Arsenal Invincibles

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00:00:24Invincible

00:00:25Invincible

00:00:34Invincible

00:00:35Invincible is just people who are unbeatable

00:00:41Side-stepping one, side-stepping two, that is brilliant

00:00:45I'm not here now, obviously Invincible

00:00:47Or Invincibles

00:00:49I think about Arsenal Football Club in my teammates

00:00:51You can look around usually at your mates

00:00:53and they're really up for it today

00:00:55and every single game was up for it

00:00:57What you're seeing here is what we've seen all your season

00:01:02Fantastic talent

00:01:04Spirit

00:01:05When everybody tells you it has never happened before

00:01:08and probably won't happen again

00:01:10you think, well, we've done something special

00:01:14The captain

00:01:16fittingly

00:01:16gets the goal

00:01:18that might make history

00:01:20To be completely happy

00:01:22and satisfied with your season

00:01:24you should be capable

00:01:26to win a championship without losing a game

00:01:30138

00:01:32126

00:01:32strong 12

00:01:34lost exactly

00:01:36not

00:01:37But I don't think anybody in the group

00:01:39is thinking, oh

00:01:40we're f***ing

00:01:41invincible

00:01:42we're whatever

00:01:43We just wanted to win the league

00:01:54Unbeatable

00:01:56Immortal

00:01:57Invincible

00:01:59On May the 15th, 2004

00:02:02Arsenal Football Club rewrote history

00:02:06Not since Preston North End

00:02:07back in 1889

00:02:08had a team in England's top flight

00:02:11gone through an entire league campaign

00:02:12without losing

00:02:14Back then there were only 12 teams in the league

00:02:17and only 22 games

00:02:19But for Arsene Wenger's squad

00:02:21their momentous achievement would span 38 matches

00:02:24and would have become one of the most competitive leagues in the world

00:02:29In 2003

00:02:30the old might of Manchester United

00:02:32was being challenged by the new money of Chelsea

00:02:35as the face of English football

00:02:37began its dramatic evolution

00:02:38into the richest and most popular league on the planet

00:02:44While their rivals were being heralded at the dawn of a new era

00:02:47Arsenal were dealing with a bittersweet season

00:02:50in which an FA Cup could do little to dampen the disappointment of throwing the league away

00:02:56In scintillating form for most of the previous campaign

00:02:59the Gunners were the toast of England

00:03:02Their dominance such that one bookie had prematurely paid out on them as champions

00:03:07But it was not to be

00:03:08Viduka

00:03:10Simon Johnson is there as well

00:03:11Viduka

00:03:12Leeds United lead again

00:03:14They've got the late, late goal

00:03:16and surely have buried Arsenal as far as the Premiership is concerned

00:03:23The spectacular collapse in the closing stages

00:03:26returned the Premier League title to Manchester United

00:03:29and left in doubt the Gunners billing as the new force in English football

00:03:33Some even tagged them chokers

00:03:40Of course it was very disappointing

00:03:43and you know well that the press is never soft with you when you fail to win

00:03:52It does affect you a little bit when you're called that

00:03:54because we had players in our squad never give up

00:03:58but you have a bit of bad form

00:03:59things go against you

00:04:00and you lose a few key games

00:04:02and that's what probably we did that season

00:04:04so at the end of the season you know

00:04:06we'll be sitting in that dressing room absolutely distraught about what happened

00:04:11It wasn't supposed to be this way

00:04:14Double winners in 2002

00:04:17Future domination was expected

00:04:20and Arsene Wenger had both prematurely and prophetically told the press

00:04:24that he believed it was possible to go a whole season unbeaten

00:04:30When he said it we went

00:04:31Is he okay?

00:04:34Like why would you say that?

00:04:36Why would you go out there and expose us like that?

00:04:41We were like I hope he didn't jinx anything

00:04:44and obviously soon after

00:04:46not too long after that we lost

00:04:48When I made a check-up with the team

00:04:54Before the season started 2003-2004

00:04:58I asked the players

00:05:00Why did we not win the championship last year?

00:05:03And they basically said

00:05:05of course in disguised words

00:05:07It's your fault

00:05:08I said yes why?

