The Golden Age of Arsenal 1929-38

Arriving in 1925, the first successes of this team came during the 1929-1930 season. The team then has great players in its squad. Especially on the attack line where we find Joe Hulme, a superb right-winger, Cliff Bastin, in the same role but on the right and David Jack at the forefront of the squad. The team also has one if not the best defender in the country at the time: Eddie Hapgood and in the middle, at the Inside Left position, a position close to an attacking midfielder, we find the genius Alex James, who has just arrived from Preston North End.

With his WM, Herbert Chapman will establish himself as one of the most influential coaches in history. To summarize, the appearance of this tactic which will impose itself on all European teams from the 30s to the 50s is due to the modification of the offside rule.

Before 1925, teams tended to play 2-3-5 or even more offensive compositions. The tactical aspect of football then had little importance and the game was simple, 1 player against 1 other, a whole team going up, 11 players against 11 players in the same area. But in 1925, this changed, the International Board, which governs the laws of the game, decided to modify the offside rule. Until then, for a player not to be offside, he had to be covered by two defenders in addition to the goalkeeper. This rule considerably favored back play and individual progression since it made deep passing practically impossible. However, with the democratization of the two backs and the overall progression of football players, it became increasingly difficult for attackers to score goals by performing the traditional long individual runs. Fearing a decline in spectacle, the International Board therefore reacted by establishing the offside rule as we know it today.

With this new rule, attackers have more chance of creating a spectacle. To counter attackers, defenses will have to be perfectly aligned if they want to put opposing attackers offside. The effects of this rule change will quickly be felt. As soon as it was established, the attackers exploded the counters and the scores abounded. Among the defenders, on the other hand, we look gloomy and we ask the managers to find a solution. This solution will come from the brain of Chapman, the revolutionary.

And the man who leads Arsenal will finally have success during this famous 1929-30 season, in the championship, it is rather catastrophic, the club finishes in 14th place in a championship of 22 teams with 39 points. But there are signs of satisfaction, already, the big season of Jack Lambert who sometimes plays inside forward, sometimes attacking, at 27 years old, he scored 23 goals in 28 matches in all competitions. Joe Hulme scored 14 goals in 41 matches and David Jack scored 16 goals in 41 matches.

But the season will end well for the Gunners who will win the FA Cup, in front of more than 92,000 spectators, they win the final 2-0 against Huddersfield Town after eliminating the following teams: Chelsea (2-0), Birmingham ( 3-2), Middlesborough (2-0), West Ham United (3-0), Hull City (3-2). Arsenal also won the 1930 Community Shield against Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.

The 1930-31 season marked a desire to grow the club from the start of the season. Indeed, the club is recruiting in England first with the signings of George Male and Leslie Compton but also internationally with the prestigious arrival of a young Dutch goalkeeper of just 20 years old, Gerard Pieter Keizer, and even he will not establish himself among the Gunners, he is the sign of expansion and the departure of goalkeeper Daniel Lewis.

The season is off to a good start, very well in fact. To everyone's surprise, the club scored 5 victories in the first 5 championship matches. On November 8, 1930, the club scored a resounding success, a 5-2 victory against Aston Villa, a great club of that era. A week later, Arsenal beat Sheffield Wednesday who finished 3rd that season.

In total, the club had a wonderful season and finished 1st in the championship, in 42 matches, the club had 28 wins, 10 draws and 4 defeats, so they finished on 66 points. But the most shocking is the effectiveness of its attack, the previous season, the club had scored 78 goals for 66 conceded, this 1930-1931 season, the club finished with 127 goals scored for 59 goals conceded.

And although Tom Waring (Aston Villa striker) finished top scorer in the championship, it is indeed the Gunners' attack that makes English supporters dream. In the championship, Jack Lambert scored a whopping 39 goals in 36 matches, even better, Cliff Bastin, winger, scored 29 goals in 45 matches. Joe Hulme peaks at 16 goals in 35 games. Alex James is the launching pad of this team and one of the best passers on the continent and in history, he allows his attackers to shine, notably David Jack who scores 33 goals in 38 games in a hybrid role from Inside right, oscillating between attacking midfielder and forward.

In the FA Cup, the club was unfortunately eliminated in its 3rd match against Chelsea 4-2. But he won the Community Shield again 1–0 against West Bromwich Albion thanks to a goal from Cliff Bastin.

1931-32 season, as champions of England, Arsenal must continue their momentum. A disappointing Gerrit Keizer leaves for Charlton Athletic. Pat Beasley, a wonderful left winger and Frank Moss, a very good goalkeeper are recruited.

In the league, the club finished second, 2 points behind Everton which peaked at 56 points. The London team's attack was a little less effective, 90 goals scored for 48 goals conceded. In the FA Cup, the club reached the final, losing 2–1 to Newcastle United in front of just over 92,000 spectators.

Cliff Bastin is still as effective on his left wing, he who tends to drop into the box scoring 21 goals in 46 games. Joe Hulme has 18 goals in 46 games. David Jack plants 24 goals in 40 matches. Jack Lambert once again finished as the club's top scorer with 26 goals in 41 matches.

