Arsenal’s Invincibles are the team that completed the entire 2003/04 Premier League season without losing a match, winning 26 games and drawing 12 on the way to the title.
Arsène Wenger’s side became the first English top-flight team since Preston North End in the 19th century to complete a full league season unbeaten, before extending their run to 49 consecutive league matches without defeat across three campaigns. Arsenal’s official history records the sequence as 36 wins, 13 draws and no defeats.
The achievement remains one of the defining moments in Arsenal’s history and one of the most famous records of the Premier League era.
Arsenal Invincibles at a glance
| Record | Arsenal Invincibles |
|---|---|
| Premier League season | 2003/04 |
| League games | 38 |
| Wins | 26 |
| Draws | 12 |
| Defeats | 0 |
| Points | 90 |
| Goals scored | 73 |
| Goals conceded | 26 |
| League position | 1st |
| Wider unbeaten league run | 49 games |
Arsenal’s unbeaten sequence actually began at the end of the previous season, with a 6-1 victory over Southampton in May 2003, and continued into 2004/05.
Who played for Arsenal’s Invincibles?
Wenger’s squad contained some of the greatest players in Arsenal’s modern history.
The core team included:
- Jens Lehmann
- Lauren
- Sol Campbell
- Kolo Touré
- Ashley Cole
- Gilberto Silva
- Patrick Vieira
- Freddie Ljungberg
- Robert Pires
- Dennis Bergkamp
- Thierry Henry
Henry was the attacking focal point, while Vieira captained a team which combined elite technical quality with physical strength and defensive resilience.
Read Arsenal has previously looked back at Arsenal’s 2003/04 Invincibles squad and where the players went afterwards.
How did Arsenal go unbeaten in 2003/04?
Arsenal did not dominate every match.
That is part of what made the achievement so remarkable.
Wenger’s side could overwhelm opponents with Henry, Bergkamp and Pires, but they also survived difficult away matches and moments when the unbeaten record appeared under serious threat.
One of the most famous came at Old Trafford in September 2003.
Manchester United were awarded a late penalty, but Ruud van Nistelrooy struck the crossbar and Arsenal escaped with a 0-0 draw. Arsenal’s official history describes it as one of the closest moments of the entire run.
That resilience became just as important as the team’s attacking quality.
When did Arsenal win the 2003/04 Premier League title?
Arsenal mathematically secured the title with a 2-2 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane on 25 April 2004.
For supporters, winning the league at the home of their biggest rivals gave the achievement another layer of significance.
The title was already secured, but Arsenal still had four league matches remaining.
They drew with Birmingham and Portsmouth before beating Fulham and Leicester to complete the entire campaign without defeat. (arsenal.com)
Arsenal’s final unbeaten match of 2003/04
The final game of the Premier League season came against Leicester City at Highbury.
Leicester took the lead through former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov, threatening the unbeaten record on the final afternoon.
Thierry Henry equalised from the penalty spot before Patrick Vieira scored the winner as Arsenal recovered to win 2-1 and officially complete the undefeated season.
What was Arsenal’s 49-game unbeaten run?
The Invincibles label is usually associated with the 38 matches of the 2003/04 season, but Arsenal’s unbeaten league run lasted considerably longer.
It began with:
Arsenal 6-1 Southampton — 7 May 2003
and eventually reached 49 consecutive league matches without defeat.
Arsenal broke Nottingham Forest’s previous English top-flight record of 42 unbeaten matches when they defeated Blackburn Rovers 3-0 at Highbury in August 2004.
The full sequence consisted of:
36 wins
13 draws
0 defeats
Who ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run?
Manchester United finally ended Arsenal’s sequence with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford on 24 October 2004.
That result brought the 49-game league run to an end.
The match remains controversial among Arsenal supporters, particularly because United’s opening goal came from a penalty awarded after Wayne Rooney went down following contact with Sol Campbell.
Whatever the circumstances of the defeat, no team could take away what Arsenal had achieved.
Why were Arsenal called the Invincibles?
The name reflects their undefeated Premier League campaign.
Arsenal were not unbeaten in every competition during 2003/04. They suffered defeats in cup and European matches.
The term specifically refers to completing the 38-game Premier League season without losing.
How important was Thierry Henry?
Henry scored 30 Premier League goals during the 2003/04 season, winning the Golden Boot and becoming the team’s leading attacking figure.
But Arsenal’s success wasn’t built around one player alone.
Vieira controlled midfield, Pires and Ljungberg contributed goals from wide areas, Campbell and Touré formed an imposing defensive partnership, while Lehmann played every league match in goal.
It was the balance of Wenger’s squad that allowed Arsenal to sustain their level across the entire campaign.
How Arsenal’s 2026 champions compare
This section gives us a brilliant reason to keep the page relevant.
Arsenal finally won the Premier League again in 2025/26, ending a 22-year wait since the Invincibles.
We’ve already examined how Arsenal ended their 22-year Premier League title drought.
Comparisons between Mikel Arteta’s champions and Wenger’s 2003/04 side are inevitable, but the Invincibles retain one unique distinction: they completed the league season without a single defeat.
Even former Invincible Gilberto Silva has recently been asked to compare players from the two title-winning Arsenal teams, underlining how relevant the debate remains.
Arsenal Invincibles FAQ
Did Arsenal lose any Premier League games in 2003/04?
No. Arsenal won 26 and drew 12 of their 38 Premier League matches.
Did Arsenal win every match?
No. They drew 12 league matches, but did not lose any.
How many games did Arsenal go unbeaten?
Arsenal went 49 consecutive league matches unbeaten between May 2003 and October 2004.
Who captained the Invincibles?
Patrick Vieira captained Arsenal during the unbeaten title-winning season.
Who was Arsenal’s top scorer in 2003/04?
Thierry Henry was Arsenal’s leading Premier League scorer with 30 goals.
Where did Arsenal win the league?
Arsenal mathematically clinched the Premier League title at White Hart Lane, drawing 2-2 with Tottenham.
Who ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run?
Manchester United ended the 49-game sequence with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford in October 2004.
Has another Premier League team gone unbeaten for a full season?
No Premier League side has completed another 38-game league campaign unbeaten since Arsenal’s 2003/04 team.
