Five in 500: Arsenal’s best matches at the Emirates | OneFootball

Wednesday’s Premier League clash between Arsenal and Manchester United will be the Gunners’ 500th men’s game at Emirates Stadium.

The 60,704-seat stadium was officially opened by Prince Philip in October 2006, though its first match, a 1-1 league draw with Aston Villa, was held two months prior.

The stadium has also been home to Arsenal women since 2021, setting several WSL attendance records.

In the 18 years since, the stadium has hosted 348 Premier League matches, of which the Gunners have won 230, and seen over 1,000 goals scored. Of the 499 matches played in all competitions, the Arsenal have come out on top in 335, scoring 1,064 goals and conceding 427.

Here are five of the most memorable matches from nearly two decades of football in N5.

Biggest Win: Arsenal 7-0 Slavia Praha, Champions League, October 23 2007

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The Champions League group stage is always good for goals, and this occasion was no different.

A vintage Arsenal performance saw reigning Czech champions ship seven courtesy of a brace apiece from Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott, with Alexander Hleb and Nicklas Bendtner also adding their name to the scoresheet.

With Robin Van Persie missing the match through injury, some had wondered whether the Gunners would struggle to break down their defensive-minded guests, though they had no issues, making a statement by scoring three before half time after Fabregas opened the scoring with a sweet curling effort.

The match was the Gunners 12th on the bounce and would equal what was then the largest winning margin in Champions League history, a Juventus win over Olympiacos.

Most Goals: Arsenal 7-3 Newcastle UnitedPremier League, December 29 2012

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The highest-scoring match ever seen at the Emirates was this ten-goal thriller, which could only be described as cinema as Newcastle would tie the match on three occasions before a late Arsenal flurry emphatically took the Magpies out of contention.

Half time came and went with the sides tied at 1-1, but a franetic eight-goal second half was still to follow.

With the scoreline level at 3-3 with 20 minutes left, a pair of late braces from Olivier Giroud and Walcott would put the game to bed.

The young Walcott would then add another in injury time, chipping past Tim Krul to claim his hat-trick.

Mikel Arteta previews the Manchester United clash

Henry’s Return: Arsenal 1-0 Leeds UnitedFA Cup, January 9 2012

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Returning to Arsenal on loan from NY Red Bull, the Frenchman marked his second Gunners debut by scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup third round win over Leeds.

Arsenal had been struggling to break down a stubborn Leeds defence, and turned to the then 34-year-old to make the difference.

That is exactly what he did, scoring just 10 minutes after his second-half introduction, picking up the ball in the half-space before putting a trademark curled finish beyond Andy Lonergan to rapturous applause from the home support.

It would prove to be his penultimate goal in an Arsenal shirt, his 228th and final goal for the club coming in the last league game of his loan when he scored the winning in a 2-1 win over Sunderland.

Wenger’s Curtain Call: Arsenal 5-0 BurnleyPremier League, May 6 2018

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Arsenal battered Sean Dyche’s plucky Burnley side to give Arsene Wenger as fitting a send-off as possible in front of the home fans.

The win would be the 715th of his Arsenal career, which would close the following week with another win away at Huddersfield.

The Frenchman’s final year in charge of Arsenal had not been quite as sweet as he might have hoped, but the mood in the stadium was one of gratitude and nostalgia.

Every fan was given a free t-shirt featuring the slogan ‘Merci Arsene,’ and special banners commemorating his tenure decorated the stadium.

An extended lap of honour followed the full-time whistle.

Wenger’s final home line-up would feature his long-time rival Petr Cech between the sticks, with goal scorers including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and academy graduate Alex Iwobi.

Rivalry Drubbing: Arsenal 5-0 ChelseaPremier League, April 23 2024

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The Gunner’s biggest win against a London rival at the Emirates came just a few months ago, when an ailing Chelsea made the trip across the capital and were sent home with tails between their legs.

Leandro Trossard’s powerful near-post finish opened the scoring after just four minutes and set the tone for the afternoon, while former Chelsea man Kai Havertz and Ben White added a brace each to cement the result.

The win was a crucial boost in Arsenal’s push to catch Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City, and was comfortably the biggest margin of victory in any of Arsenal’s 79 wins over Chelsea.