History of Arsenal FC - The post-war years (1945–66)

The war had cut short the careers of many of the club's star players, including Bastin and Drake. Additionally, the debts from the construction of Highbury and the costs of repairing war damage were a heavy financial burden, and Arsenal struggled when competitive football resumed. They lost 6-1 on aggregate to West Ham United in the third round of the 1945-46 FA Cup, and upon the league's resumption in 1946-47 the club finished a disappointing 13th. George Allison decided to retire from football at the end of that season, and was replaced by his assistant Tom Whittaker, who had been trainer under Chapman.

Whittaker enjoyed immediate success with the club, winning the League in 1947-48; led by captain Joe Mercer and with goals from attacking front two of Reg Lewis and Ronnie Rooke, Arsenal topped the table from October and never looked back. Given the age of the Arsenal side at the time (Rooke and Mercer were both over thirty, as were Denis and Leslie Compton), long-term success was never on the cards. In response, Whittaker brought in younger players such as Doug Lishman, Alex Forbes and Cliff Holton. Although Arsenal were unable to sustain any challenges for the League title, with the new blood they won the FA Cup in 1950, with Reg Lewis scoring both goals in a 2-0 win over Liverpool.

1951-52 saw the club nearly win the Double, but it ultimately ended in disappointment; a series of injuries and a fixture pile-up at the end of the season saw Arsenal lose their last two matches, including the title decider against eventual champions Manchester United at Old Trafford on the last day of the season; the Gunners finished third, equal on points with Tottenham. A week later, Arsenal played Newcastle United in the FA Cup final, with several recovering players rushed back into the first team; Walley Barnes was taken off injured with a twisted knee after 35 minutes (no substitutes were allowed then), and ten-man Arsenal suffered further injuries so that by the end of the match they had only seven fit players on the pitch; Newcastle took full advantage and won 1-0.

Unbowed by the disappointment of the previous season, Arsenal won their seventh League title in 1952-53; in one of the closest title races ever, they beat Preston North End to the title on goal average after finishing level on points. That proved to be Arsenal's last trophy for seventeen years; unable to attract many stars, the club's fortunes began to wane, particularly after the unexpected death of Tom Whittaker in 1956. Apart from finishing third in 1958-59, Arsenal usually figured around mid-table. Nor did the club have much luck in the FA Cup – after reaching the final in 1952, Arsenal would not get beyond the quarter-finals again until 1971.

Jack Crayston and George Swindin, both former players, followed Whittaker but could not replicate his success. In 1962, Arsenal made the bold but ultimately unsuccessful step of appointing England legend Billy Wright as manager, despite his lack of managerial experience. Like his predecessors, Wright could not achieve much either, although it was under his leadership that the club made their debut in European competition, in the Fairs Cup after finishing seventh in 1962-63. In his final season, Arsenal finished 14th, their lowest position in 36 years, and recorded the lowest-ever attendance at Highbury (4,554). The only Arsenal player to figure in England's 1966 World Cup-winning squad was George Eastham, who didn't play at all during the tournament.