2003–04 Arsenal F.C. season

Robert Pires scored Arsenal's winning goal against Liverpool in October 2003.

Arsenal hosted Everton at Highbury on the opening weekend of the season. Campbell was sent off in the 25th minute for a professional foul on Everton midfielder Thomas Gravesen. Arsenal, despite their man disadvantage, went two goals up after 58 minutes, before Tomasz Radzinski scored for the visitors late on.[76] A trip to the Riverside Stadium to face Middlesbrough a week after ended in a 4–0 win; the first three goals, scored by Henry, Gilberto Silva and Sylvain Wiltord, all came in the first half.[77] Three days later, Campbell and Henry scored as Aston Villa were beaten by two goals.[78] Arsenal continued their perfect start to the season with an away win against Manchester City on 31 August 2003. As Campbell was suspended, Martin Keown came into the first team to partner Touré.[79] Although Arsenal conceded first – a "comical" own goal by Lauren – and played "the worst 45 minutes that any of their fans could remember" according to journalist Matt Dickinson, Wiltord equalised in the second half, before Freddie Ljungberg took advantage of a Seaman error to score the winning goal.[79] After four matches, Arsenal stood in first position, three points clear of Manchester United.[80]

Due to international fixtures, Arsenal did not play another game for two weeks. On the resumption of club football, they faced newly promoted Portsmouth at home. Striker Teddy Sheringham gave the visitors a deserved lead, before Arsenal were awarded a penalty when Pires was adjudged to have been fouled in the penalty area by Dejan Stefanović.[81] Henry scored, and though their performance noticeably improved in the second half, the game ended in a draw.[81] Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp complained about the penalty decision post-match and felt Pires "…was going to get a yellow card [for diving]."[81] The player himself denied accusations that he deceived the referee: "I did not dive and I am not a cheat. That is not the way I play."[82]

A week later, Arsenal travelled to face Manchester United at Old Trafford. Pires and Wiltord were dropped by Wenger in favour of Ray Parlour and Ljungberg; Campbell did not travel due to family bereavement.[83] In the 80th minute, Vieira was sent off for a second bookable offence: he attempted to kick out at striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, which was seen by referee Steve Bennett.[83] With the score 0–0, United were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute, but Van Nistelrooy's spot kick hit the bar and rebounded back into play.[83] At the final whistle, Van Nistelrooy was immediately confronted by several Arsenal players, which escalated into an altercation between both teams.[83] Six of Arsenal's players (Ashley Cole, Lauren, Keown, Parlour, Lehmann, and Vieira) were later charged with improper conduct by The Football Association (FA), while the club were fined £175,000, the largest ever given to a club by the FA.[84] Lauren received a four-game ban, whereas Vieira and Parlour were given one-match suspensions.[85]

In their next match, Arsenal defeated Newcastle United by three goals to two; the winner was a penalty scored by Henry.[86] Vieira suffered an injury during the game; this commenced a period of him being in and out of the side for two months.[87] Arsenal then faced Liverpool on the first weekend of October at Anfield. In the absence of Vieira, Parlour was on duty as captain, while Campbell replaced Keown in defence.[88][89] Aliadière was paired alongside Henry in attack.[89] Arsenal went a goal down after 11 minutes, but equalised when Sami Hyypiä unintentionally diverted Edu's header from an Arsenal free-kick.[90] Pires scored the winner in the second half, which maintained the team's lead at the top of the league table.[90][91] The Times correspondent Oliver Kay described Arsenal's comeback as "spirited" and noted a difference with the team, in comparison to the previous season:

…recent events have taught them to place substance ahead of style. It may be less attractive to the purists, but there is no doubt that their new rugged approach has given them a more fearsome look. A year ago, they were producing football of a splendour rarely witnessed in this country or elsewhere. This season, with such fluency proving elusive, they have been grinding out results with an efficiency bordering on the Teutonic.[90]

A tightly-fought match against Chelsea at home was settled by a second-half error by goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, which presented Henry with his seventh league goal in nine matches.[92] Both teams up until that point were level on points at the top of the table and unbeaten.[93] Wenger noted after the match that Chelsea's bigger squad would serve them well as the season progressed, but stressed his smaller squad had stability: "We have been together for years and have the comfort of knowing we have won things before. When we are challenged, we become even more united."[94] Arsenal ended October with a 1–1 draw against Charlton Athletic.[95] After 10 games, Arsenal garnered 24 points. The point earnt at Charlton was enough for the team to move back into first position, which had been occupied by Chelsea.[96]

