The 2013–14 season was Arsenal Football Club's 22nd season in the Premier League and 88th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. Arsenal participated in the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and the UEFA Champions League, after finishing fourth in the previous Premier League season. Despite an opening day 1–3 league defeat at home to Aston Villa, which exacerbated underlying anger at the club's inactivity in the transfer market, Arsenal's league campaign got off to a strong start. Early pace-setters in the title race, Arsenal led the table for much of the season, spending more time on top of the league than any other side. However, a combination of injuries to key players and heavy defeats away from home against other title challengers saw the Gunners' title ambitions evaporate by late March. Nonetheless, Arsenal achieved success in the FA Cup with a dramatic 3–2 win over Hull City in the 2014 Final, ending a nine-year trophy drought.
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Background In November 2012, Arsenal extended their shirt sponsorship deal with the airline Emirates until 2019 with the Emirates Stadium's naming rights contract also being extended until 2028. It was later announced in January 2013 that Arsenal's home ticket prices would be frozen at the 2012–13 prices for the 2013–14 season. This came after criticism of prices from Arsenal supporters as well as visiting fans, as Arsenal's prices were revealed as one of the highest in world football. However, Arsenal's kit manufacturer was still in doubt as Nike's sponsorship deal ended at the end of the season. In May 2013, it was reported that Puma had signed a five-year deal for an estimated £170 million over the period, a deal that would become the most lucrative kit manufacturer partnership in English football. It will also end a 20-year spell with American sportswear designer Nike. Arsenal had announced the partnership with Puma will be effective from 1 July 2014.
Aside from football on the pitch, Arsenal announced that club legend Freddie Ljungberg would be "renewing his ties with the club" by taking an ambassadorial role with the view of increasing the international awareness for the club. Ljungberg, who was famously a part of the "Invincibles" team, said that he was "honoured to take on this ambassadorial role." In addition, Sir Chips Keswick was appointed as the new club chairman following the 31-year-incumbency of Peter Hill-Wood as chairman, as Hill-Wood resigned following a heart attack the previous year. Though it ended a Hill-Wood association with Arsenal since 1927 (as his grandfather and father were also chairmen of Arsenal Football Club), he stated that he knows "Sir Chips is the right person to take the Club forward."
Pre-season Arsenal announced plans to play a pre-season friendly in Indonesia's capital Jakarta against the Indonesia national team on 1 November 2012, with the match being played on 14 July 2013. This was to be part of Arsenal's third consecutive Asian tour, in anticipation of the growing fan base in the continent. Arsenal's match in Indonesia was the first time the club played in the country since 1982. Arsenal also announced plans to play in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, in a match that would see the first Premier League team to play a friendly there. In addition, in March 2013, it was announced that Arsenal would play Arsène Wenger's former club, Nagoya Grampus in Japan on 22 July, as well as another Japanese game against Urawa Red Diamonds, extending the Asia tour to four games.
Arsenal also hosted the Emirates Cup in the Emirates Stadium for the first time since 2011, after the 2012 edition was cancelled due to the 2012 Summer Olympics causing infrastructure problems in London, which hosted the event. It was confirmed on 15 May 2013 that Turkish Süper Lig side, Galatasaray and Serie A side Napoli were to be Arsenal's opponents, although this did not receive a good reception from Arsenal fans after the 2000 UEFA Cup Final riots where Arsenal and Galatasaray fans clashed in Copenhagen, Denmark before the UEFA Cup Final. The third side was Porto, who played their two games against Arsenal's two opponents. Arsenal's final pre-season friendly was against fellow Premier League side Manchester City in Helsinki seven days before the season is set to begin. This meant a total of seven pre-season games for the Gunners. It was also reported in 2012 that, after Arsenal postponed a planned friendly with Nigeria in August 2012, the Gunners would play Nigeria in Abuja Stadium in 2013, however, this did not materialise.
Arsenal started their pre-season tour with various promotional activities, including a signing session and television appearances, ahead of their friendly against the Indonesia Dream Team. Arsenal led at half-time 1–0 with the first goal of the season coming from Theo Walcott, with bright displays from Aaron Ramsey and Serge Gnabry. However, it was in the second half that the Gunners began firing, as goals from youngsters Akpom, Olsson and Eisfeld and established players Podolski and Giroud (2) meant Arsenal began their pre-season preparations with an emphatic 7–0 win. Continuing the tour, various Arsenal team members visited numerous tourist attractions in Hanoi, whilst which a Vietnamese Arsenal fan, Vũ Xuân Tiến, ran five miles (eight kilometers) alongside the club's touring bus before eventually being called up by Arsenal's players for pictures; he was subsequently dubbed the "Running Man" by Vietnamese and international media. Arsenal's second pre-season game was against Vietnam, where the Gunners again managed to score seven goals, as Giroud's hat-trick brought his pre-season tally to five. The remaining goals came from youngsters Oxlade-Chamberlain, Akpom and Miquel, with Mạnh Dũng scoring the first goal Arsenal conceded in the season. Arsenal then travelled to Japan to play in a two-part tour involving Wenger's old club Nagoya Grampus, where the Gunners ran out 3–1 winners (with goals from Walcott, Giroud (his sixth for the tour) and Miyaichi) and Urawa Red Diamonds, where a late Chuba Akpom goal kept up Arsenal's 100% record in pre-season as a 2–1 win ensured the Gunners won all four of their Asia Tour matches.