00:05:11And they said because you put too much pressure on us

00:05:16Because you said we want to win the championship without losing a game

00:05:21And that was too much pressure

00:05:23And I said to them

00:05:25Look I just said that

00:05:26Because I think you're capable to do it

00:05:29Maybe the gaffers wanted to take responsibility for the group

00:05:33No, we

00:05:34Listen the gaffer played a major part

00:05:37But I would never blame any single person

00:05:40Nor would I pin it on one single person that we were successful

00:05:43That wasn't

00:05:45That wasn't the environment the gaffer created

00:05:48The air was cleared

00:05:50Targets were set

00:05:51But unlike their fellow title challengers

00:05:54Arsenal were building a new stadium

00:05:56And would have limited funds with which to improve the squad

00:06:00The most pressing need was in goal

00:06:02With David Seaman now at Manchester City

00:06:05He wasn't exactly the marquee signing fans had hoped for

00:06:08But at £1.5 million from Borussia Dortmund

00:06:11German keeper Jens Lehmann brought something unique to the team

00:06:16Jens, oof

00:06:17Jens Lehmann, what a great lad

00:06:19Jens is straight down the line

00:06:23Time, time, time

00:06:25I knew about his character

00:06:27I knew about how he can lead a team

00:06:30How vocal he is or was

00:06:32He is still by the way

00:06:35He was hard as nails

00:06:37He was a winner

00:06:38Probably more intense than I was

00:06:40Which is saying something

00:06:43He was very demanding of his partners

00:06:47This demanding was not always well accepted

00:06:50But I liked that in his game

00:06:55Due to my age when I came to that team

00:06:58I wasn't that much nervous

00:07:00Because I knew that I had experienced much more than most of them

00:07:05And so it was about bringing myself in

00:07:08Which meant organising, talking and just performing to be successful

00:07:15What Jens sees

00:07:16Is just a guy

00:07:18Who basically is ready to die to win

00:07:25On the periphery of the German national team

00:07:28Lehmann was an acquired taste

00:07:29But he fitted right in as training began in earnest at London Colney

00:07:35Behind closed doors

00:07:36The team prepared for the batters ahead

00:07:39Maximum effort here

00:07:40Was the only level accepted by a demanding group

00:07:44I think it was Arsenal being a nightmare

00:07:46On a Friday morning

00:07:47Because you have an 8v8

00:07:49But you have so many winners on each side

00:07:51And didn't want to lose the game

00:07:52There'd be tackles flying in

00:07:54And you know, he'd be worried about the Saturday game

00:07:56You know, no one gets injured

00:07:58When you train with Kola Toure

00:08:00Lauren, Saul Campbell

00:08:02Ray Parler, Freddie

00:08:04Patrick Vera, Gilberto Silva

00:08:06And all those guys

00:08:07You better be ready

00:08:08Because if you're not ready

00:08:09They're going to wake you up

00:08:11This group trained as it played

00:08:15We would be in 2v2s and 4v4s sessions

00:08:18That the manager would do

00:08:19And you didn't want to be looked upon as the weak link

00:08:21Or the weaker group

00:08:22That's the way it was

00:08:23And obviously sometimes you're not happy with it

00:08:25So you're going to kick someone back

00:08:26He's not happy with it

00:08:28He's going to kick you back

00:08:28And maybe sometimes you will go a bit further

00:08:31You know, a bit too much sometimes of kicking

00:08:34But that's the way it was

00:08:35We all love each other

00:08:37And we knew it was for the good of the team

00:08:38And we all get on with it

00:08:40And when we were back in the dressing room

00:08:42It was over

00:08:42That was where you could see the mentality of the players

00:08:45Were born winners

00:08:46Because, you know, even in training

00:08:48You didn't want to lose games

00:08:49And you put all them players together

00:08:51We had a winning formula

00:08:54Despite a Sol Campbell sending off in the opening game

00:08:57The Gunners marched through their first five fixtures

00:09:01Winning four

00:09:02And drawing one

00:09:05It's Vieira

00:09:06It's Perez

00:09:07It's two

00:09:11Oh, he looks for Wiltor

00:09:123-0

00:09:15Perez corner

00:09:16Oh, and Samuel almost scored an own goal

00:09:19And it has been turned in now

00:09:20Sol Campbell

00:09:23Wiltor

00:09:25David Seaman came out

00:09:26And Jundberg's there

00:09:27And Arsenal

00:09:28Who are 1-0 down

00:09:30Lead 2-1

00:09:31At the City of Manchester Stadium

00:09:34Henri from the spot

00:09:36Makes no mistake

00:09:37Five minutes before the break

00:09:39It's Arsenal 1

00:09:40Portsmouth 1

00:09:48Confidence was soaring

00:09:50But it came to an abrupt halt

00:09:53A midweek defeat to Inter Milan at Highbury

00:09:55And the Champions League

00:09:56Meant their weekend clash

00:09:58Against Manchester United

00:09:59Took on added significance

00:10:02Still licking their wounds

00:10:03And without Sol Campbell

00:10:04Absent grieving the death of his father

00:10:07The Gunners were dubbed as underdogs

00:10:09Ahead of their trip to the home of the Champions

00:10:11It was not a view shared by those inside the playing group

00:10:17I don't think we were ever underdogs in that period

00:10:20Going to Manchester United

00:10:21And I think they knew that

00:10:23There was never any fear

00:10:25Going to play at Old Trafford

00:10:27What I used to try to do in the big games

00:10:29Was basically

00:10:30Really almost switch off

00:10:31I'm totally focused

00:10:33I know where I need to go

00:10:34I don't want to use any nervous energy

00:10:36I'm not going to get too worked up

00:10:38My character was such that I needed to work the other way

00:10:41In the big games

00:10:42And it was no different that day

00:10:46When I was facing the opponents in the tunnel

00:10:48I never thought

00:10:49Oh, I'm still disappointed

00:10:51From last game's result against Inter Milan

00:10:54But I was always thinking

00:10:56I was looking at the opponents

00:10:57And I said

00:10:57Well

00:10:59I consider myself being stronger and better

00:11:02So let's get out and win

00:11:05Arsenal have come here in happier frames of mind

00:11:09And they will regard what happens here as some kind of barometer

00:11:13Taken out of it there by Gilberto

00:11:18It's Giggs

00:11:19With a lot of curl

00:11:20It's very, very difficult

00:11:22Lehmann was scrambling across

00:11:24And I'm not altogether sure

00:11:25He would have got there

00:11:27He was taken out of it really, wasn't he?

00:11:31It's actually cold

00:11:32They didn't pick him up

00:11:33And oh!

00:11:35Fine effort

00:11:36From the England full-back

00:11:39There was little to separate the two sides

00:11:41But with just ten minutes remaining

00:11:43A match that had struggled to catch fire

00:11:46Finally had its spark

00:11:49I think that day

00:11:51You know

00:11:52We all know what happened

00:11:52The game sort of exploded into life

00:11:58Now what has happened here?

00:12:00They're thinking Van Nistelroi's made a lot of it

00:12:03And it's Vieira who's gonna

00:12:06Be sent off here

00:12:10The sending off of Patrick Vieira for me was very, very harsh

00:12:14I think it's just blatant cheating

00:12:18I mean, the referee didn't see it

00:12:19But I was standing right next to the incident

00:12:21You know, no one's to see that in football

00:12:24And it's all kicking off here suddenly

00:12:28And the referee's gonna have to

00:12:30Keep the lid on this

00:12:32As a football player

00:12:33You learn to take care about your teammates

00:12:35Particularly on the pitch

00:12:37And I was probably the oldest player at the time

00:12:40Next to Martin Kuhn

00:12:41And I thought, well, the referee wasn't right

00:12:43And we need to complain

00:12:45That's why I rushed out and tried to get things right

00:12:47But of course, it didn't help

00:12:52The tension was palpable

00:12:53And with just seconds remaining, unbelievably

00:12:56It reached a whole new level

00:12:59The sequence of events that would unfold

00:13:01Became football folklore overnight

00:13:04Into the danger zone

00:13:05Into the danger zone

00:13:06Forland goes down

00:13:07Manchester United won a penalty

00:13:08And they've got it too

00:13:10Keown's challenge

00:13:11Well, we wondered if there'd be late drama

00:13:13And there is

00:13:15Van Nistrooy steps up

00:13:1789th minute

00:13:18You're thinking, if he scores this

00:13:19We've lost the game

00:13:22I wasn't impressed by Van Nistrooy

00:13:24I was a German

00:13:25And as a German you think

00:13:27Well, there's a Dutch guy coming up

00:13:29I don't care if it's Van Nistrooy or not

00:13:31I'm a German goalkeeper

00:13:32So I need to try

00:13:34To save that penalty somehow

00:13:37It's Ruud van Nistrooy

00:13:39To win it for Manchester United

00:13:40If he can

00:13:41And he's hit the underside of the bar

00:13:43Amazing

00:13:46Absolutely amazing

00:13:48That is the final whistle

00:13:49It was very nearly the last kick

00:13:56The emotions of the game got to us in the end

00:13:59We were just frustrated

00:14:01That he tried to cheat one of our colleagues

00:14:04Patrick Vieira

00:14:05He got him sent off

00:14:06It didn't start with a penalty

00:14:07It started with a sending off

00:14:08And that was very much in our minds

00:14:10When he missed the penalty

00:14:14And Van Nistrooy is getting shoved around now

00:14:17By the Arsenal players

00:14:18Who feel that he overdid it

00:14:20In the incident with Vieira

00:14:22That led to Vieira being sent off

00:14:25I didn't want to let anyone down

00:14:26And suddenly this was

00:14:27I was off the hook

00:14:28He'd missed

00:14:29I overreacted

00:14:30But there was history with that player

00:14:33Yes

00:14:33It was unfortunate

00:14:36And we shouldn't have behaved in that way

00:14:37But you can't take it back

00:14:40When I saw my teammates

00:14:42Being full of passion

00:14:43And adrenaline

00:14:44And still fighting

00:14:45And arguing

00:14:46I thought

00:14:46Well it's a really great team

00:14:48Because they take care of each other

00:14:50And they have passion

00:14:51And they would like to

00:14:53Or they want to win something

00:14:55There's still

00:14:56There's still

00:14:56A lot of bad feeling

00:14:58Between these two big clubs

00:15:00When I came into the tunnel

00:15:02All of a sudden

00:15:02I was confronted by

00:15:04One of the biggest gentlemen

00:15:06Of the game

00:15:07A Scottish

00:15:08And a French gentleman

00:15:10Confronting each other

00:15:11Which was a surprise for me as well

00:15:13After the game

00:15:14It was very, very hot

00:15:17And I must say

00:15:20I was not innocent in that

00:15:22Because I was as well

00:15:24Very upset after the game

00:15:29Van Nistelrooy's miss

00:15:30Would prove crucial

00:15:32In the club's unbeaten season

00:15:34But at the time

00:15:35Arsenal's biggest concern

00:15:36Was the raft of suspensions

00:15:38Handed out to Vieira

00:15:39Parler

00:15:40Lauren

00:15:40And of course

00:15:41Martin Kiong

00:15:42Who became the poster child

00:15:44Of an incident

00:15:45That still follows him

00:15:46To this day

00:15:47If I step off the train

00:15:49Or out of a car

00:15:50Into Manchester

00:15:51The fans remind me

00:15:52Say you're out of order

00:15:53Completely out of order

00:15:55For the fabric of the game

00:15:56And the young kids watching

00:15:59Not ideal behaviour

00:16:01For the Arsenal fans

00:16:02They probably loved

00:16:03Every minute of it

00:16:06I didn't really realise

00:16:07The enormity

00:16:08Of what was going on

00:16:09Around me

00:16:09You know

00:16:10It was being mentioned

00:16:11In the House of Commons

00:16:12It was on every news channel

00:16:14If I put the television on

00:16:16I couldn't escape it

00:16:17I couldn't put the telly on

00:16:18People outside my house

00:16:19And it didn't derail the team

00:16:21I think it galvanised the group

00:16:24After the narrow escape at United

00:16:26Arsenal were on a charge

00:16:28Drawing when they deserved to lose

00:16:30And winning when they deserved to draw

00:16:31The team

00:16:32Was gaining momentum

00:16:34Pires

00:16:36Oh what a shot

00:16:37It's a fabulous goal

00:16:38From Robert Pires

00:16:41We were always confident

00:16:43That we could win

00:16:44Every single game

00:16:46Pires

00:16:47Towards Henry

00:16:48Oh Fucci

00:16:49He spilled this

00:16:50Arsenal have found a goal

00:16:54Game by game

00:16:55We were not talking about

00:16:56Unbeaten

00:16:57Although people were starting to say

00:16:59Are they or are they not

00:17:00We were not thinking about

00:17:01We were just thinking about

00:17:03Being focused

00:17:04And committed

00:17:05On what we were doing

00:17:07In training

00:17:07To make sure that we were going to be

00:17:08Good

00:17:09At the weekend

00:17:11Henry

00:17:13And his run

00:17:14And now accelerates away from camera

00:17:16And gives Arsenal the lead

00:17:19I think winning is a habit

00:17:20I really do

00:17:21I mean once you start winning

00:17:22Once you start not dropping points

00:17:24You know going away games

00:17:25And getting a good point away from home

00:17:27You feel like you're solid

00:17:29You know as a unit

00:17:30You feel that the squad can do it

00:17:32And you become untouchable at times

00:17:35Three waiting in the centre

00:17:37It's Freddie Lundberg

00:17:38It's deflated

00:17:40Well it's confidence isn't it?

