1986–87 Arsenal F.C. season

Arsenal F.C.
1986–87 season
Chairman	Peter Hill-Wood
Manager	George Graham
First Division	4th
FA Cup	Quarter-finals
League Cup	Winners
Top goalscorer	League: Martin Hayes (19); All: Martin Hayes (24)
	← 1985–86 1987–88 →

The 1986–87 season saw the return to Arsenal of their former player George Graham as manager. Graham had been appointed just after the end of the previous season as successor to Don Howe who had resigned in late March. He had been a member of Arsenal's double winning team in 1971, but Arsenal had gone since 1979 without winning a major trophy, finishing seventh in the two seasons leading up to Graham's arrival and finishing as low as 10th in 1983.

Arsenal started the season well and were top of the league by Christmas, but a 10-match winless run went against their title hopes in the second half of the season and they eventually finished fourth, with Everton finishing champions for the second time in three seasons. Compensation for the failed title bid came in the form of the club's first ever Football League Cup victory, which came with a 2–1 win over Liverpool in the Wembley final. Charlie Nicholas scored both of Arsenal's goals.

Tony Adams, the 20-year-old centre-half who played in every single game for Arsenal this season, was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. Striker Niall Quinn and wingers David Rocastle and Martin Hayes both became regular members of the first team this season, with Hayes finishing as Arsenal's top scorer with 24 goals.

Squad[]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	GK	ENG	John Lukic
—	DF	ENG	Viv Anderson
—	DF	ENG	Kenny Sansom (captain)
—	MF	ENG	Steve Williams
—	DF	IRL	David O'Leary
—	DF	ENG	Tony Adams
—	MF	ENG	David Rocastle
—	MF	ENG	Paul Davis
—	FW	IRL	Niall Quinn
—	FW	SCO	Charlie Nicholas


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ENG	Martin Hayes
—	MF	ENG	Perry Groves
—	MF	ENG	Graham Rix
—	MF	ENG	Michael Thomas
—	DF	ENG	Gus Caesar
—	GK	WAL	Rhys Wilmot
—	MF	ENG	Ian Allinson
—	FW	ENG	Paul Merson
—	MF	ENG	Stewart Robson

Results[]

First Division[]

Pos	Team v t	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
2	Liverpool	42	23	8	11	72	42	+30	77	Excluded from the 1987–88 UEFA Cup^[a]
3	Tottenham Hotspur	42	21	8	13	68	43	+25	71	Excluded from the 1987–88 UEFA Cup^[a]
4	Arsenal	42	20	10	12	58	35	+23	70	League Cup winners, excluded from the 1987–88 UEFA Cup^[a]
5	Norwich City	42	17	17	8	53	51	+2	68
6	Wimbledon	42	19	9	14	57	50	+7	66

Source:^{[citation needed]}
Notes:

^ Jump up to: ^a ^b All English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985.

23 August 1986 1	Arsenal	1–0	Manchester United	showLondon
	Nicholas			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 41,382

26 August 1986 2	Coventry City	2–1	Arsenal	showCoventry
			Anderson	Stadium: Highfield Road Attendance: 11,182

30 August 1986 3	Liverpool	2–1	Arsenal	showLiverpool
	Mølby 19' (pen.) Rush 57'		Adams	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 38,637

2 September 1986 4	Arsenal	2–0	Sheffield Wednesday	showLondon
	Quinn Adams			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 20,101

6 September 1986 5	Arsenal	0–0	Tottenham Hotspur	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 44,707

13 September 1986 6	Luton Town	0–0	Arsenal	showLuton
				Stadium: Kenilworth Road Attendance: 9,876

20 September 1986 7	Arsenal	0–0	Oxford United	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 20,676

27 September 1986 8	Nottingham Forest	1–0	Arsenal	showNottingham
				Stadium: City Ground

4 October 1986 9	Everton	0–1	Arsenal	showLiverpool
			Williams	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 30,007

11 October 1986 10	Arsenal	3–1	Watford	showLondon
	Groves Hayes pen.' Quinn			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 24,076

18 October 1986 11	Newcastle United	1–2	Arsenal	showNewcastle-upon-Tyne
			Anderson Williams	Stadium: St. James' Park Attendance: 22,368

25 October 1986 12	Arsenal	3–1	Chelsea	showLondon
	Hayes pen.' Rocastle			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 32,990

1 November 1986 13	Charlton Athletic	0–2	Arsenal	showLondon
			Adams Hayes	Stadium: Selhurst Park

8 November 1986 14	Arsenal	0–0	West Ham United	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 36,084

15 November 1986 15	Southampton	0–4	Arsenal	showSouthampton
			Hayes pen.' Anderson Quinn Groves	Stadium: The Dell Attendance: 18,728

22 November 1986 16	Arsenal	3–0	Manchester City	showLondon
	Quinn Anderson Adams			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 29,009

29 November 1986 17	Aston Villa	0–4	Arsenal	showBirmingham
			Hayes Groves Rocastle own goal	Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 21,658

6 December 1986 18	Arsenal	3–1	Queens Park Rangers	showLondon
	Hayes Quinn			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,049

13 December 1986 19	Norwich City	1–1	Arsenal	showNorwich
			Hayes pen.'	Stadium: Carrow Road Attendance: 21,409

20 December 1986 20	Arsenal	3–0	Luton Town	showLondon
	Quinn Adams Hayes			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 28,217

