Marking 30 Years since Tenth League Title Win
2021 marks an important anniversary in the modern history of Arsenal football club as it provides an opportunity for supporters to reflect on the team’s First Division title success in the 1990-91 season.
The penultimate season before the advent of the Premier League saw the Gunners battle rivals including Liverpool, Leeds, Crystal Palace, and Manchester City for glory. Here we will re-live that famous season under manager George Graham.
Early Momentum
Arsenal hit the ground running with wins over Wimbledon and Luton, which were followed by a 0-0 draw in the North London derby against Spurs. A further tie, against Everton, would follow, but the Gunners would take maximum points from 9 of their next 11 games.
Four second-half goals saw Arsenal thrash Chelsea 4-1, while seven clean sheets in eight games around the same period demonstrated the side’s strength at the other end of the park. Graham’s side was already installed as many people’s favourites to win the title.
A 3-0 win over current Premier League champions Liverpool underlined those credentials, especially as the Anfield side had been so successful in previous seasons and were defending champions at the time.
Under Jurgen Klopp, the Reds appear capable of building another dynasty some 30 years later. Although, following a disastrous start to the season, Arsenal is out at 150/1. Meanwhile, Manchester City has been installed as 10/11 favourites in the latest Premier League betting markets and Liverpool is 12/5 to retain their title in 2020/21.
Sharing the Spoils
However, Arsenal’s destiny as title winners that season was far from set in stone due to the number of games drawn. Including their single defeat, the team would drop points in 14 outings, with three ties at the start of December and six during the closing weeks of the campaign.
The first and only defeat of the season wouldn’t come until February, when a later Alan Smith goal was in vain as the Gunners slipped to a 2-1 defeat to London rivals Chelsea. But the team bounced back, inflicting a 4-0 defeat on Crystal Palace in their next league fixture and squashing the prospect of a collapse.
Arsenal would win six of the next eight to re-establish their stranglehold on the title race. A 6-1 win against Coventry City on the final day provided the perfect celebration at Highbury as the Gunners crowned a fantastic season.
Happy Birthday to legendary #arsenal manager George Graham. Pic from 1991 trophy parade, what a day that was. 📷🍺🏆🍺🍺🍺🍺 pic.twitter.com/wy8rrlpBAO
— Stuart MacFarlane 📷 (@Stuart_PhotoAFC) November 30, 2016
Star Performers
The top scorer for Arsenal in 1990-91 was Smith, who finished the campaign with 22 league goals and 27 overall. He was ably assisted by Swedish winger Anders Limpar, who found the night 11 times over the course of the First Division season, while Paul Merson was on target 13 times.
Other squad members that year, like David Seaman, Lee Dixon, David O’Leary, and Perry Groves, went on to become household names. George Graham is remembered by Arsenal fans as one of the club’s greatest ever managers.
The club’s FA Cup run that season ended at the semi-final stage with a tough defeat to Tottenham. Progress in the League Cup was halted in the fourth round by Manchester United, who put a 6-2 drubbing on the Gunners at Highbury.
#OnThisDay in 1991 🏆
Arsenal celebrated their title win with a 3-1 win over Man Utd at a raucous Highbury.@9smudge scored a hat-tick ⚽️⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/EQ9OQ5jRgW— Nostalgic Gooner (@GoonerNostalgic) May 6, 2020
But disappointment in the Cup competitions did little to detract from an incredible season at Highbury that should – and likely will – live long in the memory.