Arsenal began November with a trip to Elland Road to face Leeds United. There were no changes to the team from the Charlton game; for Leeds, Pennant started against his parent club after being granted permission by Wenger.[97] Arsenal's victory by four goals to one was identical to the scoreline in the corresponding fixture of last season.[98] In a match report for the News of the World, journalist Martin Samuel picked Henry as the man of the match and asserted Arsenal remained the team to beat.[99] Attention soon turned to the North London derby, where Arsenal played Tottenham Hotspur on 8 November 2003. Tottenham had not beaten their rivals since November 1999 and their last win at Highbury had come a decade previously.[100][101] Kanu was brought into the starting line-up to partner Henry, as Wiltord was ruled out with a calf strain.[102] Arsenal conceded an early goal after Darren Anderton capitalised on a defensive mix-up, but they scored two late goals in what was described as "another stuttering" performance in The Observer.[101] The result put Arsenal four points clear in first, albeit temporarily as Chelsea's win at home to Newcastle United 24 hours later cut their gap to one point.[103]

Thierry Henry missed only one league match in the season, away to Leicester City.

Arsenal did not play another game for a fortnight because of the international football break. On the resumption of club football, they played Birmingham City away from home. As suspensions came into action and there were injuries to first-team players, Wenger was forced to reshuffle his team. Clichy was handed his full debut and Pascal Cygan made his first start of the season, partnering Campbell.[104] Ljungberg opened the scoring for Arsenal inside four minutes; further goals by Bergkamp and Pires ensured the team won their third straight match of November.[105] By extending their unbeaten run from the start of the season to 13 league matches, Arsenal set a new Premier League record.[105] They were then held by Fulham to a goalless draw who became the first team to deny Arsenal from scoring in 46 league matches at Highbury.[106] The Guardian correspondent David Lacey summarised Arsenal's football on the day as "strong in the string section but short on percussion" and noted they reverted to the pattern of scoring a perfect goal, instead of being efficient.[107] Chelsea's 1–0 win over Manchester United meant Arsenal moved down to second place on the final day of November.[108]

Two more points were dropped in Arsenal's next match, away to Leicester City on the first weekend of December. Henry was absent from the starting team, as was captain Vieira. Arsenal had taken the lead at the hour mark through a Gilberto header, but conceded the equaliser in stoppage time.[109] What made matters worse was the dismissal of Cole for a two-footed lunge on Ben Thatcher; he missed the team's next three fixtures as a result.[110] Wenger said afterwards: "It looked like Ashley wanted to get the ball but it was a two-footed tackle that was too high, it was a red card and we have to accept it."[110] A goal from Bergkamp earned Arsenal a 1–0 win the following week, at home to Blackburn Rovers. Chelsea's defeat a day before meant that the win for Arsenal was enough to take them back top, a point clear of Manchester United, who were now in second place.[111]

Arsenal then travelled to the Reebok Stadium to play Bolton on 20 December 2003, the setting where their title challenge faltered eight months ago.[112] Although they again picked up just a point, Wenger believed it was a useful one: "Provided Bolton keep playing like that, we will look back at this result and feel very happy. They are as good as a team as we have played."[112] On Boxing Day, Henry scored twice for Arsenal in a 3–0 win against Wolverhampton Wanderers.[113] Three days later, the team played Southampton. The only goal of the match came in the first half: Henry's through pass found Pires, "who slid the ball beneath the exposed Antti Niemi".[114] The win meant Arsenal had gone half the season without losing, and the team, according to The Times, had begun to "establish an aura of invincibility".[114] Arsenal ended the calendar year in second place, with 45 points from 19 matches. They were one point behind leaders Manchester United and three ahead of Chelsea.[115]