00:17:42Essentially

00:17:43It develops a confidence

00:17:46You start to feel invincible

00:17:51Even if it's a difficult game

00:17:52If it's raining

00:17:53It's cold or whatever

00:17:54We still kind of

00:17:55Could find that extra bit

00:17:57To kind of

00:17:58Grind it out

00:17:59And get a win

00:17:59Great run

00:18:01Pulls it back to Bergkamp

00:18:021-0

00:18:03Arsenal

00:18:05I discovered a different aspect of my job

00:18:08That was just to enjoy the game

00:18:11And I told myself

00:18:12Sometimes

00:18:13Look my friend

00:18:14That will not last forever

00:18:15Just go there

00:18:17And enjoy it

00:18:19It gets to a stage

00:18:21Where just the team walks out

00:18:23And knows

00:18:24Has that belief

00:18:26They will win the game

00:18:27During that period

00:18:28We didn't even consider our opponents

00:18:31We just played football

00:18:32We just played football

00:18:34Arsene Wenger

00:18:35Has guided his team

00:18:37Now to a 16 game

00:18:39Unbeaten run

00:18:40The only club

00:18:41In English professional football

00:18:44To go

00:18:45Towards the Christmas period

00:18:48With an unbeaten record

00:18:53Back in the line-up against Blackbone

00:18:55Was club captain

00:18:56Patrick Vieira

00:18:57The Frenchman

00:18:58Had missed eight games

00:18:59Through injury

00:19:00Heading into December

00:19:01And returned eager

00:19:02To haul his team

00:19:03Into the new year

00:19:04Undefeated

00:19:05Since his understated arrival

00:19:07From AC Milan

00:19:08In 1996

00:19:09Vieira had become

00:19:10The cornerstone

00:19:11For success

00:19:12In the Wenger era

00:19:15It's difficult to pin it

00:19:16On any one person

00:19:17You know

00:19:18The boss

00:19:18Thierry Henry

00:19:19Dennis Bergkamp

00:19:20Pires

00:19:20They're all the sort of

00:19:21Great peers people talk about

00:19:23But without Patrick

00:19:24We wouldn't have achieved anything

00:19:25Patrick

00:19:26The player

00:19:27Is the first I met

00:19:29Because I played against him

00:19:32With Monaco

00:19:33In an end of season game

00:19:35Where he played for Cannes

00:19:37And it was a league cup game

00:19:39And he came on at half time

00:19:41He was 17 years old

00:19:43And I came out of the game

00:19:45And I said

00:19:45I've seen a great player today

00:19:49He was just a great individual

00:19:52Trained awfully

00:19:52You know

00:19:53His brother did the training

00:19:54It wasn't Patrick

00:19:55In the training session

00:19:56He wasn't the best trainer

00:19:58You know

00:19:59If you see him day to day

00:20:00In training

00:20:00You think

00:20:02He's not going to be able

00:20:03To perform on Saturday

00:20:03But on the Saturday

00:20:04He was amazing

00:20:06Patrick

00:20:07Like knew how to set me up

00:20:08He knew how to upset me

00:20:10Because I was type of the same

00:20:12I'm the type of guy

00:20:12That I need to be

00:20:13Kind of in the mood to play

00:20:15You know

00:20:17Patrick knew exactly

00:20:18What he had to say to me

00:20:19For me to

00:20:20To wake up

00:20:22For me it was great

00:20:23To have him in front of me

00:20:25Because you knew

00:20:26That if he was in front of you

00:20:27You know

00:20:28Time they got to you

00:20:29You know

00:20:30They're probably knackered

00:20:31Or being beaten up

00:20:32By the time they get to you

00:20:33So it was great

00:20:39I think it took him a while

00:20:42To be demanding of his partners

00:20:46But he grew into it

00:20:48And he became more and more demanding

00:20:52And in the end

00:20:54And the captain

00:20:55And the person

00:20:57And the player

00:20:58Made a fantastic contribution to the team

00:21:03Despite the return of their leader

00:21:05The top of the table

00:21:06Still eluded Arsenal

00:21:07Going into the Christmas period

00:21:09With the weather and the fixtures

00:21:11Coming thick and fast

00:21:12The Gunners battled for a draw in Fulton

00:21:14Followed by wins against Wolves

00:21:16And Southampton

00:21:19A surprise draw away to Everton

00:21:21On January 7th

00:21:22And on January 7th

00:21:22Meant that Arsenal once more

00:21:24Failed to overtake Manchester United

00:21:25At the top

00:21:26But inside the Arsenal camp

00:21:28Team spirit remained undented

00:21:32Intensity and determination

00:21:33Became the Gunners calling card

00:21:35But there was another side to the squad

00:21:37Which proved just as vital

00:21:42I mean we were all kind of a bunch of kids

00:21:46Sometimes I guess

00:21:47You know in training

00:21:48How we should be

00:21:49You know if you

00:21:50If you didn't dress well

00:21:51You were going to get it

00:21:53Even if you were dressing well

00:21:55Doesn't really matter

00:21:56Sometimes they might not like my shoes

00:21:58And I stick it up on the

00:21:59Onto the bars above

00:22:01So you know

00:22:03All things go missing

00:22:04You know

00:22:05It's normal

00:22:06Well I felt that we just used to laugh and giggle

00:22:08Between the games anyway

00:22:09I used to love the

00:22:11The jokes that Dennis would play

00:22:13With my gear hanging up somewhere

00:22:15You had to break the ice

00:22:17In between the matches

00:22:19And then when the games came round

00:22:20You were focused

00:22:20You knew the job

00:22:22You knew your role

00:22:22You knew your responsibility

00:22:26Among all the jokers in the dressing room

00:22:29Ray Parler reigns supreme

00:22:31In his 13th season at Arsenal

00:22:33Parler was a throwback

00:22:34To a bygone era

00:22:35When players embraced

00:22:37The lighter side of the game

00:22:39I was always one of the jokers

00:22:41In the dressing room

00:22:41I was always quite relaxed

00:22:42Before the games

00:22:43You had certain players

00:22:44Who would be quiet

00:22:45Just thinking about their jobs

00:22:47You'd have other ones

00:22:48Vocal

00:22:49Trying to get people going

00:22:50But I was probably always

00:22:51One of the jokers

00:22:53Ray was such a funny guy

00:22:55At the beginning

00:22:55I thought

00:22:56When I was telling him

00:22:58To do that and that

00:23:00On the pitch

00:23:00And he wasn't really listening

00:23:01To me

00:23:02I said what an idiot

00:23:03He's not listening to me

00:23:04And then I found out

00:23:05That he was probably

00:23:07One of the most

00:23:08Of the funniest guys

00:23:10And nicest guys

00:23:12I've ever met

00:23:12You've got Ray Parler

00:23:13He's definitely

00:23:14One of the characters

00:23:15And Will Todd

00:23:16As well

00:23:17These two were just

00:23:18The characters

00:23:19They were always

00:23:20Practical jokes

00:23:21All day long

00:23:22Those two guys

00:23:23Just joke, joke

00:23:24Ray was saying the English

00:23:26You know

00:23:26And Silva was saying the French

00:23:27You know

00:23:28All day long

00:23:29These two guys

00:23:30Were just

00:23:31Actually they never

00:23:32Played jokes on each other

00:23:33But they played jokes

00:23:34On everyone else

00:23:35That's the sort of

00:23:36Togetherness if you like

00:23:37We had as a team

00:23:39That we could all

00:23:39Muck about

00:23:40And laugh

00:23:41But we knew our jobs

00:23:43That gets you through

00:23:45Some of the most difficult moments

00:23:47Football wise

00:23:48And sometimes

00:23:49Also in life as well

00:23:50That banter

00:23:51And that spirit

00:23:53On the 10th of January

00:23:54Arsenal hosted Middlesbrough

00:23:56And turned on the style

00:23:58To finally reach the summit

00:23:59Of the Premier League

00:24:02Canu

00:24:03He was invited to shoot

00:24:05He's still going

00:24:07This is Lundberg

00:24:09Off the post and in

00:24:11It's four

00:24:12And if it stays like this

00:24:13Arsenal are going to the top

00:24:15Of the league tonight

00:24:20Boosted by the signing

00:24:21Of young Spaniard

00:24:22Jose Antonio Reyes

00:24:24Arsenal continued to win

00:24:25While taking control

00:24:27Of the points table

00:24:28The Gunners reeled off

00:24:29Nine consecutive victories

00:24:31In the league

00:24:31Putting them nine games away

00:24:33From invincibility

00:24:36But with the Champions League

00:24:37And FA Cup trophies

00:24:38Still on the agenda

00:24:39Few were talking about

00:24:41Going unbeaten

00:24:47I don't think he was thinking

00:24:48About it

00:24:48I think because of what happened

00:24:49The year before

00:24:50Maybe we hadn't even mentioned it

00:24:52So

00:24:53Arsenal weren't giving it

00:24:54The big one again

00:24:55Because I think

00:24:56That's how it looks

00:24:57To your rivals

00:24:58And if you're a competitor

00:24:59And you hear that

00:25:00That Man United are proposing

00:25:02To go unbeaten

00:25:03For the whole season

00:25:04You try that a little bit

00:25:05Harder, don't you?

