INVINCIBLES

■ AS the Premier League season comes to a thrilling end, next Wednesday marks the 20th anniversary of one of this year’s title contenders completing a whole season unbeaten. This is The Invincibles.

❑ Only two teams have gone a league season without losing a single match – Preston North End in 1888-1889 and Arsenal in 2003-2004.

❑ In the season, which ended on May 15, 2004 (with a 2-1 home win against Leicester City), Arsenal won 26 games and drew 12 – and in doing so took their last title to date.

❑ Sponsored by O2, Arsenal opened the season on August 16 with a 2-1 home win over Everton and topped the table after four matches.

❑ On September 21, Arsenal went to Old Trafford where they forced a scrappy goalless draw against Manchester United which saw a brawl, seven players booked and Patrick Vieira sent off in the 81st minute.

❑ United could have wrecked Arsenal’s season after just six games but Ruud van Nistelrooy fluffed a 91st minute penalty, hitting the crossbar.

❑ Six Arsenal players and three from United were charged by the Football Association for their part in the punch-up.

❑ Eventually, Lauren was suspended for four games, Martin Keown three, Ray Parlour and Vieira one each, Cole was warned about his behaviour and Lehman’s charge was dropped. The club was fined £275,000.

❑ Arsène Wenger used 34 players over the season in five competitions and 15 of them scored.

❑ Thierry Henry was Arsenal’s top scorer (for the third year running) with 30 league goals. ❑ Arsenal’s biggest win of the campaign was 5-0 against Leeds United at Highbury on April 16. Henry scored four of the goals and Pirès the other one.

❑ Arsenal’s penultimate game that season ended in a 1-0 win over Fulham at Craven Cottage leading the Daily Star to state the club were “one game from heaven”.

❑ The Invincibles won the Premier League title by 11 points – 90 to Chelsea’s 79.