Arsenal Invincibles: 20 Years On

2003/04 ARRIVALS

2003/04 DEPARTURES

ARSENAL SQUAD 03/04

*Brackets denote substitute appearances
*Includes all players who made at least one Premier League Appearance

In contrast to their rivals, Arsenal were largely a settled side, with the core of the team having been in place for several years.

Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp led the line with a combination of power and panache.

The midfield was steel and silk, with Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Gilberto Silva and Freddie Ljungberg forming a formidable quartet.

Marshalled by Lehmann, the defence of Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell, Kolo Touré and Lauren was an insurmountable wall, strong in the tackle and peerless in reading the game.

Beyond the first 11, Ray Parlour, Edu, Sylvain Wiltord, Nwankwo Kanu, José Antonio Reyes, Jérémie Aliadière, Gaël Clichy, Martin Keown and Pascal Cygan all played their part, and would more than earn their winners' medals at the season's close.

This was a squad of grafters and technicians, equally at home in the trenches and in the Louvre.

Driven by the previous season's disappointment, they raced to first place after four matchdays, before they travelled to Manchester United for what would become known as the Battle of Old Trafford.

Arsenal First Choice XI in 2003/04
Manager: Arsène Wenger
Infographic by Mohamed Hamza

In a fiery affair that ended 0-0 despite Patrick Vieira's 73rd minute sending-off, an injury-time penalty miss by Ruud Van Nistelrooy set-off a fracas between the two sides that led to the Football Association (FA) issuing fines to two United players and five Arsenal players.

The fixture was the first sign of this Arsenal team's resilience.

''We felt we weren't going to get bullied.'' said Vyas.

''That was when we really started to get confident.''

Image Credit: PeeJay under CC BY-SA 4.0

Wins over perennial also-rans Newcastle United and Liverpool came next, and Arsenal's belief grew with each game that followed.

By the end of January, they were two points clear at the top of the table, and they had still not lost a league game.

Exits to Chelsea and Manchester United in the Champions League and FA Cup respectively however, would result in another test of their credentials as they hosted Liverpool in April 2004.

Goals from Sami Hyppiä and Michael Owen put the Reds in front at halftime, and Arsenal's unbeaten run looked set to end, but the team refused to give in.

Robert Pires levelled soon after the break, and Thierry Henry, who had netted in the first half, struck twice to complete his hattrick.

His second goal was a dazzling display of flair and technique, as Henry jinked through the Liverpool defence before calmly stroking the ball past Jerzy Dudek.

Top 3 sides in the Premier League table as of Matchday 31 before Arsenal faced Liverpool in April 2004

Arsenal would mathematically become league champions after a 2-2 draw against Tottenham at White Hart Lane just a few weeks later, and, with immortality in sight, faced Leicester City in their final fixture of the season at Highbury.

Paul Dickov's opener had threatened to spoil proceedings but a Henry penalty kept the sides level at half-time.

Vieira supplied the winner after 66 minutes, courtesy of a through-ball from Bergkamp that pried open the tenacious Leicester backline.

Final score: Arsenal 2-1 Leicester City

Arsenal's record that year: Played 38. Won 26. Drew 12.

Lost none.

History had been made.

The team had achieved a feat not seen since the days of Queen Victoria, forever writing their name in the annals of football.

They have since gone down in folklore as arguably the greatest side English football has ever seen.

Immortal. Indomitable. Invincible.