00:25:06Maybe he was thinking about it

00:25:07You can only ask him

00:25:08I can't talk for him

00:25:10But

00:25:11He surely never said it

00:25:12Of course I was thinking

00:25:13About it

00:25:14Every single day

00:25:15And I thought

00:25:16Of course

00:25:17Let's go step by step

00:25:19And

00:25:19First win the championship

00:25:22While there was little talk

00:25:23Of going unbeaten

00:25:24There was plenty

00:25:26About the Gunners' bid

00:25:27For a Premier League

00:25:27Champions League

00:25:28And FA Cup treble

00:25:31Spring arrived

00:25:31And everything was going to plan

00:25:33As a daunting run of fixtures

00:25:34Began in late March

00:25:39There was no escaping one simple fact

00:25:41Arsenal's treble hopes

00:25:43Would be decided

00:25:44In a matter of weeks

00:25:49It is the time

00:25:50Where

00:25:52When you have a target

00:25:53In front of you

00:25:54You need more

00:25:56To calm people down

00:25:59You need more

00:26:00To reassure people

00:26:01Than

00:26:02To

00:26:03Motivate people

00:26:04Of course

00:26:05It becomes

00:26:06Much more tense

00:26:08It's showtime

00:26:09This is why you play at a top club

00:26:12To be involved in these games

00:26:13You can see the light at the end of the tunnel really

00:26:16And you are in a tunnel

00:26:18You know

00:26:19I wouldn't say there's a feeling

00:26:20There's a war on

00:26:20But there's nothing else matters in life

00:26:23You know that

00:26:24You know

00:26:25Seven or eight months work

00:26:26Is now coming to fruition

00:26:28Or disappointment

00:26:32Still the Gunners remained on target

00:26:34Drawing against Chelsea in Europe

00:26:36And Manchester United in the league

00:26:38On April the 3rd

00:26:40Their treble dreams were still alive

00:26:45By April the 6th

00:26:47They weren't

00:26:54To find Giggs

00:26:56United looking threatening here

00:26:57Scores

00:26:58Gives United the lead

00:27:04Bridge

00:27:05Good Johnson

00:27:07This is Bridge again

00:27:092-1

00:27:10Chelsea are heading for the Champions League semis

00:27:13In three days

00:27:15The discussion surrounding Arsenal had shifted

00:27:18Instead of being the irrepressible squad going for glory

00:27:21The storyline returned to the so-called

00:27:24Chokers from 2003

00:27:27Three days

00:27:28It's a big time in football

00:27:30I mean you can be knocked out of everything in three days

00:27:32And that's certainly what happened to us

00:27:34I mean Champions League was the one

00:27:35I think Arsene Wenger really looked at the Champions League

00:27:37The only trophy he's not really won at Arsenal

00:27:40Is the main trophy

00:27:41And to be knocked out to Chelsea

00:27:43Our local rivals

00:27:44Who we knew we probably could beat on the day

00:27:47Was so disappointing

00:27:49I mean you just don't know what to do with yourself

00:27:51Because

00:27:52You're thinking

00:27:53The season's done

00:27:54You can't

00:27:55What can you do

00:27:57Have we got enough energy to kind of

00:28:00See the season out

00:28:01And recover

00:28:03Have we got it

00:28:04You start questioning yourself

00:28:05Have you got it inside you

00:28:06To kind of dig in

00:28:07Have I got anything left in my reserves

00:28:09You know I've got quite a big reserves

00:28:12But those kind of games might have taken everything out

00:28:14The season before we had that lead

00:28:19And we were thinking

00:28:19Are we going to blow it again

00:28:20What are the press going to say of it

00:28:22You know we are Chokers really

00:28:23We will blow it again

00:28:24Because we've done it two years running

00:28:27Yes I was concerned that it might happen again

00:28:30We had just in three days

00:28:33Two massive games

00:28:34That didn't go for us

00:28:36And then of course

00:28:37You

00:28:39Sometimes you lose absolutely everything

00:28:41And that's going through all the players heads

00:28:42For sure

00:28:43That's probably going through the managers head

00:28:44Can we recover?

00:28:46Can my team recover?

00:28:47Can I recover?

00:28:49You know

00:28:49What can I say to players

00:28:50Who have been knocked out of the Champions League

00:28:52And the FA Cup

00:28:53In the space of a week

00:28:55You know a couple of weeks

00:28:57What can you do?

00:29:01Yeah you can fail

00:29:03But Chokin that means you didn't try

00:29:07Okay

00:29:07We tried to beat Chelsea

00:29:09We didn't compete well

00:29:10And they beat us

00:29:11We tried to beat Man United

00:29:13So the next thing was you know

00:29:15Beating Liverpool

00:29:21Three days after Arsenal's European exit

00:29:24The wounds were still fresh

00:29:25When the Merseysiders

00:29:27Arrived at Highbury

00:29:29It is the biggest test of character

00:29:31For the Gunners all season

00:29:32They've looked invincible for so long

00:29:35But cracks of weakness

00:29:37Have suddenly been exposed

00:29:38And Liverpool are the team

00:29:40That'll try to exploit them today

00:29:44You could just sense the crowd

00:29:46A little bit nervous

00:29:48They was probably thinking about last season as well

00:29:51It is the first time that I felt like the stadium stopped breathing

00:29:54Because obviously people were talking

00:29:55And whatever they were saying

00:29:56Got into the head of the fans

00:29:58And everybody around

00:30:01It was hurting

00:30:02With Man United knocked us out again

00:30:04A late goal from Wayne Bridge

00:30:06In the Champions League

00:30:07So I'd seen the team really in mourning

00:30:09And there we were losing

00:30:10We looked like we could lose the Premier League as well

00:30:12It was nervous

00:30:14We were nervous

00:30:16We were nervous

00:30:16Because, you know

00:30:18We needed to win that game

00:30:20It doesn't start off too well

00:30:22Because they scored two goals

00:30:24It's Gerrard's header

00:30:25And it's a goal for Liverpool

00:30:27And it's a goal for Liverpool

00:30:32The game warming up

00:30:34Oh yes

00:30:40Gerrard

00:30:40Great ball

00:30:41Owen

00:30:45And how critical will that prove to be

00:30:48Not just for Liverpool but also in the title chase

00:30:55I was in the crowd at the time

00:30:56You could just centre round

00:30:57Just saying

00:30:58Oh we're going to blow it again

00:30:59This is it

00:30:59We're gone

00:31:00So I felt I needed to say something

00:31:01And I felt the gaffer

00:31:02For the first time

00:31:03And for Pat really

00:31:04They looked as if

00:31:06The stuffing had been knocked out of them a little bit

00:31:08So I did ask the boss

00:31:09Could I say something at half time

00:31:10And he allowed me to

00:31:11You know

00:31:12There's a chance to change history

00:31:13Why wait until it's over to say something

00:31:16While you're in there

00:31:16You grasp the opportunity

00:31:19I had too many disappointments from my career

00:31:21To not say something

00:31:22When it needed to be said

00:31:23As long as it was said in the right way

00:31:26I felt the team was feeling sorry for themselves a little bit

00:31:28Naturally so

00:31:31Reminded them how good they were

00:31:32Felt if we could score the next goal

00:31:33Then the place would take off

00:31:35Highbury would be with us

00:31:36And it would be ours again

00:31:37And that's effectively what happened

00:31:41One person listening that day

00:31:43Was Thierry Henry

00:31:45Far from the shy 21 year old

00:31:47Who'd arrived in 1999

00:31:49Henry had become a leader

00:31:53And a superstar

00:31:59You've got to believe in yourself

00:32:01You've got to be confident

00:32:02You've got to believe in what you can do

00:32:04If you're not believing in yourself

00:32:06That you can perform

00:32:07And go out there and show everybody

00:32:08That you're the real deal

00:32:11You might as well stay at home

00:32:18That's a lovely count to both

00:32:19And Perez

00:32:232-2

00:32:30Oh Lee

00:32:31Side-stepping one

00:32:33Side-stepping two

00:32:34That is brilliant

00:32:37That is simply stunning

00:32:41Genius on the way

00:32:42His name is Thierry Henry

00:32:45I collapsed in the second half

00:32:47Against Chelsea

00:32:47And I felt like

00:32:48I didn't deliver

00:32:49I wasn't happy

00:32:50As you know I didn't play against United

00:32:51In Birmingham

00:32:52So I was even more upset

00:32:54I was like hey

00:32:55This game is not going to go past me

00:32:58Without me performing

00:32:58The performance for Thierry was

00:33:00Out of his world really

00:33:02I don't think the Liverpool defence

00:33:03Knew what hit him

00:33:05Jamie Kerrigan

00:33:05People like that

00:33:06He was absolutely unplayable

00:33:08That day Thierry

00:33:08Thierry really

00:33:09Just you know

00:33:10Took the game

00:33:11Or was scruffing his neck

00:33:12And uh

00:33:14Literally just

00:33:15Just kind of

00:33:17Wiped Liverpool out the way

00:33:20Thierry Henry

00:33:30The special moments in our job

00:33:33Belong to special players

00:33:34They do what needs to be done

00:33:37In this kind of occasion

00:33:39And it was certainly one of the big turning points of the season

00:33:46I believe as a manager you know

00:33:48When you just sit there and say

00:33:51And think thank you very much

00:33:53You're a special player

00:33:55You have done something exceptional

00:34:00I know a lot of people are like saying that I turned that game around but I didn't turn anything

