This article will tell you about the European competition history of English club Arsenal
Arsenal Football Club has a long and storied history in European competition, having competed in continental tournaments since the 1960s. In this article, we will take a look at the Gunners’ journey in European competition.
The Beginning (1960s)
Arsenal made their debut in European competition in the 1963-64 season, competing in the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. They reached the quarter-finals before being eliminated by Sporting Lisbon.
The following season, they made it to the semi-finals but were again knocked out, this time by Ferencvaros. In the 1968-69 season, Arsenal reached the final of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, but lost to Anderlecht over two legs.
Performance In The 1970s
In the 1970-71 season, Arsenal made it to the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup, but were beaten by Ajax. The following season, they reached the final of the same competition, but lost to Real Madrid in Brussels. In 1978-79, Arsenal made it to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, but were eliminated by Red Star Belgrade.
Performance In The 1980s
In the 1980-81 season, Arsenal reached the final of the Cup Winners’ Cup again, but lost to Valencia in Paris. They made it to the semi-finals of the same competition in the 1982-83 season, but were beaten by Benfica. In the 1988-89 season, Arsenal famously won the European Cup Winners’ Cup, beating Parma 2-1 in the final in Gothenburg.
Performance In The 1990s
In the 1993-94 season, Arsenal reached the final of the UEFA Cup, but lost to Italian side Inter Milan. In the 1994-95 season, they made it to the quarter-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup but were knocked out by Sampdoria. In the 1999-2000 season, Arsenal reached the final of the UEFA Cup again, but lost to Turkish side Galatasaray on penalties in Copenhagen.
Best Performance (2010s)
In the 2000-01 season, Arsenal made it to the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but were beaten by Valencia. They made it to the second group stage of the same competition in the 2001-02 season, but failed to progress to the knockout stages.
In the 2003-04 season, Arsenal reached the final of the Champions League for the first time in their history, but were beaten 2-1 by Barcelona in Paris.
Performance In Last Decade
In the 2010-11 season, Arsenal reached the round of 16 of the Champions League, but were eliminated by Barcelona. The following season, they were knocked out at the same stage by Italian side AC Milan. In the 2012-13 season, Arsenal were knocked out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage again, this time by Bayern Munich.
They made it to the knockout stages of the same competition in the 2013-14 season, but were eliminated by defending champions Bayern Munich.
In the 2014-15 season, Arsenal were again knocked out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage, this time by Monaco. They made it to the quarter-finals of the same competition in the 2017-18 season, but were beaten by Atletico Madrid. In the 2018-19 season, Arsenal reached the final of the UEFA Europa League, but lost 4-1 to Chelsea in Baku.
