Having attended almost 200 Arsenal matches since the start of the 2007/08 season, I’ve witnessed countless remarkable moments firsthand.
From Declan Rice’s free-kicks against Real Madrid to Andrey Arshavin’s late winner against Barcelona, I’ve been lucky enough to experience some of the most unforgettable limbs the Emirates Stadium has ever seen.
When my dad took me to my first Arsenal game—a North London Derby in January 2008—little did I know I’d become obsessed with my row 9 seat in the North Bank. These days, I rarely miss a home match and have even started venturing out on a few away days.
I may be too young to remember the Gunners lifting the Premier League title, but I’ve still enjoyed my fair share of unforgettable moments. With that in mind, here are my five favourite Arsenal matches I’ve witnessed live.
Arsenal 2-1 Barcelona – 16/02/2011
A nine-year-old Alfie made the short trip to Holloway Road in February 2011, expecting to lose to arguably the best club team football has ever witnessed. Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side of the late naughties and early 2010s were feared across Europe, with their illustrious list of talented players eliciting this anxiety from opposition supporters.
Lionel Messi was supported by the likes of Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Sergio Busquets, David Villa and Pedro. It was a monstrous team that was ripping up La Liga and was on course for its second Champions League triumph in three years.
Meanwhile, Arsenal were enjoying their own impressive campaign when the Catalan giants came to town, still fighting on all four fronts. Arsene Wenger had struck gold with a dynamic front four that consisted of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott and Robin van Persie – supplemented by a teenage Jack Wilshere behind them.
Barcelona oozed class in a dominant first half, taking the lead courtesy of a slick counter-attack, which was finished off by Villa. Just as the game looked like it was drifting towards an underwhelming 1-0 home defeat for the Gunners, Van Persie’s exquisite near-post strike drew Arsenal level 12 minutes from time.
Then came Arshavin’s glorious breakaway winner. Pandemonium ensued in the North Bank. A young Alfie revelled in the celebrations, purring over Wilshere’s stunning display.
Arsenal may ultimately have lost the second leg and crashed out anyway, but that night in N5 in isolation will living long in the memory.
Arsenal 3-2 Bournemouth – 04/03/2023
This list is in chronological order, which demonstrates not only how short the majority of the 2010s were on standout moments but also how eye-catching the last few years have been under Mikel Arteta.
At first glance, a routine victory over Bournemouth may not look too special. However, this game was far from routine, and ultimately served up one of the most dramatic Emirates Stadium moments.
In the 57th minute, Arsenal found themselves 2-0 down to the Cherries, in what was a crucial match in the run-in of the 2022/23 season. Arteta’s side came into the game holding a slender five-point advantage over a frightening Manchester City, who would ultimately go on to win the treble. Dropping points at home to a relegation-threatened outfit was therefore not something the Gunners could afford.
Low and behold, Arsenal turned the game around. In the 97th-minute, Reiss Nelson took the ball down on the edge of the box, and perfectly drove it into the top corner.
Limbs were everywhere across the stadium. I was flung at least two rows forward as bodies piled over me. Absolute mayhem.
Thread of reactions to Arsenal's last-minute winner. Send me any other good ones in the replies.
— Dan Critchlow (@afcDW) March 4, 2023
Let's start with the boss, Mikel Arteta. https://t.co/IAuuGrp8cA
Arsenal 5-0 Chelsea – 23/04/2024
Throughout my childhood, Chelsea consistently humiliated Arsenal, and I was therefore subject to constant belittlement from their rabid supporters. This, along with a multitude of other factors relating to the Blues’ (alleged) financial doping, has elicited a deep hatred from me towards the West London institution.
Thus, it’s no surprise that witnessing a Chelsea humiliation from a magnificent Arsenal side ranks highly among my favourite Gunners matches. Coming into this particular game against Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea team, Arteta’s men were in the midst of a gruelling title race.
They needed to beat the Blues to ensure they kept pace with Manchester City heading into the final weeks of the season. They did so in spectacular fashion, running out 5-0 winners in N5.
Kai Havertz scoring a brace and celebrating both goals was a particularly enjoyable feature of this encounter, given how much the Chelsea fanbase ridiculed the German during his time at Stamford Bridge. The other standout moment involved Arsenal fans ironically cheering the odd Chelsea completed pass when the scoreline was 5-0.
Arsenal 3-0 Real Madrid – 08/04/2025
Alongside the 2011 triumph over Barcelona, last season’s 3-0 win over Real Madrid is probably the staple match in Emirates Stadium history. These two occasions were the types of nights Wenger envisaged when he decided to build the new ground.
I was lucky enough to attend this Champions League quarter-final first leg, stood in my usual North Bank block nine area. This gave me the perfect view of both the Rice free-kicks, which flew right into the corner I was directly behind.
Not only did this game produce the greatest atmosphere I’ve ever witnessed at the Emirates, it was also one of the most complete performances I’ve seen from an Arsenal side, against a European behemoth.
Real Madrid 1-2 Arsenal – 16/04/2025
It would be silly to include the home leg against Real Madrid and not the away leg, given I was fortunate enough to be at both. Securing a ticket in the home end at the Bernabeu, I had to disguise my true identity to ensure this memorable occasion wasn’t ended prematurely by a Spanish steward carrying me out of the iconic stadium.
It was difficult. Deciding to hum the Real Madrid anthem before the game in an attempt to blend in with the Spaniards around me put me in a strong position to conceal my true colours, before my cover was almost blown when I slightly leapt up after Bukayo Saka’s opener.
However, I managed to contain my excitement just enough before celebrating wildly with fellow Arsenal fans who had snuck into the home end at full-time, as the Madridistas flooded out. A night I’ll never forget.
