2017–18 Armenian Premier League

Armenian Premier League
Season	2017–18
Dates	4 August 2017 – 20 May 2018
Champions	Alashkert
Champions League	Alashkert
Europa League	Banants; Gandzasar Kapan; Pyunik
Matches played	89
Goals scored	233 (2.62 per match)
Biggest home win	Alashkert 5–1 Pyunik; (25 August 2017); Pyunik 4–0 Ararat; (29 November 2017)
Biggest away win	Ararat 1–6 Gandzasar; (1 May 2018)
Highest scoring	Ararat 4–4 Shirak; (12 May 2018)
Longest winning run	Shirak; (5 matches)
Longest unbeaten run	Shirak, Gandzasar; (12 matches)
Longest winless run	Ararat; (11 matches)
Longest losing run	Pyunik; (5 matches)
Highest attendance	1,200; Shirak 0–0 Gandzasar; (9 May 2018)
	← 2016–17 2018–19 → All statistics correct as of 20 May 2018.

The 2017–18 Armenian Premier League season was the 26th since its establishment. The season began in August 2017 and concluded in May 2018. Alashkert were the defending champions from the previous season.^[2]

Teams

The same six teams from the previous season will also take part in this season's competition.^[3]

Yerevan

Gandzasar Kapan

Shirak

Yerevan teams:
Alashkert
Ararat Yerevan
Banants
Pyunik

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Locations of the 2017–18 Armenian Premier League teams

Club	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Alashkert	Yerevan (Shengavit)	Alashkert Stadium	6,850
Ararat	Yerevan (Shengavit) Yerevan (Shengavit) Yerevan (Malatia-Sebastia)	Mika Stadium (matchday 1 to 6) Alashkert Stadium (matchday 7 to 15) Banants Training Centre (matchday 16 & onwards)	7,250 6,850 600
Banants	Yerevan (Malatia-Sebastia)	Banants Stadium	4,860
Gandzasar	Yerevan (Kentron)	Vazgen Sargsyan Stadium (matchday 1 to 15)¹	14,403
Pyunik	Yerevan (Kentron) Yerevan (Kentron)	Vazgen Sargsyan Stadium (matchday 1 to 15) Pyunik Stadium (matchday 16 & onwards)	14,403 780
Shirak	Gyumri	Gyumri City Stadium	2,844

¹Gandzasar Kapan played the 1st half of the season at Vazgen Sargsyan Stadium in Yerevan, due to the rebuilding of their Gandzasar Stadium, Kapan, while they used other available Premier League stadiums during the 2nd half of the season.

Personnel and sponsorship

Team	President	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Alashkert	Bagrat Navoyan	Abraham Khashmanyan (matchday 1 to 20) Varuzhan Sukiasyan (matchday 21 & onwards)	Vahagn Minasyan¹ Artur Yedigaryan	Joma	Huawei
Ararat Yerevan	Hiraç Yagan	Albert Safaryan (matchday 1 to 23) Edgar Torosyan (matchday 24 & onwards)	Rafael Safaryan	Adidas
Banants	Hrach Aghabekian	Artur Voskanyan	Stepan Ghazaryan	Adidas
Gandzasar Kapan	Garnik Aghababian	Karen Barseghyan (matchday 1 to 19) Ashot Barseghyan (matchday 20 & onwards)	Ara Khachatryan	Adidas	ZCMC
Pyunik	Artur Soghomonyan	Aleksei Yeryomenko (matchday 1 to 11) Armen Gyulbudaghyants (matchday 12 & onwards)	Levon Hayrapetyan Karlen Mkrtchyan²	Nike	Gold's Gym
Shirak	Arman Sahakyan	Vardan Bichakhchyan	Aghvan Davoyan	Adidas	TotoGaming

1. ^ Left the team at the end of the 1st half of the season (after matchday 15).

2. ^ Became captain after joining the club at the beginning of the 2nd half of the season (after matchday 15).

Season Events

On 19 May 2018, the Football Federation of Armenia upheld its decision to deduct 12 points from Shirak, and fine the club Seven Million Drams, after it was alleged that Shirak's sporting director Ararat Harutyunyan had offered Edward Kpodo of FC Banants a bribe to fix their upcoming match.^[4]

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Alashkert (C)	30	14	8	8	44	31	+13	50	Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2	Banants	30	11	11	8	42	34	+8	44	Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round^[a]
3	Gandzasar Kapan	30	11	10	9	43	34	+9	43
4	Shirak	30	14	8	8	37	31	+6	38^[b]
5	Pyunik	30	9	9	12	37	41	−4	36	Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round^[a]
6	Ararat Yerevan	30	5	6	19	33	65	−32	21

Source: Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Play-off (only if deciding champion); 3) Matches won; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head matches won; 6) Head-to-head goal difference; 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Head-to-head away goals scored; 9) Goal difference; 10) Goals scored.^[6]
(C) Champions
Notes:

^ ^a ^b Gandzasar Kapan qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2017–18 Armenian Cup.
^ Shirak were deducted 12 points on decision of Disciplinary Committee, upheld on May 18, due to match fixing scandal.^[5]

Results

The six teams will play each other six times, three times at home and three times away, for a total of 30 matches per team played.

First part of season
Home \ Away	ALA	ARA	BAN	GAN	PYU	SHI
Alashkert	—	3–0	2–0	0–3	5–1	1–0
Ararat Yerevan	1–3	—	1–2	0–2	0–0	2–2
Banants	2–2	0–0	—	1–1	2–2	3–0
Gandzasar Kapan	1–1	1–3	2–0	—	3–1	0–1
Pyunik	0–1	4–0	1–2	2–1	—	0–2
Shirak	2–1	2–1	1–0	1–1	0–0	—

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second part of season
Home \ Away	ALA	ARA	BAN	GAN	PYU	SHI
Alashkert	—	2–0	2–2	0–1	1–0	0–1
Ararat Yerevan	2–3	—	2–3	1–0	0–1	0–2
Banants	2–2	2–0	—	1–1	1–1	3–0
Gandzasar Kapan	1–0	2–0	2–2	—	1–0	2–2
Pyunik	3–1	3–3	2–0	0–0	—	3–2
Shirak	0–1	0–1	0–1	2–1	2–0	—

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Third part of season
Home \ Away	ALA	ARA	BAN	GAN	PYU	SHI
Alashkert	—	2–1	2–2	2–0	0–0	0–0
Ararat Yerevan	2–3	—	2–1	1–6	1–1	4–4
Banants	3–0	2–0	—	1–0	2–0	0–2
Gandzasar Kapan	0–4	3–1	1–1	—	4–3	1–1
Pyunik	0–0	1–3	2–1	2–1	—	1–2
Shirak	1–0	4–1	1–0	0–0	0–3	—

Source: ^{[citation needed]}
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of match played 20 May 2018

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Artak Yedigaryan	Alashkert	13
2	Gegham Harutyunyan	Gandzasar	12
3	Mihran Manasyan	Alashkert	9
3	Andranik Kocharyan	Ararat	9
5	Alex Junior Christian	Gandzasar	8
	Uroš Nenadović	Alashkert
	Lester Peltier	Banants
	Rumyan Hovsepyan	Banants
9	Lubambo Musonda	Gandzasar	7
	Alik Arakelyan	Pyunik
	Moussa Paul Bakayoko	Shirak