Gooner knowledge
Glossary
Plain explanations of Arsenal words, matchday language and terrace context. Chants are described without reproducing their full lyrics.
Words 8
Gegenpressing (the press)
Winning the ball back immediately after losing it, high up the pitch. Pressing means hunting the ball back the moment possession is lost, rather than dropping off to defend. Done high up the pitch it forces mistakes near the opponent's goal — a defining feature of modern Arsenal under Mikel Arteta.
Golden Glove
The Premier League award for the goalkeeper with the most clean sheets. The Golden Glove goes to the keeper who keeps the most clean sheets (games without conceding) across a Premier League season. Arsenal's David Raya has won it in recent years.
Highbury
Arsenal's old home ground (1913–2006), before the Emirates. Highbury, formally Arsenal Stadium, was the club's home from 1913 until 2006. After the move its iconic Art Deco stands were preserved as apartments.
Inverted full-back
A full-back who steps into central midfield when his team has the ball. Instead of hugging the touchline, an inverted full-back drifts inside into midfield in possession. It gives the team an extra passer centrally and helps control the game — a tactic Arsenal have used in recent seasons.
North London derby
Arsenal versus Tottenham Hotspur — the city's fiercest rivalry. The north London derby is Arsenal against Tottenham, their nearest big rivals. It is one of English football's most heated fixtures and usually the most anticipated match of either club's season.
The Emirates
Arsenal's home stadium in north London, opened in 2006. Emirates Stadium has been Arsenal's home since 2006, when the club moved from nearby Highbury. It holds around 60,000 and is named after its sponsor.
The Invincibles
Arsenal's 2003/04 side that went a whole league season unbeaten. In 2003/04 Arsenal won the Premier League without losing a single game — 26 wins, 12 draws, 0 defeats across 38 matches. No team has matched it in a 38-game season since.
xG (expected goals)
A measure of chance quality — how likely a shot was to be scored. Expected goals rates every chance from 0 to 1 based on how often similar shots are scored. A team's xG total is a fairer read on how well it played than the scoreline alone, which is why it appears throughout match analysis.
Chants and songs 7
Allez Arsenal
A European-night style chant for momentum and togetherness. A chant shape heard across modern football, adapted by Arsenal fans for big nights and away ends. Use it here to explain atmosphere and identity, not to reproduce the full words.
Arsenal, Arsenal, Arsenal
A simple all-stand chant used to lift the noise. One of the straightforward chants you will hear when the crowd wants to keep the energy up. It works because everyone can join in quickly, including fans at their first match.
Good Old Arsenal
A club song associated with older Arsenal generations. A historic Arsenal song rather than a modern terrace loop. It belongs in the app as context for supporters who hear older fans mention it or see it referenced around club history.
North London Forever
The Emirates anthem sung before kick-off. Louis Dunford's song has become Arsenal's modern pre-match anthem. In the app it should be treated as atmosphere and shared identity, not a place to reproduce full lyrics.
One-nil to the Arsenal
A classic Arsenal chant for narrow leads and defensive control. The chant is tied to Arsenal's reputation for seeing games out, especially under George Graham. Fans still use it with a wink when the side has a lead to protect.
We've got Super Mik Arteta
A modern Arteta-era chant for the manager and the rebuild. It became a shorthand for belief in Arteta's project. Keep entries focused on when it is sung and what it signals, rather than printing the full chant.
What do we think of Tottenham?
A north London derby call-and-response chant. A derby chant, so context matters. The app should explain when and why it appears without turning glossary entries into a wall of terrace lyrics.
Editorial boundary
Glossary entries are curated learning notes. They are not official club statements and do not invite anonymous edits to definitive facts.