Arsenal’s squad of 2003 – 2004 earned the title “The Invincibles” and will be written in the history books forever as they became the first team in history to go the whole length of a 38-game season unbeaten. Arsenal were the second team to win the league undefeated, after Preston North End in 1988-89, who also won the league unbeaten but played just 22 games.
We have listed every player here that earned a medal for the Gunners. Arsenal played 38 Premier League games but also reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals in both the FA Cup and the League Cup, so many players played more than 38 games. Other players made a small contribution and they will be listed at the end.
Arsenal’s squad in 2003 2004 generally lined up in a 4-4-2 formation (or 4-4-1-1, with Bergkamp playing behind Henry), with their first choice starting 11 line up being: Lehmann; Lauren, Toure, Campbell, Cole; Ljungberg, Vieira, Gilberto, Pires; Bergkamp, Henry.
Stats listed below are for all competitions.
Goalkeepers in Arsenal’s 2003 – 2004 Squad
Jens Lehmann was an extremely important piece in Arsenal’s 2003 – 2004 squad and played in all 38 Premier League games for the Gunners. Graham Stack was back-up ‘keeper and made five appearances; all in the League Cup.
| No. | Pos. | Player Name | Nationality | Apps. | Clean Sheets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Jens Lehmann | Germany | 54 | 19 |
| 33 | GK | Graham Stack | Ireland | 5 | 1 |
Defenders
The best squads are always built on a solid defence and Arsenal in 03/04 were no exception. The Gunners only conceded 26 goals in their 38 league games. Kolo Toure was doubted at the start of the season but went on to make more appearances than any other Arsenal player.
| No. | Pos. | Player Name | Nationality | Apps. | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | RB | Lauren | Cameroon | 47 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | CB | Kolo Toure | Ivory Coast | 55 | 3 | 1 |
| 23 | CB | Sol Campbell | England | 50 | 1 | 1 |
| 3 | LB | Ashley Cole | England | 47 | 1 | 6 |
| 18 | CB | Pascal Cygan | France | 24 | 0 | 0 |
| 22 | LB | Gael Clichy | France | 22 | 0 | 0 |
Midfielders in Arsenal’s 03/04 Squad
Arsenal’s midfield contained a perfect balance in 2003/04. Gilberto Silva provided a solid base and allowed Patrick Vieira freedom to get up and down the pitch. Robert Pires was devastating down the left, while Freddie Ljungberg also made a huge contribution from the right. Edu and Ray Parlour were more than capable deputies. With 85 appearances between them in all competitions, they also had a massive part to play in the Arsenal Invincibles squad of 2003 04.
| No. | Pos. | Player Name | Nationality | Apps. | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | RM | Freddie Ljungberg | Sweden | 44 | 10 | 7 |
| 4 | CM | Patrick Vieira | France | 44 | 3 | 8 |
| 19 | CM | Gilberto Silva | Brazil | 45 | 4 | 4 |
| 7 | LM | Robert Pires | France | 51 | 19 | 13 |
| 17 | CM | Edu | Brazil | 48 | 7 | 2 |
| 15 | RM/CM | Ray Parlour | England | 37 | 0 | 1 |
Forwards
While Arsenal’s squad was full of talent in 2003 – 2004 and everybody made a huge contribution to their amazing season, Thierry Henry was the Gunners’ main man. The striker, arguably the best player to ever grace the Premier League, scored 30 league goals and provided six assists. Henry was named the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year and the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year. The Frenchman played exceptional football and made a huge contribution to the Arsenal squad’s success in 03/04.
| No. | Pos. | Player Name | Nationality | Apps. | Goals | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | ST | Thierry Henry | France | 51 | 39 | 15 |
| 10 | ST | Dennis Bergkamp | Netherlands | 38 | 5 | 9 |
| 9 | FW | Jose Antonio Reyes | Spain | 21 | 5 | 1 |
| 11 | ST | Sylvain Wiltord | France | 20 | 4 | 2 |
| 25 | ST | Nwankwo Kanu | Nigeria | 24 | 3 | 4 |
| 30 | ST | Jeremie Aliadiere | France | 15 | 4 | 0 |
Arsene Wenger – The Man Behind Arsenal’s 2003 04 Squad
Arsene Wenger must be mentioned in our article about Arsenal’s squad in 2003 04 because he was the mastermind behind it all. Wenger famously declared in September 2002 that Arsenal could go the whole season unbeaten – and was mocked for the suggestion. It didn’t happen that season as Arsenal painfully lost out on the title, finishing second behind Manchester United. However, Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal squad went on to complete the amazing achievement a season later in 03 04. Wenger won the Premier League Manager of the Year Award and the League Managers’ Association Manager of the Year Award.
Other Members of Arsenal’s Squad in 03/04
David Bentley and Justin Hoyte also made one Premier League appearance each for Arsenal. A 16-year-old Cesc Fabregas was also part of the Arsenal squad in 2003 – 2004 but didn’t make a league appearance. The young Spaniard made two appearances in the League Cup. Fabregas became the youngest player ever to make an appearance for Arsenal in October 2003 at just 16 years and 177 days old. Fabregas became Arsenal’s youngest ever goalscorer at 16 years and 212 days old in December 2003 when he scored in a 5-1 win against Wolves.
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