00:34:05around

00:34:05We turned it around as a team

00:34:08As it happened that day I was the guy that performed better

00:34:12But we turned it around

00:34:13But we turned it around

00:34:16Did you ever doubt them?

00:34:2031 games unbeaten for Arsene Wenger

00:34:22Seven points clear at the top of the league table

00:34:26And Arsenal still on course to make history

00:34:34With the crisis averted at Highbury

00:34:36The Gunners were focused again on winning the title

00:34:39A goalless draw against Newcastle

00:34:41Was followed by another Thierry Henry masterclass against Leeds

00:34:45Ironically the team that had halted their title march one year earlier

00:34:50Electrifying

00:34:52Electrifying

00:34:55It's four

00:34:57For the foremost striker

00:35:00Arsenal's Thierry Henry

00:35:02I've seen most things in this league

00:35:05In the last 25 years

00:35:08I haven't seen anything like him

00:35:17The five goal thumping set up a dream scenario for Arsenal fans

00:35:22One point at the home of their fiercest rivals Tottenham

00:35:25And the title was theirs

00:35:29For Sol Campbell White Hart Lane was a place that brought mixed emotions

00:35:33A former Tottenham captain and youth product

00:35:36Since leaving for their North London rivals in 2001

00:35:39He'd become a hate figure at his old stomping ground

00:35:41And would never be forgiven for crossing the great divide

00:35:46It's always tough for me to go to Tottenham

00:35:48And the place I called home

00:35:54A few years ago

00:35:56A lot of things were going on my mind

00:35:58A lot of things were going on my mind

00:35:59But I had to stay focused

00:36:01I don't know how they must have felt

00:36:03Me coming back there

00:36:07Since Sol had arrived

00:36:09There was even more on it

00:36:11There was an anger in the crowd

00:36:13That you saw venom

00:36:16We were often, you know, couldn't get in the ground

00:36:18Couldn't get out of the ground

00:36:19There was a lot on that actually

00:36:23I had to kind of shut everything out

00:36:24Because the game's too big

00:36:27I couldn't really

00:36:30I couldn't, sentimental goes out the door with me

00:36:32I had to almost be, almost be kind of ruthless

00:36:36In a way

00:36:41We knew we had the team to beat them

00:36:44But going to Water Lane is a very hostile place to play

00:36:47Being a North London derby

00:36:48I'm not going to pretend to be an Arsenal man

00:36:51Like an Arsenal fan I've been

00:36:54Since they were, you know, from generation to generation

00:36:57But I took it on board

00:36:59The fans got that into me

00:37:03The players that I played with before

00:37:05Made me understand what it was to be an Arsenal player

00:37:08Especially playing against Tottenham

00:37:13It was always great to play there because people were so hostile

00:37:17Against us and particularly against me

00:37:19Because as a goalkeeper

00:37:22You're standing just three or four yards away from the fans

00:37:26And I liked, or better to say, I loved these atmospheres

00:37:31What a set-up

00:37:33Like, you can't beat that

00:37:38Fierro!

00:37:40Fierro!

00:37:42Fierro!

00:37:44What a goal!

00:37:46What you're seeing here

00:37:47Is what we've seen all season

00:37:49Masterclass doesn't do it justice

00:37:51Football from another planet

00:37:55Redknapp

00:37:56It's a super goal from Jamie Redknapp for Spurs

00:38:00Lehmann to the goal

00:38:01Robbie Keane

00:38:02If he saw it, Mark Halsey

00:38:04Might just be given a penalty in a minute

00:38:08He knew, I mean, we looked at him and we're like

00:38:09Why would you do that?

00:38:11There's nothing in it, there's not

00:38:13You can't even explain it

00:38:15I didn't foul him

00:38:17I mean, it looked probably for them

00:38:21As if I fouled him

00:38:22But he came near me

00:38:24And I was pushing him a little bit

00:38:25And all of a sudden

00:38:26He went down

00:38:28And got rewarded with a penalty

00:38:31Stupid referee

00:38:34Look, Jens was always right

00:38:38And that was, of course, one of the problems

00:38:41Because not everybody agreed with him always

00:38:44And he was always ready to defend his point of view

00:38:48In a very loud way

00:38:52Robbie Keane, deep into stoppage

00:38:54Josh Keane scores

00:38:552-2

00:39:07Arsenal are the champions

00:39:08In amazing circumstances

00:39:11The championship is won at White Hart Lane

00:39:14By Spurs' most bitter rivals

00:39:16But it's Arsenal a bit bitter at the end

00:39:20And that was one time I really, really lost it

00:39:22With Jens in the changing rooms

00:39:24I really, really lost it

00:39:25Because I wanted to win

00:39:26When I came into the dressing room

00:39:28I wasn't first aware

00:39:30That we became champions

00:39:32And I was quite upset

00:39:34And Saul came in behind me

00:39:36And he was upset with the result

00:39:37And I think it was me as well

00:39:39And the boss shouted at me and said

00:39:41Jens, I told you so many times to stop that

00:39:45I knew what Robbie Keane was all about

00:39:48He's like that

00:39:48He used any kind of way to upset Jens

00:39:53And, you know, it worked

00:39:56I mean, Jens was outstanding

00:39:58And I'm not having a go

00:39:59But even you, when you look at that

00:40:04Two hours later, boss came to me and said

00:40:06Oh, Jens, sorry, I've seen it

00:40:08It wasn't a foul

00:40:10So, tertiary, it wasn't a foul

00:40:19With concerns over crowd trouble

00:40:21With concerns over crowd trouble

00:40:21The team were told not to celebrate the title

00:40:23On the White Hart Lane pitch should they win

00:40:26But at the full-time whistle

00:40:27The celebrations among Tottenham fans

00:40:29Spurred Arsenal to revel in their success

00:40:35No one can argue that the best team in the country

00:40:38Is that team there

00:40:39By quite some distance this season

00:40:41The Manchester United and Chelsea can't argue with them

00:40:51It's always going down in history

00:40:53Winning the league at Wild Hart Lane, 2-0-4, simple as that

00:40:55You can never get sick of hearing that

00:40:57And I wish I could have sat there and celebrated until now

00:41:01Whenever I see that particular moment

00:41:04And that pain

00:41:06It's just, you know

00:41:10It goes without saying that it was an amazing day

00:41:16I can still see in my mind's eye celebrations in the dressing room

00:41:21The champagne hitting the ceiling

00:41:23We've left our mark in that dressing room forever

00:41:26They were, you know, Gilberto

00:41:28People change when they've won something

00:41:30You suddenly see different personalities

00:41:34It was, yeah, they're great days and they never leave you

00:41:40Arsenal celebrated like champions

00:41:43And for many, this was enough

00:41:45But one man wanted more

00:41:48With four games remaining in the season

00:41:51Invincibility was tantalisingly close

00:41:53But agonisingly far

00:41:56For a group that had climbed the mountain of the Premier League

00:41:59Coaxing one last effort out of his team

00:42:02Would be Arsene Wenger's biggest challenge

00:42:07It was massively difficult

00:42:09Because when I said to them

00:42:11Now you have won the championship

00:42:14Now I want you to become immortal

00:42:17They looked at me like I was absolutely mad

00:42:21What is he talking about, this guy? Immortal for what?