On 7 January 2004, Arsenal played Everton at Goodison Park. Wenger made a host of changes: Cygan was recalled in central defence, which meant Touré was shifted onto the right and Lauren was dropped, while Parlour started in place of Gilberto in midfield.[116] Kanu had given Arsenal the lead in the first half, only for Radzinski to score a "richly deserved late equaliser" for Everton with fifteen minutes remaining.[117] Manchester United's victory at Bolton on the same night increased the reigning champions' lead at the top to three points.[118] Three days after the Everton match, Arsenal hosted Middlesbrough and put on a display Wenger described as one of the season's best: "We kept playing our natural game and could have scored more," he said.[119][120] The 4–1 win meant Arsenal moved back top of the league, albeit alphabetically, as their points, goal difference and goals scored were identical to that of Manchester United.[119] A week later, Arsenal beat Aston Villa by two goals to nil; both of the team's goals were scored by Henry.[121] Controversy surrounded the Frenchman's first goal, a quickly-taken free-kick which prompted confusion amongst Villa's players and brought about a reaction towards referee Mark Halsey, who signalled it was permissible.[121] After 22 games played, Arsenal were in first place, two points clear of Manchester United.[122]

Arsenal remained unbeaten throughout February, winning all five matches. In a home match against Manchester City, Reyes made his first appearance for the club, coming on as a substitute in the second half. He had no part in the winning goal, a "crunching, beautifully judged 25-yarder" scored by Henry.[124] Arsenal recorded an away win at Wolverhampton Wanderers on 7 February 2004, their 24th league match, which bettered a club record of games unbeaten from the start of the season (originally held by George Graham's team of 1990–91).[125] Wenger in his post-match press conference played down the record, and said of the unbeaten run: "You need a little bit of luck and mental qualities."[125] Henry reached a personal landmark against Southampton three days later, scoring his 100th and 101st Premier League goals.[126] The victory moved Arsenal five points clear at the top, although they had played one more game than Manchester United.[127]

A Saturday lunchtime kick-off against Chelsea saw the return of Henry; he was absent in Arsenal's FA Cup fifth round win against the same opposition.[128] Arsenal found themselves a goal down after 27 seconds, but responded with an equaliser in the 15th minute – Bergkamp's "delicately curving pass" found Vieira on the left side to shoot the ball past goalkeeper Neil Sullivan.[129] The winner came six minutes later: Sullivan misjudged a corner taken by Henry, which allowed Edu to shoot into an empty net.[129] Arsenal's lead was now seven and it represented "a stronger position than any they held last season" according to Wenger.[129] Touré's transition into a defender was highlighted in The Times football supplement:

Combined with Manchester United's loss of Rio Ferdinand,[nb 5] Kolo Touré's emergence as a capable centre half has probably represented a ten-point swing in the Premiership. If Touré and Campbell stay fit, Arsenal should be more than capable of holding on to their seven-point advantage and in Gaël Clichy, they have a promising replacement for Ashley Cole.[132]

The final match of the month was against Charlton at Highbury. Arsenal scored twice in the space of the opening four minutes, but by the end were "clinging to their lead like nervous kittens".[133] After 27 games, the team stood in first position and had accumulated 67 points. They were nine points clear of both Chelsea and Manchester United.[134]

Arsenal carried their good form into March; Henry and Pires scored in the defeat of Blackburn Rovers. It was a laboured performance from the league leaders, one which served a "…reminder of the old maxim that championships are won by teams who can pick up points when they are not playing well."[135] Arsenal then played Bolton Wanderers at home; Wenger made one change from the previous match – Bergkamp replaced Reyes upfront.[136] The blustery conditions forced the game to be delayed by 15 minutes, approximately the same amount of time it took Pires to score Arsenal's opener.[137] By the 24th minute, it was 2–0: Henry's cross found Bergkamp, who shot the ball past Jussi Jääskeläinen at the first attempt. Although Bolton's performance improved after scoring just before half-time, the result was a ninth straight league win for Arsenal and kept them nine points clear at the top.[137]

The visit of Manchester United on 28 March 2004 provided a stern test for Arsenal - it was both clubs' first meeting since the fiasco at Old Trafford.[138] Cole, injured in the midweek Champions League game against Chelsea, was replaced by Clichy in the starting line-up, while Bergkamp was dropped for Reyes.[139] Henry gave Arsenal the lead with a long range shot that swerved past goalkeeper Roy Carroll.[140] With five minutes of the game left, Louis Saha evaded the Arsenal defence and scored the equaliser for Manchester United.[140] Arsenal came close to a winner in injury time, only for Lauren to have his shot saved.[140] The draw was no good for Sir Alex Ferguson, the manager of Manchester United, who afterwards conceded his team's chances: "They'll (Arsenal) go on to win the league now – I'm sure of that. They are playing with great determination … a very strong team, so should win the league really".[141] In avoiding defeat, Arsenal set a new all-time league record of 30 matches unbeaten from the start of the season, originally held by Leeds and Liverpool.[nb 6][146] They remained in first position at the end of March and were seven points in front of Chelsea with eight matches remaining.[147]

Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira presented with the trophy at Highbury on the final day of the season against Leicester.

