Uncover the complete list of Arsenal managers to date and their accomplishments

Since 1897, Arsenal has had twenty regular managers and eight temporary managers; Stewart Houston served as interim manager for the club twice. Between 1996 and 2018, Arsène Wenger was the most successful among the list of Arsenal managers. During his tenure, Arsenal won three Premier League crowns, seven FA Cups, and seven Community Shields with his lengthy term.

Thomas Mitchell is generally considered the first professional manager of Arsenal. However, the club did not hire a manager to oversee first-team operations until 1897, even though the club was founded in 1886. Since its inception in 1897, Arsenal has gone through twenty permanent managers and eight caretaker managers, with Stewart Houston leading the club twice as a caretaker.

List of Arsenal F.C. managers

From their founding in 1886 until the present day, every manager of Arsenal's first team is included in this chronological list of the last ten managers as per Arsenal's official website. In each manager's entry, find the dates of his tenure, the club's overall competitive record (wins, draws, and losses), awards, and notable accomplishments during his time in charge.

10. George Swindin (179 games as manager)

George Swindin had a successful tenure at Peterborough United and was persuaded to take over as manager at Highbury in 1958. Swindin had 297 first-team appearances during his time at Arsenal.

In his first year as head coach, he led the club to a third-place finish after a complete shakeup of the playing staff. Following his time here, Swindin managed Norwich City, Cardiff City, Kettering, and Corby before settling in Spain for retirement. Swindin was 90 years old when he died in October 2005.

9. Billy Wright (1962 - 1966)

He became the first player to earn more than 100 caps for England and captained the national team on at least 90 occasions, including their run to the World Cup finals in 1950, 1954, and 1958. The 1965–66 season saw Arsenal finish 14th and lose in the FA Cup to Blackburn Rovers.

Following his departure from management, Wright became a TV commentator for ATV. For his impact on English football, he was inducted as an inaugural member of the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

8. Bertie Mee (1966 - 1976)

Bertie Mee managed Arsenal's first league and FA Cup double in 1971. He became manager in 1966, bringing on Don Howe and Dave Sexton as his assistants. The Gunners went to the League Cup final in 1968 and again in 1969 under his leadership but were defeated by Leeds United and Swindon Town, respectively.

But after a 17-year trophy drought, the team finally broke through the following season, winning the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. The league title, the first leg of the double, was won on the last day of the season at White Hart Lane, home of rivals Tottenham Hotspur. In 1976, Mee handed in his resignation as manager in 1978. He was 82 years old when he died in 2001.

7. Terry Neill (1976 - 1983)

Neill joined Arsenal in 1959. In 1973, he retired from playing football and took over as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal's local rivals, replacing Bill Nicholson. He was the youngest manager in Spurs' history when the Arsenal board hired him in 1976 after he had already managed the team for two seasons.

He oversaw a brief renaissance for the club, which resulted in three trips to the FA Cup final from 1978 to 1980 and a single victory in 1979. Also in 1980, he was a Cup Winners' Cup semifinalist. After losing his position as manager in December 1983, he decided to retire from sport.

6. Don Howe (1983 - 1986)

Donald played for West Bromwich Albion before being signed and named club captain by Billy Wright in 1964 for Arsenal. Howe took over as Gunners' reserve team coach under Bertie Mee. In 1968, he succeeded Dave Sexton as our first team coach.

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Before his resignation in March 1986, Howe had a productive tenure following Terry Neill's 1983 appointment, during which he promoted players such as Tony Adams, David Rocastle, and Niall Quinn. Howe transitioned from managing Queen Park Rangers and Coventry City to a career in media and radio after serving as Bobby Gould's assistant at Wimbledon. At the age of 80, Howe died in December 2015.

5. George Graham (1986 - 1995)

Arsenal won the First Division twice under Graham's leadership (1988–1989, 1990–1991). Under his leadership, the team won the FA Cup and two League Cups.

He led the Gunners to prominence in the late '80s and early '90s, winning the league twice, the League Cup twice, the FA Cup once, and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He became famous for assembling teams around vicious backguards and, in the process, perfected the offside trap. Ian Wright, Arsenal's all-time leading goalscorer, was also purchased by Graham from Crystal Palace. Graham left the club in 1995 and managed Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United.

4. Bruce Rioch (1995 - 1996)

During the 1995–96 season, Rioch was instrumental in helping Arsenal earn a UEFA Cup spot. His time was brief, but he set the stage for what would come.

After George Graham stepped down as manager of Bolton Wanderers in 1995, Bruce Rioch stayed for only one year. In 1995–96, under his leadership, Arsenal qualified for the UEFA Cup by beating Everton, Blackburn Rovers, and Tottenham Hotspur on the season's final day.

He advanced to the League Cup semi-finals, where he was defeated by Aston Villa on away goals. He found work at Queens Park Rangers as Stewart Houston's assistant after he left the club. He managed Wigan Athletic, Norwich City, Odense, and Aalborg of Denmark.

3. Arsène Wenger (1996 - 2018)

Wenger has been the manager of Arsenal longer than anybody else. Under his watch, the club enjoyed a spectacular period called "The Invincibles." They remained undefeated in the Premier League in 2003–2004. Arsenal won three Premier Leagues and seven FA Cups during Wenger's tenure.

After managing French clubs Nancy and Monaco and Japanese club Grampus Eight, Arsène Wenger came to work for Arsenal in September 1996. He won two more league championships in 2002 and 2004, and in his first entire season at Highbury in 1998, he led the team to a second league and FA Cup double.

More than any other manager in history, he won seven FA Cups. Under his leadership, the Gunners went undefeated in the league in 2004 and reached the UEFA Cup final in 2000.

He led Arsenal to the 2006 Champions League final when they lost to Barcelona by a razor-thin margin. In his four years as manager, he oversaw the transfer from Highbury to Emirates Stadium, won the FA Cup in 2014, 2015, and 2017, and then announced his resignation in May 2018.

2. Unai Emery (2018 - 2019)

The 2018–2019 season was Emery's first with the club, and he lost to Chelsea in the Europa League final. He led Arsenal to a Premier League fifth-place finish despite obstacles.

In May of 2018, Unai Emery was named head coach. He has managerial experience in France, Russia, and his home country of Spain.

After reaching the Champions League and securing two third-place finishes in La Liga, Emery was named head coach of Valencia in 2008. He had a brief stint at Spartak Moscow before a hugely successful tenure at Sevilla, during which he oversaw the club's three consecutive Europa League victories.

After that, he won the domestic treble in his first two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain. In Emery's first season at Emirates, Arsenal made it to the Europa League final, losing to Chelsea.

1. Mikel Arteta (2019 - present)

With Arteta at the helm, Arsenal won the 2019–2020 FA Cup, their record-tying fourteenth championship. Even in 2020, when he was in charge, Arsenal won the Community Shield.

Mikel Arteta was appointed head coach in December 2019. He had worked with Pep Guardiola at Manchester City before that. From 2011–2016, Mikel captained the club and played for Arsenal for five years, during which time they won two FA Cups. Arteta is still Arsenal FC's manager as of the time of writing.

How many managers have Arsenal had?

In total, Arsenal has had 20 permanent managers in its history, with 11 enjoying periods of 5 or more years in charge. Records state no manager has ever taken permanent charge in two separate spells in the Gunners’ history.

Final word

From the list of Arsenal managers, a few have left their mark on the club, contributing to a rich history of success and innovation. Every manager brought their unique style and approach, with some achieving notable triumphs and others laying the groundwork for future achievements. Arsenal's legacy is a testament to the dedication and skill of these managers, who have played a crucial role in shaping the club's identity.

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