1987/88: Arsenal win 14 in a row

When Manchester City recently defeated Swansea in the FA Cup fifth round they became record breakers into the bargain. A 15th straight win for a top flight club edged Pep Guardiola's side past the previous mark set by Preston and Arsenal. With power to add, City's new record may stand for a long time.

Inevitably the focus of this piece takes us back to Arsenal and the start of the 1987/88 season and not Preston in 1891/92; apologies, I haven't started That 1890s Sports Blog yet. Ultimately it would be a frustrating campaign for George Graham and his developing team. However, as summer turned to autumn it promised so much.

Losing at home to Liverpool on the opening day of the season, a draw at Old Trafford was then followed by defeat at QPR. The loss at Loftus Road marked the end of an era; Charlie Nicholas never played for Arsenal again. If Graham wanted justification for his move to ostracise the star forward, then the next few months would provide him with enough ammo.

A 6-0 home win over Portsmouth - Alan Smith's hat-trick his first goals for the club - and a 1-1 draw at Luton marked the beginning of the post-Nicholas regime. But it would be the next 14 matches that truly saw his team crank through the gears. You Win Again by the Bee Gees would be an appropriate number one single during a run that threatened Preston's record.

A 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest started the juggernaut. With Kenny Sansom keeping winger Franz Carr quiet, and Steve Williams and Paul Davis dominating midfield, Smith's 20th minute header was enough to separate the teams, although Arsenal were indebted to keeper John Lukic, who twice thwarted Nigel Clough. 

A week later, Wimbledon arrived at Highbury unbeaten in six matches, yet were blown away before half-time. Nicholas' replacement, Perry Groves earned a penalty after just 90 seconds, which Michael Thomas converted. Another Smith goal, and an Andy Thorn own goal completed the scoring before the break.

Groves would score the first in a comfortable 3-0 win at Doncaster in the Littlewoods Cup second round first leg, before another international star on borrowed time scored the only goal in a win over West Ham at Highbury. Kenny Sansom could at least celebrate his 29th birthday in style, but with Nigel Winterburn waiting in the wings, and Tony Adams ready to take over the captaincy, the full back would soon become another victim of Graham's axe.

Former Arsenal hero Liam Brady, now back in England at West Ham, was less than complimentary about Graham's approach to the game. "They hardly pass the ball in midfield, except to give it short to Steve Williams so that he can play a long ball," Brady noted. The pressing game adopted by Arsenal certainly gave opponents no room to breathe; yet Arsenal were far from a long ball team.

There was one fact that no one could argue with; the solidity of Arsenal's back four. Playing at right back, Thomas would eventually make a successful move to midfield, and David O'Leary was establishing a fine partnership with Adams. A couple of recruits from Stoke would finalise Graham's plans for the strong foundations at the back, with Lee Dixon arriving in January and Steve Bould the following summer.

Further clean sheets stretched the number of consecutive wins to seven matches. A 3-0 victory at Charlton, with goals from Groves, Thomas and Adams, a 1-0 win in the return leg against Doncaster, and an unspectacular 2-0 home win over Oxford, were ideal preparation for the forthcoming north London derby at White Hart Lane.

Screened live on ITV, the resolve of Graham's young team was tested when Nico Claesen scored after just 42 seconds, the first goal Arsenal had conceded in eight matches. But strikes from David Rocastle and Thomas ended Tottenham's run of 14 successive league wins at home, even if Arsenal were extremely lucky when a Gary Mabbutt goal was ruled out for a dubious offside.

With Graham Rix injured, summer signing Kevin Richardson filled the vacancy on the left side of midfield. Richardson scored in the first minute against Derby, with Thomas adding a penalty nine minutes later. An Andy Garner goal reduced the deficit, in a match that Graham described as "our worst performance at home this season." But it was a case of job done.

Playing poorly and winning became a useful habit. An easy 3-0 win over Bournemouth in the next round of the Littlewoods Cup was followed by a smash and grab win at Newcastle. Lukic denied Paul Gascoigne, saved a Neil McDonald penalty, and Arsenal looked to have escaped the north east with a point. But then a delicious last minute winner from Smith sent Arsenal top.

"Good sides win when they struggle," Graham noted. But Stephen Bierley's Guardian report suggested he was not a big fan. "That five-letter word [lucky], forever linked to the London club, sprang to the lips of the home supporters. Those who gets their thrills from organisation and work-rate must love Arsenal."

At least the "Boring Arsenal" barbs could not be thrown at Graham's team in the final three matches of the run. Two goals from Richardson and a Roy Wegerle own goal saw Arsenal beat Chelsea 3-1 at Highbury. In truth, Chelsea, who would be relegated at the end of the season, had chances to level the match, Wegerle missing a sitter before his unwelcome intervention at the other end of the pitch. They may have been labelled "the south's leading title candidates" and "the capital's premier side" in the Guardian report, but Arsenal were not convincing everyone that they could stay the distance.

It's interesting to note that Smith scored five goals in the run, but his first season at Highbury was a struggle. Without service from the wings, Smith's had to feed off scraps, and although Groves was trying manfully to form a partnership with the former Leicester forward, it wasn't until Paul Merson arrived on the scene that things started to click for Smith. The purchase of winger Brian Marwood in March 1988 also proved to be a significant turning point for Smith and Arsenal.

Arsenal's success was reflected in the fact that Adams and Sansom helped England gain qualification for Euro 88 with a thumping 4-1 win in Yugoslavia, with Rocastle, Davis and Thomas all playing for the U21s in their 5-1 triumph in the same country. A few days later, all would feature as Arsenal scored four at Carrow Road in a display Russell Thomas described as "football of magnificence."

Falling behind to a Kevin Drinkell goal, Arsenal responded with four goals in 12 second half minutes that crushed Norwich. Rocastle was unstoppable, scoring twice and setting up Thomas for another, with Groves finishing off the scoring. Drinkell claimed a late consolation, but the 4-2 win kept Arsenal on top.

A 3-0 win over Mick Mills' Division Two Stoke City in the Littlewoods Cup completed the record run. But getting past Preston proved a step too far. Niall Quinn replaced an injured Groves ten minutes into the match against Southampton at Highbury. The lack of pace proved detrimental. Conversely, the speed of Danny and Rod Wallace on the break was a constant threat. Arsenal huffed and puffed, but Danny Wallace's 78th minute goal ended Arsenal's 14-match winning run and was their first defeat in 16.

The team never recovered. Winning just one league match in the next ten after the Southampton defeat, any hopes of the league title faded. An FA Cup sixth round defeat to Nottingham Forest, and heartbreak against Luton in the Littlewoods Cup final completed a season of frustration. But even during the months of relative decline the seeds had been planted for the future success of the club.