As Arsenal inch closer and closer to a first Premier League title since 2003/04, comparisons between the current crop of players and the legendary Invincibles become inevitable.
The Gunners famously went through a top flight season without losing with the likes of Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp just to name a few, and while the present-day Gunners won’t be able to replicate that achievement, they are getting closer to that iconic group’s total points tally.
But what can Mikel Arteta and his squad take from that 2003/04 season and the run-in especially as they plot glory on their own?
Here are the current standings and what Arsenal need to do to emulate the legendary Invincibles.
2003/04 Premier League table after 28 games
With victory over Blackburn in March 2004, Arsenal had grown a nine-point lead at the top of the Premier Leag- sorry, the Premiership, with closest competitors Chelsea way off the pace and Manchester United barely in the picture.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arsenal | 28 | 21 | 7 | 0 | 37 | 70 |
| 2. | Chelsea | 28 | 19 | 4 | 5 | 29 | 61 |
| 3. | Manchester United | 28 | 18 | 4 | 6 | 23 | 58 |
| 4. | Charlton | 28 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 43 |
2003/04 Arsenal run-in
- 20/03/04 – Arsenal 2-1 Bolton
- 28/03/04 – Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United
- 09/04/04 – Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool
- 11/04/04 – Newcastle 0-0 Arsenal
- 16/04/04 – Arsenal 5-0 Leeds
- 25/04/04 – Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal
- 01/05/04 – Arsenal 0-0 Birmingham
- 04/05/04 – Portsmouth 1-1 Arsenal
- 09/05/04 – Fulham 0-1 Arsenal
- 15/05/04 – Arsenal 2-1 Leicester
2022/23 Premier League table after 28 games
Fast-forward just under 20 years and Arsenal are firmly in the driving seat ahead of current champions Manchester City, boasting an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
A trip to the Etihad is still on the horizon while City have goal difference and mental edge in recent games between the two sides in their favour.
| Position | Team | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goal difference | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Arsenal | 28 | 22 | 3 | 3 | 40 | 69 |
| 2. | Manchester City | 27 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 42 | 61 |
| 3. | Manchester United | 26 | 15 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 50 |
| 4. | Tottenham | 28 | 15 | 4 | 9 | 12 | 49 |
2022/23 Arsenal run-in
- 01/04/23 – Arsenal vs Leeds United
- 09/04/23 – Liverpool vs Arsenal
- 16/04/23 – West Ham United vs Arsenal
- 21/04/23 – Arsenal vs Southampton
- 26/04/23 – Manchester City vs Arsenal
- 29/04/23 – Arsenal vs Chelsea
- 06/05/23 – Newcastle United vs Arsenal
- 13/05/23 – Arsenal vs Brighton
- 20/05/23 – Nottingham Forest vs Arsenal
- 28/05/23 – Arsenal vs Wolverhampton