A fortnight ago, Arsenal launched their new home kit for 2025-26 and they wore it in their penultimate game of the season, the home match against Newcastle United.
Goalkeeper David Raya was in his new yellow strip – well, kind of. Two years ago, when Arsenal premiered their 2023-24 kit in the last game of 2022-23, then first-choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale was in the Competition (or ‘replica’) version of the Tiro 23 style whereas the following season would see the Pro edition used and it was a similar situation here with the Tiro 25.
Broadly speaking the major differences between the two offerings are around the sleeves and shorts. Of course, Raya’s kit next term will also have a notable change on the back.
With the number 1 shirt having been vacant since Ramsdale joined Southampton on the eve of the season, Raya will move from the 22 he has worn for the past two years, his first-choice status now reflected literally. That, in turn, has allowed Ethan Nwaneri to drop down from 22.
Somewhat fittingly, Raya wore 22 for the final time last Sunday away to the Saints, with his predecessor as number 1 in the other goal.
Ramsdale had also initially worn a higher number when he joined the Gunners and the pair are the latest additions to a pattern that dates back to 2008.
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When squad numbers were introduced in 1993, David Seaman was naturally given the number 1 shirt at Arsenal and his grip on the position remained firm for the next decade.
He departed for Manchester City at the end of 2002-03 and when Arsène Wenger signed Jens Lehmann to replace him, he slotted in as 1. However, the German remains the last new signing to be given that number.
Manuel Almunia was signed to be Lehmann’s backup in 2004 and was assigned number 24 – prior to him, it had also been worn by goalkeepers John Lukic, Richard Wright and Rami Shaaban.
The Spaniard did briefly move to pole position for part of that first season but by and large he was second-choice until two errors by Lehmann early in 2007-08 saw a permanent changing of the order.
Almunia performed well as Arsenal challenged in the Premier League and Champions League and so, when Lehmann departed on the expiry of his contract in the summer of 2008, there was a numerical realignment. Incidentally, 24 went to Italian goalkeeper Vito Mannone but he remains the last custodian to have worn that.
While Almunia struggled to maintain the levels of consistency of 2007-08, he held off Łukasz Fabiański (number 21) until early in 2010-11. Unfortunately for Fabiański, injuries limited his ability to stake his claim, allowing his Polish compatriot Wojciech Szczęsny to finish the season as the goalkeeper with the most appearances for the club.
Aside from Szczęsny, Fabiański, Almunia and Mannone, a fifth goalkeeper featured for Arsenal that season – due to an injury crisis, Lehmann was re-signed as cover and, almost inevitably, when Almunia sustained a problem in the warm-up prior to the game away to Blackpool, the Invincible was pressed into action.
He had number 13 on his back during the 2-1 win – the only instance of an Arsenal goalkeeper wearing a different number after possessing the number 1.
As would continue to be the case, even when the player wearing 1 was deposed as first-choice, he would hold the number until his departure.
So it was that, for 2011-12, Szczęsny was the top dog, Almunia’s continued presence at the club meant the Pole’s downward shirt was only as far as 13.
Szczęsny would get 1 for 2012-13 but a loss of form in 2014-15 saw him lose his spot to David Ospina.
The summer of 2015 saw Szczęsny depart on loan to Roma but, though he had played his last game for Arsenal, the number 1 wasn’t reassigned until he left permanently in 2018.
In between, Petr Čech arrived from Chelsea and opted for number 33 as it was his age at the time and he had played 333 Premier League up to then.
When Szczęsny moved to Juventus on a permanent basis, Čech did belatedly take 1 but there was only a very brief correlation between that and the Czech’s role between the sticks.
That summer also saw Bernd Leno join, given the unusual-for-a-goalkeeper number 19. While he was on the bench for the early part of the season, an injury to Čech allowed the German to supersede him.
After Čech’s retirement, Leno traded down to number 1 for 2019-20. The Covid-19 pandemic forced that season to be interrupted and, when it resumed, an injury in a game at Brighton & Hove Albion brought Leno’s campaign to a premature end.
He was replaced by Emiliano Martínez (number 26), who had joined Arsenal as a 17-year-old in 2010 but had never looked like becoming a first-choice player.
However, the Argentinian showed inspired form as rookie manager Mikel Arteta guided Arsenal to the FA Cup.
With Leno back fit for 2020-21 and Martínez looking for regular football, Arteta had a decision to make and stuck with Leno.
A year later, though, the manager did opt to bring in some stiff competition with the purchase of Ramsdale from relegated Sheffield United.
The new man took number 32 and replaced Leno in the team after the first international break of the season, performing well as Arsenal followed two eighth-placed finishes by coming fifth.
Better was to follow in 2022-23 as they finished as runners-up with Ramsdale now ensconced in the number 1 jersey in the wake of Leno’s move to Fulham just before the new season began.
The England international was to suffer a similar fate to his predecessor, though. David Raya was signed from Brentford ahead of 2023-24 (initially on loan for £3m, but with an obligation to buy for £27m more a year later, the structured dictated by PSR rules) and, like Ramsdale two years previously, took over in goal after the first international break of the campaign.
Two more second-place campaigns have solidified Raya’s standing and now his shirt chimes with it.
He will hope to have it for longer than some of the previous incumbents.
Those 05/05/06 Nike GK kits were life. That template looked amazing in yellow, sky blue, green, you name it. Mid aughts is where gk kit design peaked imo