In May 2006, we bid farewell to our famous ground, Highbury after 93 years, signing off with a 4-2 win against Wigan Athletic.
We were on the move to Ashburton Grove where the world-famous Emirates Stadium would become our new home for our next chapter.
WHEN DID ARSENAL BEGIN PLANS TO LEAVE HIGHBURY?
In November 1999, the first proposals were announced to move to a new stadium, situated in Ashburton Grove, a stone’s throw from our then-Highbury home. Planning consent was secured in May 2002 and construction work began at the site in February 2004 after funding was completed.
The North and South Bridges were in place within six months and, in October 2004, the venue was officially named Emirates Stadium. The topping-out ceremony took place in August 2005 and, a year later, the stadium opened for business.
Our final campaign at Highbury saw us reach the Champions League final, beating the likes of Juventus and Villarreal, as well as knock out Real Madrid on a famous night under the lights.
In our last game at the ground, Thierry Henry scored a hat-trick as we came from 2-1 down to win 4-2, leapfrogging Spurs to finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League in the process.
Learn more about our move to the Emirates
WHAT WAS OUR FIRST GAME AT EMIRATES STADIUM?
Our first game was Dennis Bergkamp's testimonial on July 22, 2006, as legends of both clubs, as well as squad members, came together to bid farewell to our iconic Dutch striker. We won the game 2-1 thanks to second-half goals by Henry and Kanu.
Our first competitive fixture came against Aston Villa in the Premier League on August 19, 2006, when Gilberto Silva netted our first goal in a 1-1 draw.
Our maiden win at the Emirates came on August 23, 2006, when we came from behind to beat Dinamo Zagreb thanks to goals from Freddie Ljungberg and Mathieu Flamini.
In November 2023, Leandro Trossard scored our 1,000th goal at the Emirates Stadium in a 3-1 victory over Burnley.
WHAT IS THE CAPACITY OF EMIRATES STADIUM?
One of the finest stadiums anywhere in the world, Emirates Stadium has a capacity of 60,704.
In February 2024, we broke the record for the highest-ever attendance at a Women’s Super League match of 60,160 in our 3-1 win against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium, while our highest attendance in a Premier League match came against Wolverhampton Wanderers in November 2019, with 60,383 in attendance for our 1-1 draw.
HOW DO I GET TO EMIRATES STADIUM?
There are three stations situated in the vicinity of Emirates Stadium - Arsenal, Finsbury Park and Highbury & Islington.
Arsenal (Piccadilly Line) is the nearest tube station, around three minutes’ walk from the ground. There is no step-free access leading from the station platforms to the station exit.
Finsbury Park (Victoria, Piccadilly Lines and Great Northern Rail) is around a 10-minute walk, which means it should be slightly less crowded. The station is wheelchair accessible and is likely to be the least congested route to the stadium for wheelchair access.
Highbury & Islington (Victoria Line, North London Line and Great Northern Rail) is also around a 10-minute walk. It is also wheelchair accessible.
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