2017–18 Armenian First League

The 2017–18 Armenian First League season was the 26th since the establishment of the football league. The season was launched on August 7, 2017, and concluded on May 28, 2018. Banants-2 were the defending champions from the previous season.

Armenian First League

Season	2017–18
Dates	7 August 2017 – 28 May 2018
Champions	Lori
Promoted	Lori Artsakh Ararat-Moskva
Relegated	none
Matches played	133
Goals scored	474 (3.56 per match)
Biggest home win	Artsakh 12–0 Erebuni (26 March 2018)
Biggest away win	Gandzasar-2 1-7 Lori (26 March 2018)
Highest scoring	Artsakh 12–0 Erebuni (26 March 2018)
Longest winning run	Lori (10 matches)
Longest unbeaten run	Lori (14 matches)
Longest winless run	Shirak-2 (12 matches)
Longest losing run	Shirak-2 (6 matches)
← 2016–17 2018–19 → All statistics correct as of 28 May 2018.

Team changes

3 newly founded teams have joined the 2017–18 Armenian First League season:

• Lori FC from Vanadzor, Lori Province
• Artsakh FC from Yerevan
• FC Ararat-Moskva Yerevan from Yerevan (played as FC Avan Academy during the 1st half of the season)

Stadiums and locations

10 teams will take part in this season's competition, of which only 4 teams -Artsakh, Erebuni, Lori, and Ararat-Moskva- are eligible to get the promotion right to the 2018–19 Armenian Premier League by the end of the competition. The remaining 6 teams are the reserve teams of the football clubs currently participating in the Armenian Premier League competition.^[1]

Yerevan

Lori

Gandzasar-2

Shirak-2

Yerevan teams:
Artsakh
Ararat-Moskva
Erebuni
Alashkert-2
Ararat-2
Bannats-2
Pyunik-2

Locations of the 2017–18 Armenian Premier League teams

Club	Location	Stadium	Capacity
Artsakh	Yerevan (Shengavit) Yerevan (Kentron) Dzoraghbyur (Kotayk)	Mika Stadium (matchday 1 to 8) Pyunik Stadium (matchday 9 to 14) Dzoraghbyur Training Centre (matchday 15 & onwards)	7,250 780 n/a
Ararat-Armenia	Yerevan (Avan)	Football Academy Stadium	1,428
Erebuni	Ashtarak (Aragatsotn)	Kasaghi Marzik Stadium (matchday 11 & onwards)1	3,600
Lori	Vanadzor	Vanadzor Football Academy2	100
Alashkert-2	Yerevan (Shengavit) Ashtarak (Aragatsotn)	Alashkert Stadium (matchday 1 to 14) Kasaghi Marzik Stadium (matchday 15 & onwards)	6,800 3,600
Ararat-2	Dzoraghbyur (Kotayk)	Dzoraghbyur Training Centre	n/a
Banants-2	Yerevan (Malatia-Sebastia)	Banants Training Centre pitch#3	600
Gandzasar-2	Kapan	Gandzasar Training Centre	n/a
Pyunik-2	Yerevan (Kentron)	Pyunik Stadium	780
Shirak-2	Gyumri	Gyumri City Stadium	2,844

• ¹Erebuni will play at the Kasaghi Marzik Stadium, Ashtarak, instead of their own Erebuni Stadium, Yerevan. However, the team used several stadiums in Yerevan until matchday 9.
• ²Lori will play at the main training pitch of the Vanadzor Football Academy due to the rebuilding of their regular venue Vanadzor City Stadium, Vanadzor.

Personnel and sponsorship

Team	President	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Artsakh	Sevan Aslanyan	Tigran Yesayan	Gor Mkrtumyan	Nike	Renault, Efubet,1 Steritech2
Ararat-Moskva	Poghos Galstyan	Artak Oseyan	Hovhannes Harutyunyan4 Albert Khachumyan	Adidas
Erebuni	Tigran Ayvazyan	Sevada Arzumanyan	Hayk Melkonyan3 Arsen Hakobyan	Joma
Lori	Robert Grigoryan	Armen Adamyan	Gurgen Matevosyan	Puma	Jose Restaurant
Alashkert-2	Bagrat Navoyan	Sergey Erzrumyan	Artashes Arakelyan	Joma	Bagratour
Ararat-2	Hiraç Yagan	Georgi Andriasyan	Gevorg Poghosyan4 Armen Derdzyan	Jako
Banants-2	Hrach Aghabekian	Vahe Gevorgyan (matchday 1 to 9) Samvel Nigoyan (matchday 10 & onwards)	Stepan Harutyunyan4 Suren Aloyan	Adidas
Gandzasar-2	Garnik Aghababian	Ashot Manucharyan	Tigran Ivanyan	Adidas	ZCMC
Pyunik-2	Artur Soghomonyan	Samvel Sargsyan (matchday 1 to 10) Albert Sarkisyan (matchday 11 & onwards)	Davit Terteryan4 Emil Ghukasyan	Nike	Gold's Gym
Shirak-2	Arman Sahakyan	Tigran Davtyan	Artur Amiryan	Adidas

1. ^ On the back of shirt, upside.

2. ^ On the back of shirt, downside.

3. ^ Died of a car accident on August 30, 2017 (after matchday 4).

4. ^ Left the team at the end of the 1st half of the season (after matchday 14).

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Promotion
1	Lori (C, P)	27	22	3	2	74	16	+58	69	Promotion to the Premier League
2	Artsakh (P)	27	21	2	4	77	16	+61	65
3	Ararat-Moskva (P)	27	14	4	9	65	41	+24	46
4	Banants-2	27	14	3	10	45	42	+3	45	Ineligible for promotion
5	Pyunik-2	27	13	1	13	49	44	+5	40
6	Alashkert-2	27	12	4	11	48	42	+6	40
7	Ararat Yerevan-2	27	7	4	16	36	55	−19	25
8	Erebuni	27	6	4	17	33	91	−58	22
9	Gandzasar Kapan-2	27	6	2	19	31	74	−43	20	Ineligible for promotion
10	Shirak-2	27	5	3	19	22	59	−37	18

Source: Football Federation of Armenia (in Armenian)
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.^[2]
(C) Champions; (P) Promoted

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 28 May 2018

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Grigor Aghekyan	Artsakh	18
2	Armen Hovhannisyan	Ararat-Moskva	15
3	Mher Sahakyan	Alashkert-2	14
	Sos Tadevosyan	Erebuni
5	Erik Petrosyan	Pyunik-2	13
6	Tinga Kofi Tei	Lori	12
7	Armen Nahapetyan	Ararat-Moskva	11
8	Edgar Mkrtchyan	Lori	10
	Vigen Avetisyan	Lori
10	Karen Khatuyev	Pyunik-2	9
	Mher Harutyunyan	Gandzasar Kapan-2