Arsenal v Everton, 14 November 2010
Each November, Premier League clubs mark Remembrance with special-edition shirts featuring an embroidered poppy, alongside tributes honouring the Armed Forces community and those who have lost their lives in service.
On 14 November 2010, Arsenal travelled to Goodison Park to face Everton in the Premier League, wearing their yellow and burgundy Nike away shirt with a specially embroidered poppy commemorating Remembrance Sunday.
Arsène Wenger's side arrived on Merseyside looking to maintain their challenge near the top of the Premier League table. Bacary Sagna opened the scoring in the 36th minute, firing home from a tight angle after Andrey Arshavin had collected a rebound from Samir Nasri's effort. Just three minutes into the second half, captain Cesc Fàbregas doubled Arsenal's advantage following a neat exchange with Marouane Chamakh.
Everton responded with a late push, forcing Łukasz Fabiański into several important saves before Tim Cahill pulled a goal back in the 89th minute. Arsenal held on for a 2–1 victory, moving into second place in the Premier League.
The shirt featured here was match-issued to Robin van Persie, who was named among Arsenal's substitutes but remained on the bench throughout the game. The Dutch forward was still working his way back to full fitness following an ankle injury that had limited his appearances during the opening months of the season.
Beyond its connection to Van Persie and the match itself, the shirt features an interesting detail that distinguishes it from more recent Remembrance shirts. Embroidered beneath the words 'Arsenal Remembers', alongside the fixture details and date, is a traditional Scottish-style poppy.
Introduced in 1926 by Lady Haig following the establishment of a poppy factory in Edinburgh, the Scottish poppy features four petals and no leaf. This differs from the more familiar two-petal design worn across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The distinctive four-petal design appeared on several early Arsenal poppy shirts before the club adopted the more familiar Royal British Legion design in later years.
Today, these specially embroidered shirts are auctioned each year to raise funds for the Royal British Legion, helping to support serving personnel, veterans and their families. Something we can all get behind.