26 December 1986 21	Leicester City	1–1	Arsenal	showLeicester
			Hayes pen.'	Stadium: Filbert Street Attendance: 19,205

27 December 1986 22	Arsenal	1–0	Southampton	showLondon
	Quinn			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,118

1 January 1987 23	Arsenal	3–1	Wimbledon	showLondon
	Nicholas Hayes pen.'			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 36,144

4 January 1987 24	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2	Arsenal	showLondon
			Adams Davis	Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 37,723

18 January 1987 25	Arsenal	0–0	Coventry City	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 17,561

24 January 1987 26	Manchester United	2–0	Arsenal	showManchester
				Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 51,367

14 February 1987 27	Sheffield Wednesday	1–1	Arsenal	showSheffield
			Quinn	Stadium: Hillsborough Attendance: 24,792

25 February 1987 28	Oxford United	0–0	Arsenal	showOxford
				Stadium: Manor Ground Attendance: 13,296

7 March 1987 29	Chelsea	1–0	Arsenal	showLondon
				Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 29,301

10 March 1987 30	Arsenal	0–1	Liverpool	showLondon
			Rush 20'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 47,777

17 March 1987 31	Arsenal	0–0	Nottingham Forest	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 18,352

21 March 1987 32	Watford	2–0	Arsenal	showWatford
				Stadium: Vicarage Road Attendance: 18,172

28 March 1987 33	Arsenal	0–1	Everton	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 36,218

8 April 1987 34	West Ham United	3–1	Arsenal	showLondon
			Hayes pen.'	Stadium: Boleyn Ground Attendance: 26,174

11 April 1987 35	Arsenal	2–1	Charlton Athletic	showLondon
	Davis Hayes			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 26,111

14 April 1987 36	Arsenal	0–1	Newcastle United	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 17,353

18 April 1987 37	Wimbledon	1–2	Arsenal	showLondon
			Merson Davis	Stadium: Plough Lane Attendance: 8,515

20 April 1987 38	Arsenal	4–1	Leicester City	showLondon
	Hayes pen.' Davis Nicholas			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 18,767

25 April 1987 39	Manchester City	3–0	Arsenal	showManchester
				Stadium: Maine Road Attendance: 18,072

2 May 1987 40	Arsenal	2–1	Aston Villa	showLondon
	Hayes pen.'			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 18,463

4 May 1987 41	Queens Park Rangers	1–4	Arsenal	showLondon
			Rix Merson Davis	Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 13,387

9 May 1987 42	Arsenal	1–2	Norwich City	showLondon
	Merson			Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 24,001

Football League Cup[]

23 September 1986 Second round (1st Leg)	Arsenal	2–0	Huddersfield Town	showLondon
	Davis Quinn			Stadium: Highbury

7 October 1986 Second round (2nd Leg)	Huddersfield Town	1–1 (1–3 agg.)	Arsenal	showHuddersfield
			Hayes	Stadium: Leeds Road

28 October 1986 Third round	Arsenal	3–1	Manchester City	showLondon
	Rocastle Hayes (p) Davis			Stadium: Highbury

18 November 1986 Fourth round	Arsenal	2–0	Charlton Athletic	showLondon
	Quinn own goal			Stadium: Highbury

21 January 1987 Quarter-Final	Arsenal	2–0	Nottingham Forest	showLondon
	Nicholas Hayes			Stadium: Highbury

8 February 1987 Semi-Final (1st Leg)	Arsenal	0–1	Tottenham Hotspur	showLondon
				Stadium: Highbury

1 March 1987 Semi-Final (2nd Leg)	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2 (aet) (2–2 agg.)	Arsenal	showLondon
			Anderson Quinn	Stadium: White Hart Lane

4 March 1987 Semi-Final (replay)	Tottenham Hotspur	1–2	Arsenal	showLondon
			Allinson Rocastle	Stadium: White Hart Lane

5 April 1987 Final	Arsenal	2–1	Liverpool	showLondon
	Nicholas (2)			Stadium: Wembley Stadium Attendance: 96,000

FA Cup[]

Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round proper, in which they were drawn to face Reading.

10 January 1987 Third round	Reading	1–3	Arsenal	showReading
	Senior 22'		Nicholas 20', 52' Hayes 36' (pen.)	Stadium: Elm Park

31 January 1987 Fourth round	Arsenal	6��1	Plymouth Argyle	showLondon
	Nicholas Anderson (2) Davis Quinn Rocastle		D. Rowbotham	Stadium: Highbury

21 February 1987 Fifth round	Arsenal	2–0	Barnsley	showLondon
	Hayes (pen) Nicholas			Stadium: Highbury

14 March 1987 Sixth round	Arsenal	1–3	Watford	showLondon
	Allinson 12'		Blissett 23', 88' Barnes 52'	Stadium: Highbury

Top scorers[]

First Division[]

Martin Hayes 19
Niall Quinn 8
Tony Adams 6
Viv Anderson 4
Charlie Nicholas 4
Paul Davis 4

References[]

External links[]

Arsenal 1986–87 on statto.com

[table_note_res_EXEC0.068881487971582-1] Jump up to: ^a ^b All English teams were banned by UEFA from its competitions from the season 1985–86 on until the season 1990–91 because of the Heysel Disaster in 1985.

[a]