[4][5] A talented left-footed midfielder, he made his debut 7 April 1980 in a North London derby, a 2–1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
In the early days he had to battle for a midfield place against Liam Brady, Graham Rix, Brian Talbot and John Hollins.
Davis, blessed with a wonderful left foot, startling on-pitch vision and unerring pass accuracy, was renowned for his calmness within the heat of a midfield battle.
He formed a brilliant midfield partnership with Steve Williams, which was key to Arsenal beating Liverpool in the League Cup Final 2–1.
After a hernia operation in early 1988 Davis was in the side again in April 1988, bidding to retain the cup, but disappointingly lost 3–2 to Luton Town in the Final.
On 17 September 1988, three days after being an unused substitute for England at Wembley against Denmark,[10] Davis punched Southampton player Glenn Cockerill in the jaw, during a 2–2 draw at Highbury.
[12] In January 1989 he went with Arsenal to play two matches in Bermuda and suffered a bad thigh injury that plagued him so he missed the climax of the season at Anfield.
Davis had started in just 5 matches in his new year comeback, even as a Nigel Winterburn replacement as a left back against Stoke City in the third round FA Cup tie, before a hamstring injury forced him out of contention for six weeks.
Yet, when the injuries began to mount up, toward the end of an unsuccessful defence of their title, Graham once again turned to Davis and it was within these last five games of the campaign that the subtleties he could offer attained a renewed value to the Gunners.
[15] However, after a spell on loan with Swedish club IFK Eskilstuna, six weeks in June/July 1990, he returned to play a regular role in the 1990–91 title triumph.
[16] Along with the signings of David Seaman and Anders Limpar, it was the rejuvenation of Davis during the 1990–91 season that led to Arsenal reclaiming the First Division title, absorbing only one defeat along the way.
With him went Arsenal's league consistency, as did his renewed claims to a place in the national team, having performed well while on duty for England B, on 5 February 1991 against Wales.
[26] When Davis finally returned and fought his way back into the team, he stepped up for his first league game in fourteen months against Norwich on 3 March 1993.
The signing of Stefan Schwarz in the summer of 1994 took Arsenal in a new direction and after only six appearances in 1994–95,[12] some 15 years beyond his debut in that north London derby, he was released from the club on a free transfer in the wake of the arrival of Bruce Rioch as manager.
Davis briefly joined Norwegian side Stabæk on a two-month pre-season loan deal, in an attempt to regain his fitness for the start of the 1995/96 season.
[6][2] Davis returned to Arsenal to become a youth coach in 1996 but left the club in 2003 after several times being overlooked for promotion an issue he felt was related to skin color.