Football League First Division 1988–89 Arsenal F.C. season

1 football league first division

1.1 august–november
1.2 december–february
1.3 march–may

1.3.1 title decider


1.4 results
1.5 classification

1.5.1 results summary
1.5.2 results round

football league first division

a total of 20 teams competed in first division in 1988–89 season. each team played 38 matches; 2 against every other team , 1 match @ each club s stadium. 3 points awarded each win, 1 point per draw, , none defeats.

august–november

alan smith (pictured in 2014) reached 10-goal mark arsenal in october, against queens park rangers.

arsenal began league season away @ plough lane, faced wimbledon on 27 august 1988. team started badly, going goal behind after 8 minutes came win 5–1 alan smith scoring hat-trick. manner of arsenal’s comeback had journalist dennis signy mulling on club s chances of winning league; wrote in times match report: …the gunners made bookmakers odds of 16–1 against them championship generous. @ highbury, arsenal beaten newly promoted aston villa; of first half graham’s side struggled break through villa s five. visitors 2 goals in match before arsenal equalised in space of ten minutes. andy gray scored winner in 62nd minute free-kick contentiously awarded referee. arsenal faced tottenham hotspur in season’s first north london derby, staged @ white hart lane. fast-paced , open first-half saw 5 goals in 17 minutes arsenal running out 3–2 winners. graham later described “great” , “wonderful advertisement game, , felt supporters , media go away happy. arsenal s home form continued blight them team dropped 2 points against southampton on 17 september 1988. match best remembered altercation between paul davis , glenn cockerill. arsenal midfielder punched cockerill missed referee, caught on camera. davis later banned 9 matches , handed record £3,000 fine. arsenal ended month 2–1 defeat away sheffield wednesday , sat in seventh position.

s anaemic, s leading line superbly, graham s assessment of smith striker scored 2 goals in arsenal s 4–1 win @ west ham united. david rocastle , michael thomas other goalscorers, contributing team s 13 league goals in 4 away matches. goals adams , smith saw arsenal defeat queens park rangers @ home 2 weeks later, held 1–1 draw @ luton town despite dominating of game. adams scored second league goal of season, @ home coventry city earn 3 points team. extended unbeaten run in competitions 7 matches. kevin richardson , brian marwood singled out praise journalist vince wright, former doing excellent job on [david] speedie, , latter seemingly involved in every penetrating move.

a live match audience witnessed arsenal trounce nottingham forest @ city ground in november. steve bould, brian marwood adams, smith each scored team came goal behind win. performance of true quality must have made excellent viewing, graham s verdict , described satisfying beat forest @ home ground. arsenal not @ fluent best against newcastle united though came away st james park cleansheet , 1–0 win – bould scored second successive match. paul merson scored twice against middlesbrough arsenal recorded 3–0 win , moved second place, 2 points behind norwich city. arsenal s 5 england internationals, featured against saudi arabia week before, lauded in times performances, despite playing tamely country. match reporter suggested club versus country dilemma solved including more arsenal players, graham sceptical when put him. want england well. s want arsenal better, said. arsenal s unbeaten run came end against derby county, @ baseball ground debatable penalty awarded home side allowed them game.

december–february

the visit of champions liverpool in december seen graham , media test of arsenal s championship credentials. arsenal entered match boasting division s best attacking record, while liverpool conceded fewest in competition. in game liverpool went ahead through left winger john barnes, lead short lived smith equalised. both sides spurned chances win game late on , score stayed 1–1 @ full time; kenny dalglish, liverpool player-manager delighted point , said afterwards: entertaining of other 4 games have played against each other season. arsenal failed score first time in season when played league leaders norwich city on 10 december 1988. team returned winning ways during christmas period. more 37,000 spectators saw arsenal defeat manchester united 2 goals one, , on boxing day brace marwood ensured arsenal beat charlton athletic go top of league table. continued form on new year s eve, beating aston villa 3–0.

the highbury clock unveiled in elevated position before game against tottenham hotspur part of ground s refurbishment work. merson , thomas scored goal apiece against bitter rivals, handing team fourth straight league win , send them 2 points clear of norwich city. match reporter clive white conceded tottenham had legitimate claim penalty in first half, felt never merited game, contrasting visitor s disappointing play arsenal – epitome of pure, free-flowing football. team continued away form taking apart everton @ goodison park. graham labelled team nice , solid after goalless first half , visitors sprung life in second, scoring 3 goals. richardson, scorer of arsenal s third, assessed squad more experienced last year, adding knows have do. arsenal failed record sixth straight win sheffield wednesday held on 1–1 draw @ highbury following weekend.

