The Invincibles (football)


In football, "The Invincibles" is a nickname used to refer to the Preston North End team of the 1888–89 season, managed by William Sudell, and the Arsenal team of the 2003–04 season managed by Arsène Wenger. Preston North End earned the nickname after completing an entire season undefeated in league and cup competition, while Arsenal were undefeated in the league in a run that stretched to a record 49 games. The actual nickname of the Preston team was the "Old Invincibles", but both versions have been in use.

Preston North End

Preston North End became known as "The Invincibles" after they won the inaugural Football League competition in 1888–89, completing the season unbeaten in both the league and the FA Cup, so becoming the first team ever to achieve the "Double". Preston's league record was 18 wins, 4 draws and 0 losses, out of 22 games played, while their cup record was 5 wins out of 5 rounds played and they won the FA Cup without conceding a goal. In his autobiography, Tom Finney wrote: "The championship stayed with North End — by now tagged the Old Invincibles — the following year, but runners-up spot had to suffice for the next three seasons".
Preston's unbeaten run stretched to one game the following season, their first league defeat came away to Aston Villa in the second game, losing 5–3. Of the seven teams to have completed the Double in England, Preston remain the only one to have done so unbeaten. In 2008, Preston opened a new 5,000 seater stand at their Deepdale stadium, named the Invincibles Pavilion in honour of the unbeaten 1880s team that had also played their home matches at the same site.
The Preston team that won the 1889 FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval, beating Wolverhampton Wanderers 3–0, was as follows:

Matches

Football League

FA Cup

Arsenal

In May 2002, Arsenal beat Manchester United to regain the Premier League and equal Preston's record of not losing an away match all season. In assessing the team's achievement, Tim Rich of The Independent wrote: "Invincibles, they called the last team to go through a season unbeaten away from home, although it is a word which belongs far more to the Arsenal side of 2002 than it ever could to the Preston team of 1888–89." Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger wanted his team to push on for more honours and described the defeat of Manchester United as a "shift of power" in English football. The team began the following season in good stead; a 4–1 win against Leeds United in September 2002 meant Arsenal broke the domestic record for scoring in consecutive games, and away league games without defeat. Such was their effective start to the campaign, Wenger reiterated his belief that Arsenal could remain the whole season undefeated:
After breaking a Premier League record of 30 matches unbeaten, Arsenal lost to Everton in October 2002 and failed to win their next three matches in all competitions, representing their worst run of form in 19 years. By March 2003, Arsenal had established themselves as league leaders, but nearest challenger Manchester United overhauled them to win the title. Arsenal finished the season with league wins against Southampton and Sunderland and was later consoled with success in the FA Cup – they beat the former team 1–0 in the 2003 final.
Wenger sought to strengthen his team with minor additions: goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, as well as a number of young players from academies abroad, namely Gaël Clichy and Phillipe Senderos. In comparison to their rivals Chelsea, bankrolled by new owner Roman Abramovich, and Manchester United, Arsenal's transfer activity was quiet. The financial constraints that came with the Ashburton Grove stadium project meant Wenger had little income to spend on new players. Once funding was found amidst the season, the club added to its roster, with José Antonio Reyes arriving in the winter transfer window.
In the 2003–04 season, Arsenal regained the Premier League without a single defeat. Over the 38 games played, their league record stood at 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 losses. The unbeaten run came close to ending six matches into the campaign against Manchester United, as striker Ruud van Nistelrooy missed a penalty in injury time; the match then ended 0–0. At the turn of the calendar year, Arsenal won nine league matches in a row to consolidate first position; they secured their status as champions with a draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur in April 2004. Their form did not continue into the domestic cups; Arsenal exited the semi-final stage of the Football League Cup and the FA Cup to eventual winners Middlesbrough and Manchester United, respectively. In Europe, Arsenal lost two of their opening three UEFA Champions League group stage matches, 3–0 at home to Internazionale and 2–1 away to Dynamo Kyiv, but eventually finished top of the group. Arsenal ultimately reached the quarter-final stage of the Champions League, where they were eliminated by London rivals Chelsea.
presented with the trophy at Highbury on the final day of the season.
Continuing into the next season, a special gold version of the Premier League trophy was commissioned to commemorate Arsenal winning the title without a single defeat. In May 2018, this gold trophy was presented to Arsene Wenger as a gift from Arsenal Football Club at Wenger's final home game as manager after 22 years. In addition to their two wins at the end of the 2002–03 FA Premier League, Arsenal beat Middlesbrough in their second league game of 2004–05 to equal Nottingham Forest's record of 42 league matches unbeaten; the feat was eclipsed with a win at home to Blackburn Rovers. The run extended to six more matches for a total of 49 league games undefeated, before coming to an end with a controversial 2–0 defeat to Manchester United. The Guardian noted that Arsenal never trailed in the last 20 minutes of a game during their unbeaten run.