00:42:23I will be honest with you, the boss at that particular moment

00:42:26Wanted it the most

00:42:27Because he did realise what it could have been

00:42:31What it was going to be

00:42:33We didn't

00:42:34I tried to explain to them that

00:42:36They don't realise what they are doing at the moment

00:42:38But one day they will realise

00:42:42And so they said

00:42:44We are not convinced

00:42:46But what you're talking about

00:42:48But we will do it

00:43:07Six days on from being crowned champions at Tottenham

00:43:11Highbury hosted the first in a four game run to remain unbeaten

00:43:14beaten, but the quality and commitment that had delivered them a league title was nowhere

00:43:19to be seen as the Gunners struggled against Birmingham City.

00:43:26To be honest, I don't know if you remember that game that we played against Birmingham

00:43:29at home.

00:43:30That game was shocking.

00:43:32You always take the foot off the pedal a little bit after you win a league, so we had to

00:43:36concentrate, keep focused for the next four games and it was some tricky games there.

00:43:40You're on that wave and you just want to glide through, you don't want to break anything

00:43:45and you don't want to stop anywhere, you just want to keep on gliding and go to the end.

00:43:51Actually, it was shocking.

00:43:54Verkamp, not as ever, our final ball hasn't been quite good enough today.

00:44:02And I'm going to tell you one thing, thank God for that game was at Ivory that day, because

00:44:06we just managed, that's all we did that day, we managed.

00:44:13After a dour, goalless draw at Highbury, Arsenal headed to Portsmouth.

00:44:18The hype around their quest for immortality was growing, as was the size of the target

00:44:23on their backs.

00:44:38Portsmouth was a really lucky game.

00:44:40I mean, it was one of them sort of games they outplayed us, we was holding on on occasions,

00:44:46defended really well and they'd be kicking themselves, they should have beat us that night.

00:44:51You've won the league, you know this is going to be difficult now.

00:44:54And then there was a thing about everyone wanting to beat the champions,

00:44:57everybody wanting to beat the team that could go unbeaten.

00:45:01A goal down at half time and their backs to the wall,

00:45:05it was the turn of another veteran to step up and inspire his teammates.

00:45:10And then Jens, being Jens, he arrived in the dressing room, started to shout.

00:45:16Everybody shouted, we were shouting at each other.

00:45:19There were some arguments in the dressing room, yeah, about what was happened.

00:45:23But that showed us that, as a team, we really cared about our results and about our performances.

00:45:35No, it's not. It's a ball through the middle for Yakubu and it all gathers both,

00:45:40beyond Lehmann.

00:45:43It's going to need a goal from somewhere.

00:45:44They've got it and it's Reyes, it's his first in the Premiership.

00:45:47And it's very well timed, oh the header on from Loa Loa, Yakubo!

00:45:54That was Arsenal's unbeaten record there, what a chance!

00:46:00Oh and Lehmann got to it, but only just, the super freaky.

00:46:08Still unbeaten with two games left now, it was a bit too close for comfort at times.

00:46:18They just did enough, you know, they just did enough to be mediocre, but they refused as well to lose.

00:46:26And every single game until the end was suffering because I felt that the enthusiasm, the sharpness had gone,

00:46:35but we just did enough not to lose the games.

00:46:42I felt always that the hardest part of my job would be the two first games after we won the

00:46:47championship,

00:46:47because usually the whole concentration drops and it's nearly impossible to get the team going.

00:46:52And in the last two games I was not scared anymore.

00:47:01After the fight against Portsmouth, the Gunners held their nerve five days later away to West London outfit Fulham for

00:47:08a 1-0 win.

00:47:10The job was almost done, and bottom side Leicester were the final hurdle.

00:47:18For 37-year-old Martin Keon, this game was more than simply a roadblock to history.

00:47:24After graduating from the youth team in 1984, this day had even more significance for the defender,

00:47:30who'd made more than 300 appearances in two spells for the Gunners.

00:47:39Listen, for me, you're asking the wrong person, it was such an emotional day for me,

00:47:44because it was my last game for Arsenal Football Club.

00:47:47It was a carnival-like atmosphere.

00:47:51We were playing Leicester who were relegated, so it almost seemed like a formality, the result.

00:47:58You stood there as a player, thinking I'd come to the club as a youngster,

00:48:02you know, first stepped out onto Highbury when they did evening training back in the early 80s,

00:48:07dreaming of those things.

00:48:09So to be able to pull it off and be a part of a group like that,

00:48:13truly great days for the football club.

00:48:17Ninety minutes left in his career, Keon and his teammates were also 90 minutes from immortality.

00:48:24A record which had held firm since 1889 was almost broken.

00:48:29And history was up for grabs.

00:48:33I remember the build-ups of the game, turning up at the marble halls, getting off the coach,

00:48:37you could see the crowd developing and you could just sense the atmosphere that this is the day that we

00:48:42make history.

00:48:44Yeah, that was amazing. I mean, all of a sudden the atmosphere was different and we knew that we could

00:48:51just

00:48:51achieve something great historically.

00:48:56The Arsenal fans may have started the party early, but Leicester City had other ideas.

00:49:02The Foxes wanted to be spoilers.

00:49:09And looking for Paul Dikov on the far post! That wasn't in the script, was it?

00:49:14And how ironic that it's a former Arsenal player who makes that little piece of history for the Gunners

00:49:22that little bit more difficult now.

00:49:27We went 1-0 down at half-time, Dikov scored.

00:49:34And you're like, come on, I mean, the last game would have been a bit stupid.

00:49:41You could just sense the stadium thinking, we're going to blow it last game of the season at home to

00:49:45Leicester

00:49:45and one of our old players, Paul Dikov, has scored the goal, which would, you know, make history really.

00:49:5445 minutes was all that remained.

00:49:57What would the headline read this time?

00:50:00Chokers or Invincibles?

00:50:04I felt it was absolutely too stupid to come all that way just to cross the line and to fail,

00:50:13you know.

00:50:14And I told them that way of thinking and I got a great response, I must say, in the second

00:50:23half.

00:50:25And looking ball for Cole, Ashley Cole!

00:50:29It's a penalty.

00:50:36It's the equaliser.

00:50:40The record is still in sight for the Gunners.

00:50:48Magic ball from Bergkamp to Patrick Vieira!

00:51:01Make a note of the date.

00:51:04May the 15th, 2004.

00:51:08History has been made.

00:51:10One of the greatest achievements since English football began.

00:51:15Arsenal have gone through an entire league campaign without losing.

00:51:20The first time it's happened for over 100 years.

00:51:26Played 38, won 26, drawn 12, lost exactly none.

00:51:41Zero.

00:51:44That's it.

00:51:46That's the line for me.

00:51:49When I am a manager and I look at the table of my team, I look always at the L

00:51:56and how big this number is, you know.

00:52:02When you can see L, zero, that's where you can be really, really happy.

00:52:09Yeah, it's bloody impressive.

00:52:12You know, it's quite remarkable.

00:52:15Going a whole season without losing, it's just, it's like a dream.

00:52:24I was alright, could have done better.

00:52:3012, 12 draws, probably five or six too much.

00:52:39I think looking into the stand, you know, and you're seeing the faces of the fans, it doesn't leave you.

00:52:45In your mind's eye, you can still see it.

00:52:47The trophy being handed from player to player, the boss with a big grin on his face.

00:52:56The boss came and was saying most of the time, you're going to realize what you've just done later on.

00:53:01Like, it's not like you guys don't realize what you've just done.

00:53:05And it's true, we didn't.

00:53:09I congratulate everybody for having achieved something that they didn't feel was achievable.

00:53:17It was very emotional and I was very proud as well that we could achieve something that had never been

00:53:24done.

00:53:24And maybe it will never be done again.

00:53:40From the first minute to the last, the achievement is defined most by its collected nature.

00:53:48Everyone played their part in this triumph.

00:53:52And none more so than the architect, Arsene Wenger.

00:53:57A year earlier, he was vilified for declaring that the team he assembled could achieve the seemingly impossible.

00:54:04Now, he was vindicated.

00:54:10Since his shock arrival from Japan in 1997, the Frenchman had masterminded a revolution in North London.

00:54:21Touchback for Pires, Robert Pires, fantastic!

00:54:28Although the style he brought to the Premier League would grab the headlines, it was the strength he gave his

00:54:34players that paved their way into history.

00:54:38He allowed us to be ourselves, he allowed us to be successful and just brought out the talent that we

00:54:44already had.

00:54:45Always believing in the players, willing them on to do more than they think they can do.

00:54:56He was a very calm character.

00:54:59He always assessed the situation.

00:55:01You know, there's been times we've been 2-0 down at half-time.

00:55:03Arsene Wenger said, keep playing.

00:55:05We can get back in this game.

00:55:06And what happens?

00:55:06We win 3-2.

00:55:10I bet.

00:55:11I bet he actually knew it before we did, because he said it the year before.

