With the new Premier League season starting in just a week, the first clash will take place at the Emirates Stadium between champions Arsenal and the newly promoted Coventry City on 21 August.
But let’s not forget that Emirates Stadium, where fans are recently discovering you can get married, was not always the home of the Gunners. Before moving to this stadium in 2006, the team called Highbury their home for 93 years. It was the site where they won the league title 13 times.
So what happened to the old and beloved football grounds? Well, they are now 724 luxury flats with a total value in the region of £500m, the perfect home for die-hard Arsenal fans.
Highbury Square
Designed by Denning Male Polisano, the project of turning the iconic football ground into flats managed to retain the Grade II listed Art Deco east side facade and the west stand facade and incorporate them into the new design.
The original exterior with “Arsenal Football Club” and the cannon symbol emblazoned remains intact, and from street view it’d be easy enough to think that the pitch remains inside, rather than luxury flats.
The flats, which were completed in 2010, are built around the former pitch in a courtyard, where the old pitch acts as a communal garden for residents.
Sustainability was front of mind when creating the development with salvaged steel and stripped-out metalwork being recycled.
So how much would a flat at this iconic location set you back? Well, according to Zoopla right now a 2-bedroom flat in the Weststand would cost £640,000, boasting floor-to-ceiling windows and a mezzanine level. The closest stations to the development are Arsenal, Drayton Park and Highbury & Islington.
Residents of Highbury Square can also enjoy amenities like a concierge service and underground parking, as well as the option to access the on-site gym, swimming pool and nursery facilities.
