With Drake scoring the lion's share of the goals and Alex James increasingly unavailable due to injury and age, Bastin was moved to inside-forward to replace James for much of the 1935–36 season, which saw Arsenal drop to sixth. Bastin still scored 17 goals, including six in Arsenal's run to the 1936 FA Cup Final, which they won 1–0. After a stint at right half to cover for Jack Crayston, Bastin was eventually restored to the left wing to score 17 goals in the 1937–38 title-winning season.