After two cup exits in the space of a week, Arsenal faced Liverpool on Good Friday at Highbury. Hyypiä opened the scoring for the visitors after five minutes, and in spite of Henry's equaliser just after the half-hour mark, Liverpool led again before the interval.[148] Arsenal responded by scoring twice in a minute; Henry's second goal saw the player hold off Dietmar Hamann in midfield, weave through defender Jamie Carragher, and place the ball past Jerzy Dudek.[149] The striker completed his hat-trick in the 78th minute, after good work by Bergkamp.[148] Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier likened Arsenal to a "wounded animal" after the match and believed Henry was "the man who made the difference … he set the tempo".[148] Arsenal played out a goalless draw with Newcastle United on Bank Holiday Monday, and five days later faced Leeds United.[150] On a night where Henry scored four goals and was described by his manager as "the best striker in the world", Arsenal moved to within two wins of regaining the league title.[151]

With Chelsea unable to garner maximum points in their next two matches, Arsenal knew before their game away at Tottenham that a draw would guarantee their status as champions.[152] Cole returned for the derby after sitting out the Leeds match with an ankle injury.[153] Arsenal took an early lead when Vieira finished off a counter-attacking move.[2] Incisive football brought about the second goal, ten minutes before the break. Bergkamp passed the ball to Vieira, who cut it back for Pires to sidefoot.[153] Tottenham replied in the second half by scoring twice – the equaliser a penalty – but it did not stop the Arsenal players celebrating at the final whistle "in front of their supporters' White Hart Lane enclave".[2] This marked the second time that the club had been crowned league champions at their rivals' ground: the first time had been in 1971.[154] Wenger praised his team for their success, telling the BBC: "We've been remarkably consistent, haven't lost a game and we have played stylish football. We have entertained people who just love football."[155]

In May, successive draws at home to Birmingham City and Portsmouth left Arsenal with 84 points from 36 games.[156][157][158] Reyes scored the only goal of the match against Fulham; he profited from a mistake by goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar: "The Dutchman tried to go past the Arsenal forward, but instead gifted possession and with it the easiest of open goals."[159] Arsenal's final game of the league season was against Leicester City. They conceded the opening goal, but turned the match around in the second half through goals from Henry and Vieira. With 26 wins, 12 draws and no defeats, the team became the first since Preston North End in 1888–89 to go through a league season undefeated. Reviewing the match and overall season, Amy Lawrence of The Observer wrote: "Arsenal's achievement may not make them 'great' in everyone's opinion – those who define greatness only by European Cups, back-to-back titles, and triple cartwheels on the way to every goal – but it is staggering in its own right."[160]

Arsenal v Everton

16 August 2003 (2003-08-16) 1	Arsenal	2–1	Everton	London
15:00 BST	Campbell  25' Henry 35' (pen.) Vieira  41' Pires 58'	Report	Gravesen  74' Rooney  78' Li  80'  87' Radzinski 84'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,014 Referee: Mark Halsey

Middlesbrough v Arsenal

24 August 2003 (2003-08-24) 2	Middlesbrough	0–4	Arsenal	Middlesbrough
16:05 BST	Cooper  25'	Report	Henry 5' Gilberto Silva 13' Wiltord 22', 60'	Stadium: Riverside Stadium Attendance: 29,450 Referee: Dermot Gallagher

Arsenal v Aston Villa

27 August 2003 (2003-08-27) 3	Arsenal	2–0	Aston Villa	London
19:05 BST	Touré  40' Campbell 57' Vieira  22' Bergkamp  80' Henry 90'	Report	Hendrie  16' Delaney  18' Ángel  37' Whittingham  71'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,010 Referee: Mike Dean

Manchester City v Arsenal

31 August 2003 (2003-08-31) 4	Manchester City	1–2	Arsenal	Manchester
16:05 BST	Lauren 10' (o.g.) Barton  49' Sommeil  56' Tarnat  74' Tiatto  75'	Report	Cole  34' Wiltord 48' Lauren  59' Ljungberg 72',  73'	Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium Attendance: 46,436 Referee: Graham Poll

