After finishing third the previous term, Arsenal battled with
Preston North End in the 1952/53 season for the title, and ultimately finished level on points; however, Arsenal won the league for the seventh time on goal average, by a margin of 0.099. With Preston having won their final game of the season two days before Arsenal faced
Burnley in their final match, it meant Arsenal needed to win to claim the title. Goals from
Alex Forbes,
Jimmy Logie and
Doug Lishman ensured a 3–2 win. In the
FA Cup, Arsenal beat
Doncaster Rovers,
Bury and
Burnley before being knocked out by eventual winners
Blackpool in the quarter-finals. The Gunners' biggest win was joint between the cup win over Bury and a league fixture against
Derby County; both were won 6–2. Their highest scoring match was a 6–4 triumph at
Reading, and their top scorer Doug Lishman, who scored 25 goals in all competitions. ==Final league table==