00:55:19there is only one gold premier league trophy in existence and it belongs to these men

00:55:27for every year that passes the accomplishment grows in stature

00:55:33along with those they call invincible

00:55:43i think maybe that group could have won more

00:55:46and i think you know that have you won the champions league that season

00:55:52it would have gone down as maybe one of the greatest teams of all time

00:55:58you know the record we broke there's that over 100 year record you can't get away from that

00:56:04it's you know and that was when i think it's when there was only 12 teams in the in the

00:56:09league

00:56:13i mean with all my medals i mean i'm so lucky to play with with some amazing players work under

00:56:19amazing coaches that has got to be up there with with the best of it

00:56:25being an invincible yeah it's nice but i don't wake up in the morning i think well i'm invincible

00:56:34because the expression itself is a bit arrogant

00:56:43time will pass the history selects always what is the most difficult to achieve and the time will

00:56:52tell these players will become bigger and bigger and every other team at the arsenal football club

00:56:58at some stage even if they achieve great things will be compared to them

00:57:03when united won the trouble some team went on to achieve other stuff other challenges but we did this one

00:57:09one

00:57:10one

00:57:11one

00:57:12two

00:57:16two

00:57:17one

00:57:17two

00:57:30two

00:58:08I think that

00:58:10that that credit will mature as time goes on and people start to realize what really was achieved I think

00:58:16it would take time for people to truly recognize it I think it takes sometimes this takes people several years

00:58:27before it actually properly sinks in I think players understand it but I think it's the people are not being

00:58:33involved not everybody but majority of people involved who've got a probably got an axe to grind I don't know

00:58:39who

00:58:39knows who can't quite believe it happened to us and it happened to Arsenal they probably they probably wished it

00:58:46happened to maybe May United or Liverpool and they'd been jumping up and down forever straight away

00:58:51that's the way the world is everybody's entitled to their own opinions and you will never change that and that's

00:58:56the beauty of our sport sometimes you hear stuff that you're like what and sometimes you hear good stuff that's

00:59:03that's the way that's the way it is

00:59:04people have always got different opinions I mean people you know you can put loads of teams down for Arsenal

00:59:0997 98 team was a great side with the famous back four as we know you can put the 202

00:59:14double season was a great team as well and the 204

00:59:18so there's always different people's opinions but I really believe that that squad was a amazing squad I think they

00:59:25might know in say you know another 10 years time 50 years time and realize you know god that's really

00:59:31hard I think some people need to you know they're going to you know say this and say that and

00:59:36it's easy to do this and easy to do that we were the first team to do it in England

00:59:41in the modern game modern days modern game so that will always when you're first you're first

00:59:49Arsenal football club period you know inside you know you know that what happened what was achieved and yeah just

00:59:56I'm so grateful that I was given the chance to be a part of that

01:00:13you get nothing extra for 50 unbeaten league games except maybe a plaque from the premier league

01:00:20and the admiration worldwide of the football community at the end we say god even us we say oh when

01:00:31is it going to end because we just keep them winning and not losing

01:00:35honestly it was it was it was it was it started to kind of um you know not playing our

01:00:43minds but it was a little bit because it was saying god can we go for another season

01:00:52Wayne Rooney gets the penalty for Manchester United and Mike Riley who has given United seven penalties in the last

01:01:01seven matches he's refereed on this ground makes it eight out of

01:01:06Wayne Rooney but you know it ended up at May United 49 games um you know Rooney diving over my

01:01:13leg as well uh not not the best but um you know it's kind of it ended in a sour

01:01:22note really at May United and people diving around and getting penalties

01:01:33The game at Old Trafford was of course really disappointing because we lost there due to a dive of Wayne

01:01:40Rooney and Patrick Vieira told me just before

01:01:46uh Van Nistelrooy came up to take the penalty that I know his side where he preferably goes

01:01:55and at that moment I thought come on I wanted to go to the other side but what if I'm

01:02:00going there and he scores there Patrick would have a go at me again

01:02:04so the best thing for Patrick would have been just to say nothing because I wanted to go there where

01:02:11Van Nistelrooy put it

01:02:13then it had been a draw again but sometimes it's uh you're not that lucky that somebody's hitting the crossbar

01:02:23instead of putting it in goal

01:02:26so it was an end to our unbeaten run and has changed a lot of things in our team

01:02:47that's uh the the absolute basically the story started there and finished there but on the night on the day

01:02:55I must say it was absolutely frustrating

01:02:59it took us so long to recover from that I think we didn't win for five games because it's like

01:03:03you're the top of the Everest

01:03:05and you come down and you say to your players look we haven't lost for 50 games now show me

01:03:11that you can do it for 51

01:03:13and they say come on leave us a little bit alone uh we have enough of that and uh it

01:03:20was just like a team with no time

01:03:28in the Barclays Premier League you don't get your medal if you don't play 10 games simple as that

01:03:32I told Martin don't worry we'll get your medal we I will get you on when it's possible in the

01:03:38last games

01:03:39every time I wanted first of all not to lose the game of course and as well Martin was an

01:03:46important player for me

01:03:48we get to the last game of the season he's played the next three games 30 seconds 30 seconds 30

01:03:53seconds

01:03:54in the last game when we were winning I said to Martin warm up

01:03:57and Ray being Ray obviously had to do something stupid in bracket

01:04:05last game of the season the subs bench that day Stuart Taylor, Sylvain Routard, Edu, myself and Martin Keown

01:04:12so now we're all sitting on the bench Jens Lehmann goes off injured in the Leicester game last game of

01:04:17the season

01:04:17so Stuart Taylor goes on that's one sub substitute and as I was talking about early in the show

01:04:23Sylvain Wiltor changes the tactics half time Wiltor goes on that's two subs gone simple as that

01:04:28we get back into the game 2-1 so Martin Keown is sitting next to me on the bench

01:04:32so he gives me a little nudge do you think the boss has forgot to put me on this I

01:04:36need this for my medal

01:04:36I said Martin you know what the boss is like go and warm up in front of him just to

01:04:40make sure he knows you're still sub

01:04:42so he goes oh yeah good idea takes his bottoms down now he's standing right in front of Arsene Wenger

01:04:46giving him all stretches and this and whatever next minute he's running up and down the line

01:04:50the North Bank is singing there's only one Keown there's only one Keown

01:04:53so I think this will be the best wind up I've ever done in my life

01:04:56I take my bottoms down Wenger's not got a clue what's going on

01:05:00he's not even told me to warm up I sprint past Martin behind him he's like what are you doing?

01:05:03it was funny because Martin was like warming up all the way up and down and suddenly you can see

01:05:08him he doesn't go that up anymore

01:05:10he stays down in front of the boss the boss couldn't even see the game at one point

01:05:15and I didn't even see Ray Parler getting up and warming up as well

01:05:21Ray much to the delight of the East Stand he came flying past me took all his gear off as

01:05:28all the subs had gone on

01:05:30and almost knocked me over as he ran past and it was like I kind of like looked at him

01:05:34what's he playing at?

01:05:36I said Martin I'm going on Gilberto has done his hamstring in midfield

01:05:38you can't go on I need this for my medal so now he's running up and down the line

01:05:42and I'm thinking he's going to kill me he's getting a bit aggressive

01:05:46I said Martin it's not my fault Arsene Wenger the boss has told me to warm up

01:05:49When he saw Ray he thought if he comes on my medal is dead

01:05:53I thought as the gaffer has he lost the plot has he forgotten?

01:05:56I run down to the bench to say I'm just going to go to the toilet mine I'll be back

01:06:00in a minute

01:06:00I take my jumper off now I've got my full kit on

01:06:03so Martin looks along the bench oh my god he's going on

01:06:06he sprints down the line like you've never seen it running down this line

01:06:09Wenger stands up to say something and Martin Keanu's got him round the neck

01:06:13boss you can't put him on you can't and I'm thinking I've gone too far here

01:06:16and Martin went crazy I know of you that famous picture when Martin pretend obviously to you know to squeeze

01:06:24the neck of the boss

01:06:24I've gone too far this is not a good wind-up anymore

01:06:27so I mimicked strangling the boss and he just laughed and joked as if he was going along with it

01:06:32but I believe he didn't he didn't actually know

01:06:34and Martin came on to me and said to me boss what's going on here

01:06:41me having not seen Ray warming up I didn't even know what he was talking about

01:06:47and then of course somebody told me and I said don't worry Martin he will come on

01:06:52so I had to wait Gaffer made me wait I'm pleased he put me on but I had to wait

01:06:57to get on

01:06:58and the joke then was over

01:07:01and then like Martin old-fashioned Martin comes out of the showers

01:07:04he looks at me he says I knew you was winding up you know

01:07:07but Ray he eats out on that one Ray he loves that story

01:07:11and if but I put the record straight but Ray's got his story and I have mine

01:07:29again we always believed we could win every game our attitude like you know we're going away from home

