Nobody can deny that this has been a season of domination for Manchester City. However, Gooners can at least celebrate that it has not been a season of total domination. The nickname, “The Invincibles”, still belongs to the Arsenal team of 2003/04, the only team in the modern era to go an entire season undefeated.
There can be little doubt that City had their attention firmly on taking the name for their own, having completed 22 games without defeat. However, Liverpool’s heroics at Anfield on 14th January gave Arsenal fans something to smile about and ensured that their Invincible record remains safe for another season.
The Invincibles
It seems like yesterday, but it is almost 15 years since that magical season. The foundations were actually laid two years earlier: on their way to lifting the Premier League trophy in 2002, the team suffered no away losses all season, a feat that had not been achieved since the 1800s. When Preston did it in 1888/89, they earned the nickname “Invincibles,” and the press started to talk about Arsenal in the same terms.
In 2002/03, they suffered a mid-season blip after a strong start, giving Manchester United the opportunity to clinch the top spot, and as the teams prepared for 2003/04, all eyes were on Chelsea, bankrolled by Abramovich’s billions. Few could guess what was to come.
A strong start was no surprise – they had achieved that the year before – but in the sixth game of the season, defeat to United seemed certain, when, with the score at 0-0, Van Nistelrooy lined up a penalty in injury time. Unaccountably, he missed, and the match ended with honours even.
This was as close as Arsenal came to losing all season, ending with 26 wins and 12 draws. It was a feat that was unique in the modern era, and a special trophy was created to commemorate the achievement.
A shot at invincibility
There were plenty in the know who felt that Guardiola’s league leaders were in with a realistic chance of going unbeaten, and those who are into their live sports betting will have noticed that the bookmaker odds on them doing so had been getting shorter by the week. Few teams have shown quite such domination in recent years as City, and the fact that they have fallen at this hurdle just emphasises the sheer scale of Arsenal’s achievement in 2003/04.
It also serves as a reminder of how quickly things can turn around. Fans in some quarters might be baying for Wenger’s blood as their beloved team is languishing in sixth, but fortunes can change in the blink of an eye in football. It is worth remembering that the Arsenal blip in 2002/03 allowed United to steal the title – City are not as far clear at the top as their 2017 record might lead people to think, and they are certainly not home and dry yet.
With 15 games still to go and both United and Liverpool riding the crest of a wave, can City be caught? Bookies think it is almost impossible, with United at 50/1 and Liverpool at 100/1, but stranger things have happened, and it could be worth a pound of anyone’s money.
Points tally
Being a further eight points down the road behind Liverpool, it is unrealistic to hope that Arsenal can overhaul the front-runners. However, assuming that City do go on to wrap up the Premiership, it will be interesting to see how they compare statistically with the Invincibles.
In Arsenal’s record year, the team amassed a total of 90 points. This amounts to 2.37 points per match, and is a reflection of the high number of draws. Compare that to last year when Chelsea won with 93 points, or 2.45 per match.
Up until their defeat to Liverpool, City were storming along at 2.82 points per match. This average has now been slashed to 2.70, but it would still be enough for them to finish the season with an incredible 102 points.
A different game?
The goal tally tells a similar story. The Invincibles won with a total goal tally of 73. City are only six short of that number already. They are averaging three goals per game, which is unprecedented.
Despite these impressive statistics, City have not been able to emulate Arsenal’s Invincibles, and this is a team that many argue are the best the Premier League has ever seen. It really does put into perspective the achievements of that golden season and raises doubts that it will ever be achieved again.
While the Invincibles’ record might never be beaten, the current Arsenal squad is a shadow of its former self, and the “Wenger out” contingent may have a point when you look at how far we are behind City. Football has moved on over the past 15 years. Perhaps Arsenal need to do the same.