Arsenal v Portsmouth

13 September 2003 (2003-09-13) 5	Arsenal	1–1	Portsmouth	London
15:00 BST	Campbell  10' Henry 40' (pen.) Touré  40'	Report	Sheringham 26' de Zeeuw  45' Stefanović  48' Schemmel  65'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,052 Referee: Alan Wiley

Manchester United v Arsenal

21 September 2003 (2003-09-21) 6	Manchester United	0–0	Arsenal	Manchester
16:05 BST	Keane  22' van Nistelrooy  82' 90+1' Ronaldo  84' Fortune  90'	Report	Touré  54' Keown  61' Vieira  79'  81'	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 67,639 Referee: Steve Bennett

Arsenal v Newcastle United

26 September 2003 (2003-09-26) 7	Arsenal	3–2	Newcastle United	London
20:00 BST	Henry 18', 80' (pen.) Gilberto Silva 67'	Report	Robert 26',  66' Bernard 71'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,112 Referee: Mike Riley

Liverpool v Arsenal

4 October 2003 (2003-10-04) 8	Liverpool	1–2	Arsenal	Liverpool
12:30 BST	Kewell 14' Bišćan  67' Welsh  85'	Report	Hyypiä 31' (o.g.) Cole  34' Parlour  37' Pires 68'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 44,374 Referee: Graham Barber

Arsenal v Chelsea

18 October 2003 (2003-10-18) 9	Arsenal	2–1	Chelsea	London
15:00 BST	Edu 5' Henry 75'	Report	Crespo 8' Makélélé  11' Hasselbaink  83'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,172 Referee: Paul Durkin

Charlton Athletic v Arsenal

26 October 2003 (2003-10-26) 10	Charlton Athletic	1–1	Arsenal	London
14:00 GMT	Di Canio 28' (pen.) Parker  35'	Report	Lauren  27' Henry 39'	Stadium: The Valley Attendance: 26,660 Referee: Steve Dunn

Leeds United v Arsenal

1 November 2003 (2003-11-01) 11	Leeds United	1–4	Arsenal	Leeds
15:00 GMT	Batty  30' Olembé  51' Smith 64'	Report	Henry 8', 33' Pires 16' Gilberto Silva 50'	Stadium: Elland Road Attendance: 36,491 Referee: Mike Dean

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

8 November 2003 (2003-11-08) 12	Arsenal	2–1	Tottenham Hotspur	London
15:00 GMT	Parlour  10' Pires 69' Ljungberg 79'	Report	Anderton 5'  20' Konchesky  14' Richards  20' Taricco  27'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,101 Referee: Mark Halsey

Birmingham City v Arsenal

22 November 2003 (2003-11-22) 13	Birmingham City	0–3	Arsenal	Birmingham
15:00 GMT	Cissé  7'	Report	Ljungberg 4' Touré  14' Edu  78' Bergkamp 80' Pires 88'	Stadium: St Andrew's Attendance: 29,588 Referee: Paul Durkin

Arsenal v Fulham

30 November 2003 (2003-11-30) 14	Arsenal	0–0	Fulham	London
14:00 GMT	Edu  90'	Report	Legwinski  57'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,063 Referee: Graham Barber

Leicester City v Arsenal

6 December 2003 (2003-12-06) 15	Leicester City	1–1	Arsenal	Leicester
15:00 GMT	Ferdinand  50' Hignett 90'	Report	Lehmann  57' Gilberto Silva 60' Cole  73'	Stadium: Walkers Stadium Attendance: 32,108 Referee: Rob Styles

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

14 December 2003 (2003-12-14) 16	Arsenal	1–0	Blackburn Rovers	London
14:00 GMT	Bergkamp 11' Gilberto Silva  29' Cygan  67'	Report	Greško  6' Ferguson  13' Babbel  42' Todd  77'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 37,677 Referee: Andy D'Urso

Bolton Wanderers v Arsenal

20 December 2003 (2003-12-20) 17	Bolton Wanderers	1–1	Arsenal	Bolton
15:00 GMT	Campo  52' Nolan  58' Pedersen 83'	Report	Vieira  54' Pires 57' Henry  64'	Stadium: Reebok Stadium Attendance: 28,003 Referee: Graham Poll