victory against west ham united moved arsenal 10 points clear of third-place coventry city , ahead of defending champions liverpool. team came behind against millwall seal win. performance until second half insipid, , after interval did manager asked , upped tempo in search of equaliser. marwood scored , midfielder had part play in smith getting winning goal. arsenal dropped 2 points away queens park rangers , beaten coventry city – bould conceded late second-half penalty converted brian kilcline. john sillett, manager of coventry city felt pressure on arsenal beginning tell on them , wanted exploit that. smith , perry groves each scored in arsenal s 2–0 win against luton town, february ended goalless draw @ home millwall. doubts raised on arsenal s championship credentials millwall nullified opponents attacking threat. visitors own attacking duo – teddy sheringham , tony cascarino got better of struggling adams, fortunate not have conceded penalty in first half. though arsenal remained in first place after 27 matches, gap built @ start of calendar year diminishing.

march–may

tony adams target of jibes opposition fans throughout season. daily mirror page depicted him donkey after match in april 1989.

arsenal s limitations laid bare @ home nottingham forest beaten 3–1. clough s team, supreme masters of counter-attack , produced first-half performance of quality , hit hosts on break score 3 times. arsenal s form dipped drew 2–2 charlton athletic, leaving 11 points behind liverpool had 3 games in hand. davis returned line-up third league start since october, , made noticeable difference, restor[ing] arsenal s confidence , gave attack imagination. put arsenal 2–1 in match, charlton equalised when steve mackenzie raced penalty area , right unleashed shot bobbled on lukic.

consecutive away fixtures brought mixed results; arsenal beat southampton 3–1 before drawing one-all @ old trafford against manchester united. adams, target jeers crowd, had scored @ both ends. day after game saw picture of himself on page of daily mirror donkey ears. jibes affected adams privately, later recollected how motivated him play better. arsenal strengthened position @ top of table 4 straight wins, conceding no goals. lee dixon , niall quinn each scored against everton , team beat newcastle united single goal. nervous performance , hardly stuff of potential champions, reflected narrow scoreline, though team did create notable chances throughout game. richardson , marwood denied last-ditch tackles, interventions , goalkeeping saves.

arsenal turned on style against norwich city few weeks later, recording biggest win of season. smith, thomas, rocastle , nigel winterburn on scoresheet , 5–0 victory opened six-point gap @ top of table. guardian correspondent david lacey opined combination play between smith , merson crucial arsenal s momentum rocastle s athleticism down right. martin hayes made rare start arsenal , crucially scored winner against middlesbrough, relegating north-east side. absence of davis, out injury, felt arsenal unexpectedly lost @ home derby county. in final home match of season arsenal held 2–2 draw wimbledon, paving way liverpool leapfrog them first place , move 3 points clear. 1 game remaining, arsenal s title chances over.

title decider


anfield (pictured in 2009) setting final league game of season, between arsenal , liverpool.

arsenal s final match of league season – against liverpool, scheduled month earlier, events @ hillsborough, saw 96 of liverpool s supporters crushed death in stadium disaster, meant game postponed , rearranged. time fixture drew ever closer, both clubs close enough on points act title decider; odds against arsenal had not won @ anfield in 15 years. liverpool had not lost 2 goals – margin arsenal required win championship – in 3 years.

the game took place on friday evening , televised national audience of on 12 million. graham made slight adjustment team s formation, bringing david o leary in play sweeper in five. thinking nullify liverpool s attacking threat , of first half, arsenal stemmed opponents usual passing game. in second half, smith scored, looked increasingly title remain @ anfield arsenal struggled increase lead. however, deep stoppage time, thomas evaded challenge steve nicol , raced penalty area, before slipping ball past advancing bruce grobbelaar make score 2–0. final whistle blown seconds later, ending arsenal s 18-year wait crowned league champions. described dramatic finish in 120-year history of english top flight bbc sport in 2008, title decider @ anfield generated interest in sport , events depicted in nick hornby s best-selling book fever pitch.

results






































classification

source:

rules classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored

(c) = champion; (r) = relegated; (p) = promoted; (e) = eliminated; (o) = play-off winner; (a) = advances further round.

only applicable when season not finished:

(q) = qualified phase of tournament indicated; (tq) = qualified tournament, not yet particular phase indicated; (rq) = qualified relegation tournament indicated; (dq) = disqualified tournament.

results summary

source:

results round

source:

ground: = away; h = home. result: d = draw; l = loss; w = win; p = postponed.