It’s been two decades since Arsenal waved farewell to its historic home, Highbury, in favor of a move to a new era of Premier League venue at the Emirates Stadium. And with time having slowly taken its toll on the venue whilst competitors have passed it by, it seems the Gunners are delving into the possibility of upgrading their home.
Capable of seating just over 60,704, a huge increase on Highbury’s 38,419 capacity as of its closure after nearly 100 years as the Gunners’ home, the Emirates in many ways helped lay the groundwork for teams to follow in the coming years.
West Ham United wound up moving into the 62,500-seater stadium originally built for the 2012 London Olympic Games, now known as London Stadium, in 2016, while Tottenham Hotspur would go on to construct its own state-of-the-art 62,850-seater venue, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, in 2019.
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Arsenal left its historic home, Highbury, in 2006 -Credit:Paul Gilham/Getty Images
Elsewhere, Liverpool have slowly breathed new life into Anfield, which now has a capacity of 61,276, while Everton left behind Goodison Park after last season to move into the stunning 52,769-seater Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Manchester City has also worked piece by piece to upgrade the Etihad, which it moved into in 2003, having originally been built for use during the 2002 Commonwealth Games. It now seats 62,700 fans, making it the third largest behind Tottenham and Manchester United’s Old Trafford.
Perhaps in an effort to make sure the Emirates isn’t left behind, especially with United also looking into constructing a new venue, City AM has reported that the Gunners are “in talks” with architectural firm Populous about a potential expansion.
The firm will be well aware of what they have to work with, given that they designed the Emirates, and supposedly, the club is keeping any and all options “on the table.” This could mean a major redesign, which could force the team to relocate to a temporary home, as Spurs did with Wembley Stadium.
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Alternatively, Arsenal could opt instead to make upgrades to its hospitality offerings, with an eye to boosting revenue.
Don’t expect club bosses to make any rash decisions, however, as there is said to be “no pressure to make a final decision given how well the team are doing on the pitch.”
Currently leading the way in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta’s side has just two games remaining and a five-point advantage over City, who have a game in hand. Should this finally prove the year that the Gunners win their fourth Premier League crown, it would mark their first since ‘The Invincibles’ of 2003-2004.
But their potential success doesn’t stop there, with a trip to Budapest on the schedule for May 30, where they will face Paris Saint-Germain in an attempt to derail their hopes of winning a second straight UEFA Champions League title.
