Arsenal have achieved a feat that no one saw anyone capable of by completing a campaign without any defeats in their 2003/2004 campaign. The gunners under their manager, Arsene Wenger, whose meticulous tactics and smart squad selection allowed the team to play confident, dynamic football. Although the team boasted significant high-profile names, like Denis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, and Robert Pires, the winning concoction was an amalgamation of all the diverse profiles present in the team. Arsenal played 38 matches, winning 26 and drawing 12, finishing the campaign with 90 points.
Further, the team's antics resulted in them scoring 73 goals and conceding just 26, dominating both home and away fixtures. The club was awarded a special gold Premier League trophy to commemorate this unprecedented achievement. Even after the finish of the season, Arsenal continued their unbeaten run into the next season, winning 49 league games, cementing their legacy as one of the greatest teams in English football history.
Arsenal Invincibles Squad – Full Player List:
20 Arsenal Invincibles players received Premier League winners’ medals after playing at least 10 games in the Invincibles season. Jens Lehmann was the goalkeeper who played in every match, while Ashley Cole, Lauren, and Gael Clichy were full-backs, while Sol Campbell, Kolo Toure, Pascal Cygan, and Martin Keown played at center-back.
Patrick Vieira, Edu, and Gilberto were central midfielders, while Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pires, and Ray Parlour played on the wing. The strikers were Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Jose Antonio Reyes, Sylvain Wiltord, Kanu, and Jeremie Aliadiere. Two youngsters also made a single appearance - David Bentley and Justin Hoyte. Below are listed some of the best players in an Arsenal Invincibles table format.
Name | Position | Appearances | Goals/Assists | Clean Sheets | Notable Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jens Lehmann | Goalkeeper | 38 | - | 26 clean sheets | Played all Premier League games and was pivotal in the Invincibles season |
Ashley Cole | Defender (LB) | 32 | 3 Assists | - | operated fundamentally as a defensive fullback providing defensive solidity and making unexpected bursts from the flank to become the free man in space |
Lauren | Defender (RB) | 32 | 1 Assist | - | Another potent defensive fullback to compliment the blockbuster attack |
Gael Clichy | Defender (LB) | 29 | - | - | Young talent of the campaign, learning from other veterans |
Sol Campbell | Defender (CB) | 35 | 1 Goal 1 Assist | - | The undisputed leader of Arsenal's defense in the 56-game unbeaten run |
Kolo Toure | Defender (CB) | 37 | 1 Goal 1 Assist | - | The perfect companion to Sol Campbell's calm leadership with his fiery demeanour. Most dominant in air and ground tackles through the campaign |
Pascal Cygan | Defender (CB) | 30 | - | - | Important rotation option in the long season |
Martin Keown | Defender (CB) | 34 | 1 Goal | - | The experienced presence at the back, already familiar with Premier League pressure games |
Patrick Vieira (Captain) | Midfielder (CM) | 29 | 3 Goals 4 Assists | - | Played like a captain, marshalling the midfield and protecting the defense, sometimes even chipped in with the occasional Goal and Assist |
Edu | Midfielder (CM) | 18 | 1 Goal 1 Assist | - | seamlessly replaced the tiring legs of other important midfielders through his balance and control |
Gilberto Silva | Midfielder (DM) | 29 | 4 Goals 4 Assists | - | The holding presence at the base of defense whilst also being an adept ball carrier which provided him with several goals and assists |
Freddie Ljungberg | Midfielder (RM) | 27 | 4 Goals 5 Assists | - | Smart with his movement and dilligent in his dispositon, good attacking backup for a star studded lineup |
Robert Pires | Midfielder (LM) | 33 | 14 Goals 9 Assists | - | Led Arsenal on his back with his creativity and skills to breakthrough rigid Premier League defenses |
Ray Parlour | Midfielder (CM) | 24 | 2 Goals 1 Assist | - | The perfect box to box presence to compliment the creative and defensive structure of the midfield |
Thierry Henry | Center Forward (CF) | 37 | 30 Goals 6 Assists | - | The great spearhead of the Arsenal attack. He single-handedly dominated the league, becoming the top scorer through his lethal strikes and match deciding goals |
Dennis Bergkamp | Second Striker (SS) | 28 | 7 Goals 7 Assist | - | already an Arsenal veteran he threaded the strings of the Arsenal midfield effortlessly even providing Vieira the historic assist on the final day to win the title |
Sylvain Wiltord | Forward (RW) | 9 | 3 Goals |
| Added a major boost after coming back from injury mid-season |
| Nwanko Kanu | Forward (ST) | 10 | 1 Goal 2 Assists | Scored a crucial equalizer in a feisty 1-1 draw with Everton, proved as an overall crucial rotation option in the squad | |
| Jose Anotonio Reyes | Winger (AMF) | 10 | 1 Goal |
Arsenal Invincibles Table:
The Arsenal Invincibles season was marked by an unprecedented run by the Arsenal Invincibles squad, where they remained undefeated for 38 games in a single season and 49 games in total from May 2003 to October 2004, which also served as the longest unbeaten run by any team in the Premier League.
