Back to the Arsenal Newsfeed

How Arsenal became synonymous with black identity

Related Topics: Arsenal, Nwankwo Kanu, Thierry Henry

When Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka walked into a pub in Manchester to meet up with friends on 28 September 2002, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But he was about to watch a moment of footballing and cultural history.

That day Arsenal became the first club to name nine black players in a Premier League starting XI.

Three of that contingent - Thierry Henry, Nwankwo Kanu and Kolo Toure - were on the scoresheet as the Gunners won 4-1 away against Leeds United.

“Their performance heightened the impact of this moment of historical and racial significance," Dr Nwonka, now a professor at University College London, told BBC Africa.