Invincible derbies: the full record
20 years since Arsenal made history as the Invincibles, we take a meander through every capital clash of the 2003-04 season.
It’s 20 years since Arsenal wrote themselves into the history books with a 2-1 home win over Leicester City to make it a full 38-game league season without tasting defeat.
Here’s the full story of how London derbies helped shape a historic Premier League season.
August to October
The first London derby of the season came at White Hart Lane on 30 August 2003, where Spurs managed to lose 3-0 at home to Fulham. Barry Hayles scored in each half, and former Gunner Luis Boa Morte rounded off the win in the 71st minute.
Two weeks later on 13 September Spurs lost again, this time 4-2 to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Two from Adrian Mutu and one each from Frank Lampard and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink gave Chelsea all three points, with Freddie Kanoute scoring both of Spurs’ goals.
Arsenal’s first derby of the campaign was at home to Chelsea on 18 October. It was 1-1 in less than 10 minutes, Edu opening the scoring before Hernan Crespo grabbed a quick equaliser.
It wasn’t until the 75th minute that Thierry Henry scored to seal a 2-1 win for the Gunners - taking advantage of a Carlo Cudicini clanger - and ensure Arsenal leapfrogged their London rivals back to the top of the table.
Eight days later, Arsenal travelled to Charlton Athletic. A 28th-minute Paolo Di Canio penalty put the home side ahead, but Henry cancelled it out six minutes before half time. Arsene Wenger threw on Nwankwo Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord in an effort to find a winner, but it remained 1-1.
November and December
The first North London Derby of the season came at Highbury on 8 November. Arsenal were coming off the back of a 4-1 hammering of Leeds United, while Spurs had just slumped to a 1-0 home defeat to Bolton Wanderers.
Hardly the best preparation, but it was surprisingly Spurs who took the lead after just five minutes, Darren Anderton finding the net. It took until the 69th minute for Arsenal to find a response through who else but Robert Pires. Henry struck again 10 minutes later for Arsenal to take the bragging rights.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the capital, Graham Stuart and Jonatan Johansson were scoring for Charlton Athletic against Fulham. Johansson got two and Sean Davis got a late consolation for the Cottagers. Incidentally, he was a substitute and had replaced former Arsenal player Junichi Inamoto midway through the second half.
At the end of November, Fulham travelled to Highbury. Arsenal - still unbeaten, of course - were expected to win, but goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar had other ideas. The veteran Dutch goalkeeper put on an inspired performance to deny Arsenal, and the game ended 0-0
A Hernan Crespo goal in the 68th minute was enough to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Fulham in the West London Derby on 20 December.
Boxing Day brought goals galore as Charlton unexpectedly romped to victory over Chelsea. Herman Hreidarsson put the Addicks ahead in the first minute, but John Terry was on hand to level things up nine minutes later.
Matt Holland struck on 35 minutes to put Charlton ahead again, and Johansson on Jason Euell scored early on in the second half to put the home side in an imperious position. Chelsea substitute Eidar Gudjohnsen pulled a goal back on 73 minutes but the damage was done and it finished 4-2 to Charlton.1
Just two days later and the Addicks were at it again, this time stealing a 1-0 win at White Hart Lane thanks to a goal from substitute Carlton Cole.
January and February
Spurs’ derby season went from bad to worse at the end of January as they lost 2-1 at Craven Cottage. Despite taking the lead through Robbie Keane, Fulham fought back with goals from Steed Malbranque and Brian McBride.
Into February, and people were just starting to talk about how long Arsenal could keep up their unbeaten run.
On 8 February, Chelsea edged a 1-0 win over Charlton Athletic at Stamford Bridge thanks to a first-half penalty from Hasselbaink. Three days later and the Addicks lost again, this time 4-2 to Spurs.
Simon Davies, Jermaine Defoe and Ledley King had put Spurs 3-0 up after 46 minutes, but goals from Graham Stuart and Chris Perry saw Charlton threaten an unlikely comeback. Johnnie Jackson - now manager at AFC Wimbledon - scored in the 85th minute to settle Tottenham’s nerves.
Arsenal knocked Chelsea out of the FA Cup 2-1 at Highbury on 15 February, thanks to two goals from new signing Jose Antonio Reyes, and the Gunners repeated the feat in the league on 21 February, Patrick Vieira and Edu this time getting the goals to overturn Gudjohnsen’s first-minute opening goal. The Icelandic striker was sent off in the second half and Arsenal saw the game out for another three points.
After a hard-fought win in the Champions League in midweek, seven days after the win over Chelsea Arsenal were straight back into London derby action against Charlton Athletic.
Pires and Henry both scored within the first four minutes to put Arsenal in complete control, and while Claus Jensen made it 2-1 on the hour mark, Arsenal again got the job done for another win.
The final stretch
Surely Arsenal can’t match the record of the Preston North End team of the 1880s and go an entire league season unbeaten? Seems implausible to me.
Chelsea secured a Premier League ‘double’ over neighbours Fulham on 20 March with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge. Gudjohnsen scored again after just seven minutes, with Mark Pembridge equalising on 19 minutes. Damien Duff scored what turned out to be the winner after half an hour’s play.
The Blues then did the same to Spurs, condemning Tottenham to their third straight defeat on 3 April. Hasselbaink scored the only goal.
Goals from Steed Malbranque and Sean Davis gave Fulham a 2-0 win over Charlton at Craven Cottage on 24 April, but almost everyone else was only interested in one thing that week: the North London Derby.
Arsenal travelled up the Seven Sisters Road on 25 April knowing that a point would be enough to become champions for the second time in three years.
The 20th and final all-London clash of the season was on 9 May, with Arsenal travelling to south-west London to face Fulham. After Fulham’s hard-fought point at Highbury, and with the unbeaten record tantalisingly close, Arsenal were perhaps a little nervous.
The previous two games had been nervy draws, but a ninth-minute Jose Antonio Reyes goal was (eventually) enough to give Arsenal the points and send the Gunners back to Highbury for the last game of the season with the unbeaten record still intact.
Question: Is this the only time two Icelandic players (Hreidarsson and Gudjohnsen) have scored in the same Premier League game? Potential piece of pointless trivia for you there.