league. Vermaelen was the only Arsenal player to be sent off in the entire season. The side's continuing sportsmanship was acknowledged at the end of the season with the Barclays Fair Play Award.[107]

Key

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute. Players with number struck through and marked † left the club during the playing season.

No. Pos. Nat. Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup Europe Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals    
1 GK   ESP Manuel Almunia 29 0 0 0 0 0 7 0 36 0 1 0
2 MF   FRA Abou Diaby 26 (3) 6 (1) 0 0 0 9 (1) 1 35 (5) 7 4 0
3 DF   FRA Bacary Sagna 31 (4) 0 1 0 0 0 7 (1) 0 39 (5) 0 3 0
4 MF   ESP Cesc Fàbregas 26 (1) 15 1 0 0 0 8 4 35 (1) 19 8 0
5 DF   BEL Thomas Vermaelen 33 7 1 0 0 0 11 1 45 8 4 1
6 DF    SUI Philippe Senderos 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 1 0
7 MF   CZE Tomáš Rosický 14 (11) 3 0 0 1 0 5 (2) 0 20 (13) 3 2 0
8 MF   FRA Samir Nasri 22 (4) 2 (1) 0 1 0 6 3 29 (5) 5 2 0
9 FW   CRO Eduardo 13 (11) 2 1 (1) 1 1 0 2 (3) 2 17 (15) 5 0 0
10 DF   FRA William Gallas 26 3 1 1 0 0 8 1 35 4 2 0
11 FW   NED Robin van Persie 14 (2) 9 0 0 0 0 4 1 18 (2) 10 5 0
12 FW   MEX Carlos Vela 1 (10) 1 2 0 1 (1) 1 2 (3) 0 6 (14) 2 1 0
14 MF   ENG Theo Walcott 12 (11) 3 1 0 0 0 2 (4) 1 15 (15) 4 0 0
15 MF   BRA Denílson 19 (1) 3 1 1 0 0 5 (2) 1 25 (3) 5 3 0
16 MF   WAL Aaron Ramsey 7 (11) 3 1 (1) 1 3 0 1 (5) 0 12 (17) 4 2 0
17 MF   CMR Alex Song 25 (1) 1 1 0 1 0 10 0 37 (1) 1 13 0
18 DF   FRA Mikaël Silvestre 9 (3) 1 2 0 3 0 2 (1) 0 16 (4) 1 3 0
19 MF   ENG Jack Wilshere (1) 0 1 0 2 0 1 (2) 0 4 (3) 0 1 0
20 DF    SUI Johan Djourou (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0
21 GK   POL Łukasz Fabiański 4 0 2 0 2 0 2 0 10 0 1 0
22 DF   FRA Gaël Clichy 23 (1) 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 32 (1) 0 6 0
23 MF   RUS Andrey Arshavin 25 (5) 10 (1) 0 0 0 7 (1) 2 32 (7) 12 3 0
24 GK   ITA Vito Mannone 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 8 0 1 0
27 DF   CIV Emmanuel Eboué 17 (8) 1 0 0 1 0 6 (4) 2 24 (12) 3 6 0
28 DF   ENG Kieran Gibbs 3 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 7 0 1 0
30 DF   FRA Armand Traoré 9 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 12 0 3 0
31 DF   ENG Sol Campbell 10 (1) 0 1 0 0 0 2 1 13 (1) 1 3 0
32 MF   ESP Fran Mérida (4) 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 4 (4) 2 1 0
33 MF   NED Nacer Barazite 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0
34 MF   ENG Kyle Bartley 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
35 MF   FRA Francis Coquelin 0 0 1 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 2 (1) 0 0 0
36 DF   ENG Thomas Cruise 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0
37 DF   ENG Craig Eastmond 2 (2) 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 5 (2) 0 1 0
38 MF   ENG Jay Emmanuel-Thomas 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
42 DF   ENG Kerrea Gilbert 0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 3 0 0 0
45 MF   ENG Henri Lansbury (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0
48 MF   ENG Mark Randall 0 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0
51 FW   FRA Gilles Sunu 0 0 0 0 1 0 (1) 0 1 (1) 0 0 0
52 FW   DEN Nicklas Bendtner 13 (10) 6 0 0 1 1 7 5 21 (10) 12 3 0
53 GK   POL Wojciech Szczęsny 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
54 MF   ENG Sanchez Watt 0 0 0 0 1 (2) 1 0 0 1 (2) 1 0 0

Source:[108][109]

See also

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References

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