Arsenal then began their ventures in the Emirates Cup, where a Galatasary 1–0 win earlier over Porto, and a 2–2 draw for the Gunners against Napoli (with goals for Frenchmen Giroud and Koscielny for Arsenal), meant Arsenal ended Day 1 second in the table, one point behind their next opponents Galatasary. Arsenal were on course to win the Emirates Cup for a fourth time whilst they led 1–0 against Galatasaray, however old foe Didier Drogba scored two late goals as a 2–1 defeat for the Gunners left them in last place in the table. Arsenal did however, end their pre-season in encouraging fashion, as an goals of exquisite quality from Walcott, Ramsey and Giroud (his 8th in pre-season) capped a brilliant 3–1 victory over Premier League rivals Manchester City in Helsinki. Arsenal finished their pre-season preparations with 25 goals scored and 8 goals conceded spread over eight games and 11 different goals scorers
Transfers On 30 May 2013, Arsenal announced they were to release 10 reserve team players, three of whom made first-team appearances for the Gunners (Conor Henderson, Jernade Meade and Sanchez Watt), along with seven other players (Bihmoutine, Reice Charles-Cook, Sead Hajrović, Neita, Philip Roberts, Rees and James Shea) who were then free to play for other teams. Manager Arsène Wenger had also revealed Arsenal were not going to renew the contracts of players Andrey Arshavin (who later rejoined his former club Zenit Saint Petersburg) and Sébastien Squillaci, whilst Denílson's agent also confirmed his contract was cancelled by mutual consent (and later signed on a permanent contract by São Paulo), as all three players were free to play for other clubs.
The transfer window opened on 1 July which prompted Arsenal to announce the signing of French Under 20 striker Yaya Sanogo on a free transfer following his contract completion at old club Auxerre. He became the first signing of the season and joined on a "long-term contract". Sanogo was given the number 22 shirt while Abou Diaby switched from the number 2 to the number 24. Arsenal also confirmed that Johan Djourou had joined Hamburg on a one-year loan deal with a view to a permanent deal in the following summer. whilst it was also announced Francis Coquelin has agreed to join Freiburg also for an entire season. Arsenal announced the departure of goalkeeper Vito Mannone to Sunderland for an undisclosed fee, thought to be around £2million, on a two-year contract. Mannone was used as a regular in the absence of Wojciech Szczęsny and Łukasz Fabiański last season. The Gunners also renewed the contracts of four players, three of whom were academy players (Fagan, Anthony Jeffrey and Ansah and the other being the right back reserve-team player Héctor Bellerín. The departures of three players were announced soon afterwards, as Jernade Meade joined fellow Premier League side Swansea City, Sébastien Squillaci completed his transfer to Bastia and left-back André Santos completed his free transfer move to Flamengo on a two-year contract. After the Asia tour had been completed, Arsenal also announced the loan departure of Joel Campbell to Greek side Olympiacos for a third successive loan spell to gain first-team experience. Arsenal continued their summer exodus after announcing the departure of Gervinho to Roma in a deal thought be to around £8 million and the loan departure of Ignasi Miquel to Championship side Leicester City for the remainder of the season.
August Arsenal kicked off their season in search of their first trophy in 8 years, though the signs were not encouraging as Arsenal began their league campaign with a disappointing 3–1 loss at home to Aston Villa. An early Giroud goal was expected to give the Gunners momentum but a penalty-rebound and a penalty (awarded in controversial circumstances) scored by Benteke and a late counter-attacking goal against the 10 men of Arsenal (following Koscielny's double yellow card) sealed the victory for the visitors. The disappointment was compounded due to Villa's league standing in the previous season (15th) and the lack of signings despite the fans being promised of a summer of increased spending, which ultimately led to manager Arsène Wenger apologising for the display at the Emirates. However, Arsenal fought back confidently with a 3–0 away win at Fenerbahçe as goals from Kieran Gibbs, the much-improved Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud almost secured the Gunners' place in the group stages of the Champions League. Arsenal then travelled to Fulham and picked up a 3–1 victory, thanks to Giroud's third goal in three games and a goal either side of half time from Lukas Podolski. Arsenal continued their impressive run in the second leg of their play-off against Fenerbahçe with a solid 2–0 win to complete a 5–0 aggregate result with two Ramsey goals.
Four games into the season Arsenal announced the re-signing of French midfielder Mathieu Flamini on a free transfer following his release from Italian giants A.C. Milan. Flamini joined the Gunners 5 years after his first spell with Wenger complimenting Flamini's focus when on the football pitch. Arsene Wenger then reiterated his desire to bring in more players ahead of a crucial North London derby.
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