 Briercliffe made an immediate impact at Arsenal; he made his debut on 2 September 1901 against Barnsley and was an ever-present in 1901–02, becoming the Second Division side's top scorer.Although he was not top scorer again in his Arsenal career, he remained in the side as they won promotion to the First Division in 1903–04, scoring 91 goals in the league.By now he chiefly played on the wing, and remained at the side in their first season in the top flight (1904–05), before being surprisingly sold back to Blackburn Rovers in April 1905.