Arsenal v Wolverhampton Wanderers

26 December 2003 (2003-12-26) 18	Arsenal	3–0	Wolverhampton Wanderers	London
12:00 GMT	Craddock 13' (o.g.) Henry 20', 89' Aliadière  73' Vieira  75'	Report	Butler  12' Rae  28' Ince  66' Naylor  79' Luzhnyi  80'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,003 Referee: Phil Dowd

Southampton v Arsenal

29 December 2003 (2003-12-29) 19	Southampton	0–1	Arsenal	Southampton
20:00 GMT	McCann  87'	Report	Pires 35'	Stadium: St Mary's Stadium Attendance: 32,151 Referee: Steve Dunn

Everton v Arsenal

7 January 2004 (2004-01-07) 20	Everton	1–1	Arsenal	Liverpool
20:00 GMT	Radzinski 75'	Report	Parlour  22' Kanu 29' Lauren  45' Ljungberg  54'	Stadium: Goodison Park Attendance: 38,726 Referee: Alan Wiley

Arsenal v Middlesbrough

10 January 2004 (2004-01-10) 21	Arsenal	4–1	Middlesbrough	London
15:00 GMT	Gilberto Silva  20' Henry 38' (pen.) Queudrue 45' (o.g.) Pires 57' Ljungberg 68'	Report	Doriva  30' Maccarone 86' (pen.)	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,117 Referee: Andy D'Urso

Aston Villa v Arsenal

18 January 2004 (2004-01-18) 22	Aston Villa	0–2	Arsenal	Birmingham
14:00 GMT	Delaney  29' Mellberg  34' Whittingham  45' Barry  59'	Report	Henry 29', 53' (pen.) Vieira  55'	Stadium: Villa Park Attendance: 39,380 Referee: Mark Halsey

Arsenal v Manchester City

1 February 2004 (2004-02-01) 23	Arsenal	2–1	Manchester City	London
16:05 GMT	Tarnat 39' (o.g.),  37' Parlour  63' Henry 83' Cole  90'	Report	Barton  60' Sinclair  84' Anelka 89',  90'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,103 Referee: Alan Wiley

Wolverhampton Wanderers v Arsenal

7 February 2004 (2004-02-07) 24	Wolverhampton Wanderers	1–3	Arsenal	Wolverhampton
15:00 GMT	Miller  11' Ganea 26',  26' Irwin  67'	Report	Bergkamp 9',  31' Henry 58' Touré 63'	Stadium: Molineux Stadium Attendance: 29,392 Referee: Phil Dowd

Arsenal v Southampton

10 February 2004 (2004-02-10) 25	Arsenal	2–0	Southampton	London
19:45 GMT	Henry 31', 90' Vieira  38' Parlour  63'	Report	Baird  71' Svensson  90' Niemi  90'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,007 Referee: Neale Barry

Chelsea v Arsenal

21 February 2004 (2004-02-21) 26	Chelsea	1–2	Arsenal	London
12:30 GMT	Guðjohnsen 1'  42'  60' Mutu  51' Terry  67' Lampard  67'	Report	Vieira 15' Edu 21' Lauren  60' Henry  90'	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 41,847 Referee: Mike Riley

Arsenal v Charlton Athletic

28 February 2004 (2004-02-28) 27	Arsenal	2–1	Charlton Athletic	London
15:00 GMT	Pires 2' Henry 4'	Report	Jensen 59'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,137 Referee: Graham Barber

Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal

13 March 2004 (2004-03-13) 28	Blackburn Rovers	0–2	Arsenal	Blackburn
15:00 GMT	Andresen  54'	Report	Henry 57' Edu  73' Pires 87'	Stadium: Ewood Park Attendance: 28,627 Referee: Alan Wiley

Arsenal v Bolton Wanderers

20 March 2004 (2004-03-20) 29	Arsenal	2–1	Bolton Wanderers	London
15:00 GMT	Pires 16' Bergkamp 24' Cole  62'	Report	Nolan  30' Campo 41' Pedersen  85'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,053 Referee: Graham Barber

Arsenal v Manchester United

28 March 2004 (2004-03-28) 30	Arsenal	1–1	Manchester United	London
16:05 BST	Henry 50' Clichy  70'	Report	Scholes  25' Saha 86'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,184 Referee: Graham Poll

