This series takes a look at what was happening to Arsenal and in the world around them on this day at one point in Arsenal’s past.
Arsenal victories against Aston Villa: the video
Throughout this year I have been adding a video for each day showing an Arsenal game. However, the fact that the last game that Arsenal played on 23 May (the day I am up to in my day-by-day account) was in 1973 against a Toronto Select XI tells us that there is unlikely to be a visual record of the game – and so it has proven to be.
We do have a couple more videos for the summer period but the fact is that as we head toward June there is very little in the way of a record of Arsenal on video.
So to help you pass the time I will offer a collection of videos club by club for the days when no video is available. Starting with Arsenal against Aston Villa
22 May is one of the few days in the Arsenal calendar for which we don’t have a video of a game.
Of course much of this is due to the fact that Arsenal have not played very often on 22 May, although as I write this we are coming up to one such game Arsenal v Everton on 22 May 2022. So this omission of a game on this day hopefully will soon be overcome (assuming that we win!).
This will be only the third time in this century that the club have played on 22 May, the others being in 2011 when we drew 2-2 away to Fulham, and in 2001 when we lost a home friendly with Barcelona 0-2. If you know of a location of a video of either game please do email AISA.
Prior to that we had a couple of friendlies – a game against Thailand on 22 May 1999 and one against Eastern Province in South Africa which we won 6-0 in 1964. I can’t imagine there is a video of the latter, but it is possible that one of the Thailand game exists on the internet, and if you can find it, please do tell.
Winning the cup with a penalty shoot out on this day
Winning the FA Cup to complete the Cup winning double: the 1993 video
19 May: an Arsenal defeat which began a sensational run
On 28 September 2002 Arsenal beat Leeds 4-1 away, to break the record by scoring in 47 consecutive games and making it 22 away games without defeat.
The record run had begun on 19 May 2001 with a 3-2 away defeat at Southampton.
We don’t normally put up videos of Arsenal’s defeat, but this one does have two Arsenal goals, and just reminds us all, that out of defeats come wonderful things.
Video of an amazing historic Arsenal match against Sheffield Wednesday
If you are a regular reader here you will know that each day I have been putting up a video of a match that occurred on that day in history. But now that we are into May things get a little more difficult because it’s the time when the season ends – and indeed has often in the past ended by this date.
Arsenal did play Tianjin Samsung of China) in a friendly on this day in 1995 and won 2-0 but I can’t find a video of that match freely available. Prior to that Arsenal played on this day in 1982 against ASL Club in Trinidad but again no video is available.
The last domestic game on this day was way back in 1963, a Division 1 match against Sheffield Wednesday but of course games were not videoed in those days.
But obviously, I would not like to leave you bereft of a historic video so I can offer another ancient match against Sheffield Wednesday. (OK that link is tenuous but it is better than nothing!) This one comes from 1992, and I have selected it because of the result, which really was quite extraordinary.
You can follow the match by clicking on the link below.