The team was driven by an elite mentality instilled by the coach Arsene Wenger and a never-say-die attitude facilitated by prolific difference makers like Thierry Henry with his crucial hat-trick against Liverpool and Robert Pires several point rescuing antics. Below is listed Arsenal Invincibles table for the 2003/2004 Premier League season.
Standings | Team | Matches Played | Win | Draw | Loss | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1.(Champions) | Arsenal | 38 | 26 | 12 | 0 | 47 | 90 |
2. | Chelsea | 38 | 24 | 7 | 7 | 37 | 79 |
3. | Manchester United | 38 | 23 | 6 | 9 | 29 | 75 |
4. | Liverpool | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 18 | 60 |
5. | Newcastle United | 38 | 13 | 17 | 8 | 12 | 56 |
6. | Aston Villa | 38 | 15 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 56 |
7. | Charlton FC | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | 0 | 53 |
8. | Bolton | 38 | 14 | 11 | 13 | -8 | 53 |
9. | Fulham | 38 | 14 | 10 | 14 | 6 | 52 |
10. | Birmingham | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | -5 | 50 |
11. | Middlesbrough | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | -8 | 48 |
12. | Southampton | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | -1 | 47 |
13. | Portsmouth | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | -7 | 45 |
14. | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 13 | 6 | 19 | -10 | 45 |
15. | Blackburn | 38 | 12 | 8 | 18 | -8 | 44 |
16. | Manchester City | 38 | 9 | 14 | 15 | 1 | 41 |
17. | Everton | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | -12 | 39 |
18. (Relegated) | Leicester City | 38 | 6 | 15 | 17 | -17 | 33 |
19. (Relegated) | Leeds United | 38 | 8 | 9 | 21 | -39 | 33 |
20.(Relegated) | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 38 | 7 | 12 | 19 | -39 | 33 |
Where Are They Now? – Arsenal Invincibles Team Members:
The Invincibles Arsenal generation is an inspiration to all the individuals who grew up around that time. The Arsenal Invincible team was filled with plenty of charming and illustrious personalities whose current whereabouts continue to intrigue the hardcore fans of the club. The current lives of some players of the Arsenal Invincibles squad are as follows:
- Thierry Henry- The great icon of the legendary Arsenal Invincible squad is still displaying his charm and cutting people not with his quick feet but his savage tongue in the CBS Sports live broadcast and post-match presentation. He has also had brief stints as Belgium assistant coach and France U21 coach, helping them win a silver medal at the 2024 Olympics games in Paris.
- Sol Campbell- The defensive wall, in keeping with his natural characteristics of a leader, made a smooth transition into coaching and successfully managed small clubs like Macclesfield Town and Southend United. However, the bitterness associated with not receiving opportunities to coach big clubs reared its ugly head when the veteran criticized English football for its lack of opportunities for black players, sparking a big controversy.
- Ashley Cole- The immediate future of the legend, post his antics with the Arsenal invincible team, saw him vilified for his infamous move to Chelsea, coining his derogatory nickname of “Cashley Cole”. His subsequent maturity and clarity from his divorce have seen him emerge as a more dignified individual while also working as a coach at Birmingham City. He recently quit the stint to be appointed as a National team coach by the FA.
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