Memories of Arsenal’s Invincible Team – Season 2003/2004

After the emphatic 4–1 victory over city rivals Tottenham, the six-point lead over second place in the Premier League, and the remarkable 2025/2026 season they are producing so far, it’s hard not to go back 22 years and remember Arsenal’s Invincible team from the 2003/2004 season.

Of course, if you look at the table right now, you’ll see that the Gunners’ last defeat came against last season’s champions Liverpool on August 31. Since then, they have recorded 13 wins and just 2 draws in all competitions. Their form doesn’t appear to be dropping — quite the opposite, it seems to be improving. And although they can no longer match the legendary achievement of Arsène Wenger’s side, everything points to them being the number one title contender.

But what earned Arsenal the nickname “The Invincibles”?

During the 2003/04 season, Arsenal went unbeaten in all 38 Premier League predictions matches on their way to lifting the title. Only one other team has completed a top-flight English season without defeat — Preston North End in 1888/89, who were the first to earn the “Invincibles” label, although their league campaign consisted of just 27 matches.

Arsenal finished that season with 28 wins, 12 draws, and no defeats. Chelsea ended up second, with Manchester United in third place.

What makes the achievement even more extraordinary is that Arsenal’s unbeaten run stretched across three seasons and 49 matches — an all-time record in English football. It began in May 2003 with a 6–1 win over Southampton, continued through the historic 2003/04 title campaign, and extended into the first nine matches of the 2004/05 season. The run finally ended with a defeat to Manchester United on October 24, 2004.

Twenty players received Premier League winners’ medals after making at least ten appearances during the Invincibles season. Jens Lehmann was the goalkeeper who featured in every single match. Ashley Cole, Lauren and Gaël Clichy played at full-back, while Sol Campbell, Kolo Touré, Pascal Cygan and Martin Keown operated as central defenders.

Patrick Vieira, Edu and Gilberto Silva formed the core of midfield, with Freddie Ljungberg, Robert Pirès and Ray Parlour on the wings. The attacking options included Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, José Antonio Reyes, Sylvain Wiltord, Kanu and Jérémie Aliadière. Two young players also made single appearances — David Bentley and Justin Hoyte.

Arsène Wenger was the architect of this historic season, his eighth as Arsenal manager. A year earlier, he had boldly claimed that his team was capable of going through an entire campaign unbeaten — and he proved it in 2003/04, securing his third league title with the club. Wenger managed Arsenal for 22 years and left in 2018, having won 10 major trophies.

To truly grasp how unbelievable this achievement was, you only need to look at the betting odds. Arsenal were priced at 5000-to-1 to complete the season without a single defeat. After Ruud van Nistelrooy hit the post from the penalty spot on September 21, 2003, in a match that ended in a draw, the odds dropped to 750/1. Other key moments included the 2–1 away win at Chelsea, which slashed the odds to 20/1, and the dramatic 4–2 victory over Liverpool, after which expert football predictions fell to just 6/1.

More than two decades later, the Invincibles season remains one of the most iconic and untouchable achievements in football history.