1932-33 season, Arsenal continues its good momentum, in the league the first part of the season is very good with great victories against Everton 2-1, Liverpool 3-2, Newcastle United 1-0 or even a 9-2 against Sheffield United. But the second part of the season is much more complicated, the players who then only have this competition to play (eliminated in the first round of the FA Cup), seem in poor shape. The club has lost 6 matches out of the last 19.

However, Arsenal finished in 1st place, ahead of Aston Villa, with 58 points, 118 goals scored and 61 conceded. Cliff Bastin is surely at the top of his game, because the winger scores 33 goals in 43 games, an exceptional performance. Rookie Ernest Coleman is one of the revelations of this season with 24 goals in 27 games. Joe Hulme had one of his best seasons, 20 goals in 40 games. David Jack scores 18 goals in 35 games, and Jack Lambert has 14 in 12 games. Arsenal concluded their season by winning the Community Shield 3-0 against Everton.

The 1933-34 season was that of a championship in which the number of goals gradually began to decline, with the tactical aspect taking on more and more importance. At mid-season, Chapman left, giving his place to George Allison. But Arsenal did not weaken, on the contrary, even if the club had 1 draw and 3 defeats during the arrival of George Allison, positive results arrived quickly: 1-0 victory against Newcastle United, 3-2 victory against Aston Villa, 3-1 victory against Huddersfield Town. In the end, Arsenal were once again crowned champions of England and this time impressed with their defensive solidity, only 47 goals conceded for 75 goals scored and a coronation with 59 points.

Arsenal definitively established itself as the best team of the early 1930s in England and why not even in Europe. However, the club ended up losing in the 6th round of the FA Cup against Aston Villa 2-1. In the Community Shield, Arsenal torpedoed Manchester City and won 4-0, Birkett, Marshall, Drake and Bastin were the scorers.

Offensively, this season has been one of constant player rotation, as evidenced by the unflattering statistics of the attackers: Cliff Bastin 38 games 13 goals; Pat Beasley 23 games 10 goals; Ralph Birkett 15 matches 5 goals; Ray Bowden 32 games 13 goals; Ted Drake 10 games 7 goals; Jimmy Dunne 21 matches 9 goals; Joe Hulme 8 matches 5 goals; David Jack 15 games 5 goals and Alex James 22 games 3 goals. David Jack decided to end his career after this last title, after 6 years at the club, and in total, 521 matches for 267 goals.

The 1934-35 season marked the back-to-back-to-back in the Premier League, 3 titles in a row, an achievement. The club finished the championship with a first place with 58 points, 23 victories, 12 draws and 7 defeats. But above all 115 goals scored and 46 conceded, perhaps the best season for this great generation.

Unfortunately, the club was eliminated in the FA Cup and lost the Community Shield. But the players are incredible, breathtaking, Alex James is radiant in midfield, Hapgood is impressively solid alongside George Male and Herbie Roberts. Frank Moss, the goalkeeper, even allowed himself to score a goal that season.

Cliff Bastin returns to a very high level with a season of 21 goals in 40 games. Ray Bowden, the Inside Right, scores 14 goals in 26 games. Joe Hulme scores 10 goals in 18 games. But the player who impressed all of England at that time was none other than the team's striker Ted Drake, he had a season with 43 goals in 45 matches, an exceptional season for a player who had just joined the team and who is only 22 years old at the start of the season.

At the start of the 1935-36 season, James Marshall, then a replacement in the hierarchy, left the club. George Bradshaw, Wilf Walsh, Jackie Milne join the club but will not have a chance in the Gunners squad. Reg Lewis will be the last recruit of the summer transfer window.

In the league, Arsenal got off to a very bad start, but recovered during the November-December period before sinking again. In the end, Arsenal finished in 6th place in the championship (15 wins, 15 draws, 12 defeats, 78 goals scored, 48 goals conceded, 45 points).

It is in the FA Cup that the club will shine, the club successively eliminates Bristol Rovers (5-1), Liverpool (2-0), Newcastle United (6-3), Barnsley (4-1), Grimsby Town (1 -0) before facing Sheffield United in the final. The club won the final with a score of 1-0. In the Community Shield, the club unfortunately lost the match 2-1 against Sunderland.

The 1936-37 season was one of change, in total there were 6 departures for 4 arrivals. The club is doing better in the championship but cannot win it, they finish 3rd, 5 points behind the winner: Manchester City. In the FA Cup, the club exits in the 6th round. It was the worst season of Arsenal's golden era and the first season without a trophy since 1928-29.

That of 1937-38 will be different, Alex James leaves the club, 8 other players leave the club either in retirement or for other clubs. Arsenal makes 4 recruits. Arsenal are supported by their defense, Eddie Hapgood is still strong, George Male and Bernard Joy are also very good. In attack, Joe Hulme, at the end of his career, only played 7 games for 2 goals. Cliff Bastin is still sparkling with 17 goals in 41 games, he is the most consistent player of Arsenal's golden era and surely the symbol of this team. The other player who walks on water is Ted Drake with a season of 18 goals in 30 games.

Arsenal finished the championship in 1st place, 21 wins, 10 draws, 11 defeats, 77 goals scored, 44 goals conceded and 52 points. In the FA Cup, the club went out in the 5th round against Preston North End 1-0. Arsenal took their revenge in the Community Shield by beating Preston North End 2-1, with Drake scoring twice. With the Second World War arriving, the club would return to the pinnacle of English football after the conflict.