England: Arsenal’s 500th match at Emirates Stadium – 18 years of history
source: StadiumDB.com; author: Paulina Skóra
The match against Manchester United on December 3 at Emirates Stadium was particularly special for the entire Arsenal community. It marked the 500th match played at the venue, which has been called home since 2006.
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A fortress
The first match at this venue ended in a 1:1 draw with Aston Villa, and now, 18 years later, Arsenal celebrated this 500th match with a 2:0 victory. Since moving to Emirates Stadium, the team has enjoyed significant success at the stadium. Of the 500 matches played so far, the team has won 336, which gives an impressive win rate of 67%. In the Premier League, Arsenal has played 348 matches at the stadium, winning 230 and averaging 2.1 goals per match.
Long-term plans for a new stadium
In 1997, Arsenal considered moving to a new stadium after the Islington Council refused to grant permission for expanding their home ground, Highbury. Three years later, the club acquired industrial land and a waste depot in Ashburton Grove. Plans for the move began in 2002, but financial difficulties delayed the project until 2004. It was then announced that the stadium would be sponsored by Emirates. The construction of the stadium was completed in August 2005, with external glass roofing, electrical, and plumbing installations finished by December. The first seat in the new stadium was ceremonially installed in March the following year by Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby.
© David Kakiuthi (cc: by-nc-nd)
The entire stadium project was completed in 2006, at a cost of £390 million. At its opening, Emirates Stadium was the second-largest football stadium in the Premier League and the third-largest in England. In addition to significant profits from naming rights, the stadium is also regarded as a model for generating income from matchday-related activities. In a short time, it surpassed the much larger Santiago Bernabéu in Spain in terms of revenue from these activities. However, these enormous profits come at a cost – tickets for Arsenal matches are among the most expensive in the world. More about the history of Emirates Stadium can be found in our video.
What does the future hold for Emirates Stadium?
In recent weeks, English media have reported that Arsenal is exploring options to increase the capacity of Emirates Stadium to 80,000 seats. Among the options being considered for expanding the stadium are: redeveloping the existing stands, lowering the pitch level, or modernizing the roof to allow for new sectors or even another floor. There is also some talk about the possibility of building a completely new stadium, but at this stage, it is just one of the ideas and is not being seriously considered. However, Arsenal representatives are aware that any potential expansion could require investments in infrastructure, including a new metro station, which was already a significant challenge during the construction of the current stadium.
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