When Arsenal was founded in 1886 by
munition workers' from Woolwich, the club resisted the lure of professionalism and remained an amateur side. Success in local cup competitions soon followed, and a tie against
Derby County in the FA Cup on 17 January 1891 led to the opposition approaching two of Arsenal's players, in view of offering them professional contracts. The club won promotion in 1904, and enjoyed strong FA Cup campaigns in the mid-1900s, but the increase of football clubs in the capital and falling attendances at the
Manor Ground pushed Arsenal close to bankruptcy by 1910. Sir
Henry Norris and William Hall in that year took over Arsenal, and planned to relocate the team to Highbury in order to improve their financial standing. Arsenal were relegated back to the Second Division in 1913, but the move to North London brought about larger attendances than ever before. during
2005–06, to mark Arsenal's final season at the ground.|alt=A football pitch with "Highbury 1913–2006" emblazoned on the grass: Arsenal played home matches at Highbury between those years. In 1919, Norris arranged for the club's promotion back to the First Division, in contentious circumstances. With increased financial resources, the club established themselves as a permanent fixture in the division and was better able to spend money on new players. In
1930, Arsenal beat
Huddersfield Town to win its first major piece of silverware: the
FA Cup. Success continued right throughout the decade, as they won five league championships and a further FA Cup in seven years. Following the Second World War, Arsenal won two more championships and a FA Cup, but their fortunes gradually declined. It was not until 1970 that the club won another trophy – the
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, a European club competition designed to promote
trade fairs. A first
league and cup double was completed a year later; by the end of the decade Arsenal added another FA Cup, beating
Manchester United in the
1979 final. 1980 saw Arsenal lose two finals in quick succession, defeated by
West Ham United in the
FA Cup final and then to
Valencia in the
Cup Winners' Cup on
penalties. The club won their first
League Cup in 1987, but a year later failed to retain the trophy as outsiders
Luton Town beat them in the final. In 1989, Arsenal won their first league championship in 18 years, courtesy of
Michael Thomas' last-minute goal against closest challengers Liverpool in
the final game of the season. The club did not build on their success, finishing fourth
the following season, but regained the title in 1991. As champions, Arsenal were eligible to play in the
European Cup, but their time in the competition ended abruptly as they were eliminated in the second round by
Benfica. The growth of commercialism in English football during the late 1980s and early 1990s paved the way for Arsenal and other prominent clubs to seek the possibility of setting up a new top-flight division. Unhappy with how income was distributed to the lower leagues and wanting to exploit television rights, Arsenal and 21 other First Division clubs handed a notice of resignation from the Football League by August 1991. The breakaway division, entitled the Premier League, was administered by
The Football Association and received financial backing from
Sky Television. Arsenal finished 10th in the
inaugural season; the club did well in other competitions, winning a unique FA and League Cup double. They were victorious in the
1994 Cup Winners' Cup Final, and came close to defending the trophy in 1995, before losing to
Real Zaragoza. Arsenal added more league and cup doubles in 1998 and 2002, and in 2004 became the first club in Premier League history to win the title without a single defeat. The side, nicknamed "
The Invincibles" remained unbeaten for 49 games, before losing to Manchester United in October 2004. In 2006, Arsenal reached their first
UEFA Champions League final but
Barcelona scored twice in the second half to win the competition. Later that year, Arsenal moved to the
Emirates Stadium which commenced a transitional period. Though the club strengthened their position in the league's "top four" and frequently participated in the Champions League, they struggled to hold on to their best players. In
2011–12, Arsenal made their worst start to a season for 58 years, but a strong finish saw the club overtake
rivals Tottenham Hotspur to third position. After nine years without silverware, the club beat
Hull City to win the
2014 FA Cup Final and
retained the trophy with a dominant display against
Aston Villa in 2015, before clinching a record 13th in 2017. Arsenal won their fourteenth FA Cup in
2020, beating
Chelsea. ==Key==