Sansom came to Highbury in 1980 from London rivals Crystal Palace and was already an established international. Sansom was known as an accurate passer and was very quick over short distances. Despite his relatively small stature, Sansom was strong in the air. Sansom had an Arsenal career that spanned 8 years, appearing 394 and scoring 6. In 1987 Sansom led Arsenal to beat Liverpool to win the League Cup. For eight consecutive seasons he was named in the PFA Team of the Year at left-back, a record that no-one has come close to emulating. Sansom continued to play for many years and left Arsenal in December 1988 where he joined Newcastle.