Manager George Graham FA Cup Quarter-finals | First Division 4th League Cup Winners | |
Top goalscorer League: Martin Hayes (19)
All: Martin Hayes (24) | ||
The 1986-87 season saw the return to Arsenal of their former player George Graham as manager. Graham had been appointed just after the end of the previous season as successor to Don Howe who had resigned in late March. He had been a member of Arsenal's double winning team in 1971, but Arsenal had gone since 1979 without winning a major trophy, finishing seventh in the two seasons leading up to Graham's arrival and finishing as low as 10th in 1983.
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Arsenal started the season well and were top of the league by Christmas, but a 10-match winless run went against their title hopes in the second half of the season and they eventually finished fourth, with Everton finishing champions for the second time in three seasons. Compensation for the failed title bid came in the form of the club's first ever Football League Cup victory, which came with a 2-1 win over Liverpool in the Wembley final. Charlie Nicholas scored both of Arsenal's goals.
Tony Adams, the 20-year-old centre-half who played in every single game for Arsenal this season, was voted PFA Young Player of the Year. Striker Niall Quinn and wingers David Rocastle and Martin Hayes both became regular members of the first team this season, with Hayes finishing as Arsenal's top scorer with 24 goals.
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.