Arsenal v Liverpool

9 April 2004 (2004-04-09) 31	Arsenal	4–2	Liverpool	London
12:30 BST	Cole  29' Henry 31', 50', 78' Pires 49' Vieira  65' Lauren  73'	Report	Hyypiä 5' Owen 42' Diouf  83'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,119 Referee: Alan Wiley

Newcastle United v Arsenal

11 April 2004 (2004-04-11) 32	Newcastle United	0–0	Arsenal	Newcastle upon Tyne
16:05 BST		Report	Vieira  5'	Stadium: St James' Park Attendance: 52,141 Referee: Paul Durkin

Arsenal v Leeds United

16 April 2004 (2004-04-16) 33	Arsenal	5–0	Leeds United	London
20:00 BST	Pires 6' Henry 27', 33' (pen.), 50', 67'	Report		Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,094 Referee: Dermot Gallagher

Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal

25 April 2004 (2004-04-25) 34	Tottenham Hotspur	2–2	Arsenal	London
16:05 BST	Redknapp  58', 62' Keane 90+4' (pen.)	Report	Vieira 3' Pires 35' Lehmann  90'	Stadium: White Hart Lane Attendance: 36,097 Referee: Mark Halsey

Arsenal v Birmingham City

1 May 2004 (2004-05-01) 35	Arsenal	0–0	Birmingham City	London
12:30 BST		Report	Johnson  16' Savage  49'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,061 Referee: Graham Poll

Portsmouth v Arsenal

4 May 2004 (2004-05-04) 36	Portsmouth	1–1	Arsenal	Portsmouth
20:00 BST	Yakubu 30'	Report	Campbell  42' Reyes 50' Parlour  49'	Stadium: Fratton Park Attendance: 20,140 Referee: Mike Riley

Fulham v Arsenal

9 May 2004 (2004-05-09) 37	Fulham	0–1	Arsenal	London
16:05 BST	Davis  89'	Report	Reyes 9' Vieira  52' Henry  69' Parlour  84'	Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 18,102 Referee: Mike Dean

Arsenal v Leicester City

15 May 2004 (2004-05-15) 38	Arsenal	2–1	Leicester City	London
14:00 BST	Henry 47' (pen.) Vieira 66'	Report	Dickov 26' Sinclair  47'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,419 Referee: Paul Durkin

Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw.

A notice outside Highbury, advertising Arsenal's upcoming match against Inter Milan.

Arsenal were drawn in Group B, along with Italian club Inter Milan, Lokomotiv Moscow of Russia and Ukraine's Dynamo Kyiv.[191] Wenger believed the trips to Eastern Europe threatened his team's chances of winning the Premier League: "The other English teams have more comfortable groups than we do. It is tough to go to Russia – I always say that if you have to travel more than two hours it is difficult. Sometimes the players pay a high price in the games that follow the Champions League matches."[192]

Arsenal opened their Champions League campaign with a 3–0 defeat against Inter Milan. Goals from Julio Ricardo Cruz, Andy van der Meyde and Obafemi Martins all in the first half extended Arsenal's run of six home games in the competition without a win.[193] Wenger said afterwards: "We can complain and cry the whole night but that will not change the result. The only thing we can do is to respond."[194] The team, without Campbell and Vieira, earned a draw away to Lokomotiv Moscow, but remained bottom of the group.[195] Arsenal lost to Dynamo Kyiv in late October; Wenger's decision to shift from his preferred 4–4–2 formation caused the team to play more narrow than usual.[196] Cole scored the winning goal in the reverse fixture at Highbury. A cross by Wiltord was flicked on by Henry in the direction of an incoming Cole, who dived to head the ball past goalkeeper Oleksandr Shovkovskyi.[197]

The team scored four goals in the second half against Inter Milan and won 5–1. Wenger felt the result showed there was "…a special mental strength in the team", while Cole compared it to England's victory against Germany in 2001 but added "this was even better."[198] Arsenal won 2–0 against Lokomotiv Moscow to top Group B. Jacob Lekgetho's dismissal in the eighth minute meant the visitors played the remainder of the match with ten men.[199]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Arsenal	6	3	1	2	9	6	+3	10	Advance to knockout stage
2	Lokomotiv Moscow	6	2	2	2	7	7	0	8
3	Internazionale	6	2	2	2	8	11	−3	8	Transfer to UEFA Cup
4	Dynamo Kyiv	6	2	1	3	8	8	0	7