Formation

Compared with the club's double-winning side of 1998, only Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp remained as first team players throughout the unbeaten run; Martin Keown featured briefly, while Ray Parlour made 25 league appearances. Defenders Lee Dixon and Tony Adams had retired from professional football in 2002 and goalkeeper David Seaman joined Manchester City a year later. Kolo Touré, signed as a right-back and defensive midfielder, was chosen to play in central defence alongside Sol Campbell after impressing during pre-season. Lauren who played as a midfielder for Real Mallorca was shifted as a right-back when he joined Arsenal. Wenger initially replaced left-back Nigel Winterburn with Sylvinho, but an injury to the defender allowed Ashley Cole to take his place as first pick by the 2000–01 season. In midfield Gilberto Silva partnered Vieira, and Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires each played either side of them on the wings. Thierry Henry, signed as Nicolas Anelka's replacement in 1999, was the team's focal point in attack; he was supported most often by Bergkamp.
Although the team were interpreted as one which organised themselves as 4–4–2, the formation with the ball was akin to 4–4–1–1. Wenger's tactics emphasised attacking football and relied on movement and interchanging, with full-backs joining in attacks. Journalist Michael Cox noted Arsenal's strengths lay on the left side of the pitch and added because the opposition focused on containing Cole, Pires and Henry, it allowed Lauren and Ljungberg to find space and cross the ball. The team were also strong on the counter, exemplified in their away performances against Leeds United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Matches

Premier League
MatchDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers
17 May 2003SouthamptonH6–138,052Pires 8', 22', 46', Pennant 15', 18', 25'
211 May 2003SunderlandA4–040,188Henry 7', Ljungberg 39', 78', 88'
315 August 2003EvertonH2–138,014Henry 35', Pires 58'
424 August 2003MiddlesbroughA4–029,450Henry 5', Gilberto Silva 13', Wiltord 22', 60'
527 August 2003Aston VillaH2–038,010Campbell 57', Henry 90'
631 August 2003Manchester CityA2–146,436Wiltord 48', Ljungberg 72'
713 September 2003PortsmouthH1–138,052Henry 40'
821 September 2003Manchester UnitedA0–067,639
926 September 2003Newcastle UnitedH3–238,112Henry 18', 80', Gilberto Silva 67'
104 October 2003LiverpoolA2–144,374Hyypiä 31', Pires 68'
1118 October 2003ChelseaH2–138,172Edu 5', Henry 75'
1226 October 2003Charlton AthleticA1–126,660Henry 39'
131 November 2003Leeds UnitedA4–136,491Henry 8', 33', Pires 18', Gilberto Silva 50'
148 November 2003Tottenham HotspurH2–138,101Pires 69', Ljungberg 79'
1522 November 2003Birmingham CityA3–029,588Ljungberg 4', Bergkamp 80', Pires 88'
1630 November 2003FulhamH0–038,063
176 December 2003Leicester CityA1–126,660Gilberto Silva 60'
1814 December 2003Blackburn RoversH1–037,677Bergkamp 11'
1920 December 2003Bolton WanderersA1–128,003Pires 57'
2026 December 2003Wolverhampton WanderersH3–038,003Craddock 13', Henry 20', 89'
2129 December 2003SouthamptonA1–032,151Pires 13'
227 January 2004EvertonA1–138,726Kanu 29'
2310 January 2004MiddlesbroughH4–138,117Henry 38', Queudrue 45', Pires 57', Ljungberg 68'
2418 January 2004Aston VillaA2–039,380Henry 29', 53'
251 February 2004Manchester CityH2–038,103Tarnat 7', Henry 83'
267 February 2004Wolverhampton WanderersA3–129,392Bergkamp 9', Henry 58', Touré 63'
2710 February 2004SouthamptonH2–038,007Henry 31', 90'
2821 February 2004ChelseaA2–141,847Vieira 15', Edu 21'
2928 February 2004Charlton AthleticH2–138,137Pires 2', Henry 4'
3013 March 2004Blackburn RoversA2–028,627Henry 57', Pires 87'
3120 March 2004Bolton WanderersH2–138,053Pires 16', Bergkamp 24'
3228 March 2004Manchester UnitedH1–138,184Henry 50'
339 April 2004LiverpoolH4–238,119Henry 31', 50', 78', Pires 49'
3411 April 2004Newcastle UnitedA0–052,141
3516 April 2004Leeds UnitedH5–038,094Pires 6', Henry 27', 33', 50', 67'
3625 April 2004Tottenham HotspurA2–236,097Vieira 3', Pires 35'
371 May 2004Birmingham CityH0–038,061
384 May 2004PortsmouthA1–120,140Reyes 50'
399 May 2004FulhamA1–018,102Reyes 9'
4015 May 2004Leicester CityH2–138,419Henry 47', Vieira 66'
4115 August 2004EvertonA4–135,521Bergkamp 23', Reyes 39', Ljungberg 54', Pires 83'
4222 August 2004MiddlesbroughH5–337,415Henry 25', 90', Bergkamp 54', Reyes 65', Pires 65'
4325 August 2004Blackburn RoversH3–037,496Henry 50', Gilberto Silva 58', Reyes 79'
4428 August 2004Norwich CityA4–123,944Reyes 22', Henry 36', Pires 40', Bergkamp 90'
4511 September 2004FulhamA3–021,681Ljungberg 62', Knight 65', Reyes 71'
4618 September 2004Bolton WanderersH2–237,010Henry 31', Pires 66'
4725 September 2004Manchester CityA1–047,015Cole 14'
482 October 2004Charlton AthleticH4–038,103Ljungberg 33', Henry 48', 69', Reyes 70'
4916 October 2004Aston VillaH3–138,137Pires 19', 72', Henry 45'