2005–06 Arsenal F.C. season

The 2005–06 campaign was Arsenal’s fourteenth in the Premier League and marked their eightieth straight year in England’s top division. It was also the club’s last season at Highbury, their home for 93 years, before moving to the 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium the following season. Arsenal finished fourth in the league, snatching the spot from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on the final day. They became the first London side to reach a UEFA Champions League final, but lost 2–1 to Barcelona in Paris. In the League Cup, Wigan Athletic eliminated them in the semi-finals on aggregate, and Bolton Wanderers knocked them out of the FA Cup in the fourth round.

Before the season, midfielder Patrick Vieira was sold to Juventus, and striker Thierry Henry took over as club captain. Alexander Hleb arrived from Stuttgart for an undisclosed fee in July 2005; during the winter window, Arsenal added midfielder Abou Diaby and forwards Emmanuel Adebayor and Theo Walcott. The team lost to league champions Chelsea in the 2005 FA Community Shield at the Millennium Stadium. A shaky league start saw Arsenal climb to second after 13 matches, but three straight defeats a month later ended their title hopes.

On the final day, a 4–2 win over Wigan Athletic at Highbury, combined with Tottenham’s loss at West Ham, secured fourth place. Europe brought more success: Arsenal eliminated Real Madrid, Juventus, and Villarreal in the knockout rounds. In the 2006 Champions League final at the Stade de France, goalkeeper Jens Lehmann was sent off for fouling Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o. Defender Sol Campbell headed Arsenal into the lead from a set piece, but the team conceded twice in the last 15 minutes and lost.

To honor the final season at Highbury, Arsenal ran a valedictory campaign called “Highbury – The Final Salute.” They organized themed matchdays and wore a redcurrant home kit, a nod to the shirts used in 1913.