Arsenal v Internazionale

17 September 2003 (2003-09-17) 1	Arsenal	0–3	Internazionale	London, England
19:45 BST		Report	Cruz 22' Van der Meyde 24' Martins 41'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,393 Referee: Manuel Mejuto González (Spain)

Lokomotiv Moscow v Arsenal

30 September 2003 (2003-09-30) 2	Lokomotiv Moscow	0–0	Arsenal	Moscow, Russia
18:30 MSD	Nizhegorodov  79'	Report		Stadium: Lokomotiv Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Jan Wegereef (Netherlands)

Dynamo Kyiv v Arsenal

21 October 2003 (2003-10-21) 3	Dynamo Kyiv	2–1	Arsenal	Kyiv, Ukraine
20:45 EET	Shatskikh 27' Belkevich 64'	Report	Henry 80'	Stadium: Olimpiysky NSC Attendance: 80,000 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)

Arsenal v Dynamo Kyiv

5 November 2003 (2003-11-05) 4	Arsenal	1–0	Dynamo Kyiv	London, England
19:45 GMT	Silva  27' Touré  74' Cole 88'	Report	Leko  37'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,419 Referee: Lucílio Batista (Portugal)

Internazionale v Arsenal

25 November 2003 (2003-11-25) 5	Internazionale	1–5	Arsenal	Milan, Italy
20:45 CET	Vieri 33'	Report	Henry 25', 85' Cygan  61' Ljungberg 49' Edu 88' Pires 89'	Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 44,884 Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Germany)

Arsenal v Lokomotiv Moscow

10 December 2003 (2003-12-10) 6	Arsenal	2–0	Lokomotiv Moscow	London, England
19:45 GMT	Pires 12' Vieira  14' Ljungberg 67'	Report	Evseev  38' Lekgetho  8'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,343 Referee: Ľuboš Micheľ (Slovakia)

Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

Arsenal were paired up against Celta Vigo in the last 16 stage and the first leg was held at the Balaídos.[200] Although they conceded two goals from set pieces, Arsenal scored three times to win the game which put the team in a favourable position given the away goals rule.[201] Their passage was secured with a 2–0 win on 10 March 2004; Henry scored both goals for the team.[202]

Celta Vigo v Arsenal

24 February 2004 (2004-02-24) First leg	Celta Vigo	2–3	Arsenal	Vigo, Spain
20:45 CET	Edu 27' Sylvinho  45' José Ignacio 64'	Report	Edu 18', 58',  87' Pires 80' Henry  88'	Stadium: Balaídos Attendance: 21,000 Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)

Arsenal v Celta Vigo

10 March 2004 (2004-03-10) Second leg	Arsenal	2–0 (5–2 agg.)	Celta Vigo	London, England
19:45 BST	Henry 14', 34'	Report	Cáceres  36'  74'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,402 Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)

Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.

In the quarter-finals, Arsenal met fellow English club Chelsea. The draw disappointed vice-chairman Dein: "One of the joys of playing in Europe is playing teams from overseas – and having played Chelsea three times, it is a bit anti-climactic."[203] The first leg, played at Stamford Bridge ended in a draw with Guðjohnsen and Pires scoring for their respective clubs. Arsenal were unable to take advantage of Marcel Desailly's dismissal in the second half, but Wenger felt his team were in a good position to progress: "Our main aim will be to win the game at Highbury and we know we can do that."[204]

Henry, rested for the FA Cup semi-final match, started alongside Reyes for the second leg. It was the latter forward who gave Arsenal the lead in injury time of the first half, but Frank Lampard equalised for Chelsea in the 51st minute. With three minutes remaining of the match, defender Wayne Bridge scored to eliminate Arsenal from the competition.[205]

Chelsea v Arsenal

24 March 2004 (2004-03-24) First leg	Chelsea	1–1	Arsenal	London, England
19:45 BST	Guðjohnsen 53' Makélélé  65' Desailly  80'  83'	Report	Pires 59'	Stadium: Stamford Bridge Attendance: 40,778 Referee: Manuel Mejuto González (Spain)

Arsenal v Chelsea

6 April 2004 (2004-04-06) Second leg	Arsenal	1–2 (2–3 agg.)	Chelsea	London, England
19:45 BST	Lauren  36' Reyes 45+1'	Report	Gallas  9' Hasselbaink  15' Lampard 51' Cole  84' Bridge 87'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,486 Referee: Markus Merk (Germany)

Colour key: Green = Arsenal win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.