01:07:35on a Friday night we'll be having dinner we knew we had a good squad we knew we we knew

01:07:40our jobs

01:07:40we knew we we can perform we beat anybody so you know I think you can have a little bit

01:07:45of cockiness

01:07:46but you've got to also do it in the right way

01:07:49I realized that if a team didn't manage to get ahead of us with one or two goals

01:07:58we were always capable of coming back and what we've actually did

01:08:02and so after a while the other teams recognized our unbelievable strength technically and of course mentally

01:08:11so it was even harder it was getting harder and harder for them to break us and to try to

01:08:18get a win

01:08:18you know that feeling of no one can beat us is growing you know it grows a set of wheels

01:08:26really that nobody can stop you

01:08:27it's like a train that's out of the station and gone away

01:08:31always does help when you don't lose games because you get into the next one

01:08:36the team knows like that it won't be easy to beat them and we had exactly the same thing

01:08:41looking at them like it won't be easy to beat us

01:08:43so it's a beautiful you know feeling to be in a team like that

01:08:48that you can every single game you can you got more than a very good chance to win

01:08:54you can't go out in the pitch and start showboating and trying to nutmeg people

01:08:58and rolling your ball you know your foot over the ball when no one's near you

01:09:02you had to go professional you had to go out there

01:09:04make sure you go 2-3 nil up then you can start doing things like that

01:09:07you need ability you know you everyone needs a good manager

01:09:11you know I hear people say that you know you need good players but without direction you don't win anything

01:09:17I've learnt that you need to have a desire you need a harmony in the group

01:09:25people need to get along people need to trust each other

01:09:29and you want people to not take their eye off the goal that they're

01:09:33it's got to be the single most important thing that you want to do in your life

01:09:36otherwise you won't succeed and I felt that group was as focused as any group that I work with

01:09:54when I looked at it again I feel the media made more of it than it was

01:09:59you have exactly the same incident on the rugby pitch nobody talks about that

01:10:04and because it was two big teams because it was of course a massive game

01:10:11everybody made the fuss of it but I feel it was going a bit overboard to considering to what happened

01:10:18I didn't really realize the enormity of what was going on around me

01:10:21you know it was being mentioned in the House of Commons

01:10:24it was on every news channel if I put the television on I couldn't I couldn't escape it

01:10:29I couldn't put the telly on people outside my house

01:10:32so it was an explosion of I kind of quietly went about my career

01:10:36and almost until that moment and it's the moment that everybody wants to talk about

01:10:40even ten years later

01:10:43so yeah it was it was part of the the group we I think the boss dealt with it very

01:10:48well

01:10:49people say what did the boss say we had a chat about it

01:10:51I didn't I wasn't told off for my behavior I think the gaffer understood it

01:10:56he was waiting for me to apologize I knew how to that I'd overstepped the line

01:11:03you know what how we were going to then deal with it there was a disciplinary hearing that we had

01:11:08to go through

01:11:10I think Mr Dean wanted me to take the rap for the for the whole team

01:11:14but you know they shared that out but I didn't even go to the hearing

01:11:18I've pretty well fed up going to hearings because it never turned out well for me

01:11:24and I got injured then in that period I pulled a calf muscle warming up at Liverpool

01:11:31the gaffer pulled me out of the game said look I think you're going to get injured so you're not

01:11:35playing

01:11:35and I got injured warming up in before the match so I had all of that to think about getting

01:11:40fit again

01:11:41trying to stay focused on winning it was almost a sideshow really dealing with the disciplinary stuff

01:11:46and it didn't derail the team it got I think it galvanized the group

01:12:01all right it was such a funny guy at the beginning I thought when I was telling him to do

01:12:07that and that on the pitch

01:12:08and he wasn't really listening to me I said what an idiot he's not listening to me

01:12:12and then I found out that he was probably one of the most of the funniest guys and nicest guys

01:12:20I've ever met

01:12:21and he always not only to me but to all the other guys he always gave us some banter and

01:12:28we were laughing about him

01:12:29because he was so funny I remember an occasion when we were at the training camp in the hotel

01:12:34and he was while having a massage he was playing online poker

01:12:38and then all of a sudden he called his wife and I was asking him what are you doing honey

01:12:44and apparently she came over and said well I'm watching telly

01:12:48and he said listen I know your name on poker here yeah so you're sitting with me on one table

01:12:55playing poker as well

01:12:57it was so funny for me that was typical English

01:13:00I was always one of the jokers in the dressing room I was always quite relaxed before the games

01:13:04you had certain players who would be quiet just thinking about their jobs

01:13:08you'll have other ones vocal trying to get people going but I was probably always one of the jokers

01:13:13he actually he gave me some relaxation because from Germany I was used to completely focus when we were going

01:13:20to games

01:13:21not to use the mobile not talking to anybody and he just said on the coach

01:13:27yeah we're playing cards or we're phoning or setting some bets yeah and he was giving me not only me

01:13:34but giving the guy some relaxation because you thought okay it's just two or three hours before the game

01:13:40yeah right now it's not the time to focus we can do that later

01:13:44you're always going to get it I mean Dennis, Ray Paul, me, Sylvain, Robert, Kolo used to get it a

01:13:53lot to be honest

01:13:54but we were like the name that I said before were the guys to do all the jokes

01:13:58like if you didn't have the right boots or white trainers or you know you were going to get it

01:14:04I think they've never picked me with such a prank

01:14:09no no I wasn't aware I was of course

01:14:12sometimes some strange clothes were hanging from the top of the ceiling in the dressing room

01:14:17but fortunately not mine

01:14:19when you win you get all this type of little thing around

01:14:23because everybody's happy you know dressing was happy

01:14:26you know you just won a game it's easier to come the day after to have a warm down

01:14:30everybody's in good mood

01:14:32so also the guy that like if you have a joke like if you do or make a joke on

01:14:38a guy

01:14:39he's going to take it a bit better because we won the game you know he's in a better mood

01:14:42to accept the jokes

01:14:56Reyes was an absolutely outstanding player his pace and the speed of him and his finishing

01:15:03it was in the back of the net within a flash he was a fantastic addition

01:15:07I had actually a great partnership with him you know his vision his left foot how many balls he gave

01:15:12me behind the defence

01:15:14the way he used to drop his shoulder and he was for me one of the best dribbler on the

01:15:20ball

01:15:20without actually touching it sometimes

01:15:22that's the kind of way they used to make someone move without touching the ball

01:15:25I think he was a really good player

01:15:28I mean I remember when he first came into the side

01:15:30different sort of La Liga where he came from

01:15:34he was a little bit more fierce if you like in the Premier League

01:15:37the tackles flying in

01:15:39he didn't really suit his game at times but he certainly had an impact

01:15:42I know some people like talk a lot when he left and this and that and all the stories that

01:15:47people were saying

01:15:48Jose Antonio Reyes was a great player for us

01:15:51he did extremely well

01:15:52I think he was just homesick in the end

01:15:54I don't think his family settled

01:15:55I think he'd come over with his family, his mother and things like that

01:16:00I don't think they settled in London either

01:16:02he became straight away a crowd favourite

01:16:05because he was good

01:16:06and then you know people are saying he wants to go back and all of that

01:16:10I can understand the guy who wanted to go back home or whatever

01:16:13but you can't also say that he didn't perform when he was playing for Arsenal football club

01:16:19I thought he performed well, extremely well and he was a good player for us

01:16:24I can't understand why he didn't stay longer

01:16:26I don't think it was a problem for him

01:16:27some people don't settle well

01:16:29he brought all his family with him

01:16:31and I think they were pining for home as much as him in the end

01:16:33it was unfortunate we lost him, we lost his focus

01:16:36The likes of Patrick Vieira, Perez and all that

01:16:38they sort of loved the London life

01:16:40Reyes was totally opposite

01:16:42and that's why he probably left and went back to Spain

01:16:44No, he was an outstanding team

01:16:46again he doesn't get talked about enough

01:16:47but he was the icing on the cake for us

01:17:03The game sometimes takes a direction that I don't like

01:17:07I got most of the time the credits

01:17:10I don't think it was right sometimes

01:17:13because Colo Touré was a rock

01:17:14because Lorraine was a rock

01:17:16because Sol Campbell was a rock

01:17:17because Ashekel was a rock

01:17:18because Jens, because Gilberto

01:17:20You know, I have only the feeling from inside the group

01:17:23and inside the group everybody knew that Gilberto Silva was a very important player

01:17:29players who that season played less like Martin Koen was a very important player

01:17:35Actually Cole who was coming up through the ranks

01:17:37you know, coming through the ranks at Arsenal

01:17:38and you know, pushing through

01:17:42Carlo Touré who, you know, first proper season

01:17:47learning the ropes from me

01:17:49and you got Laurent from the other side

01:17:52you know, the back guys have been tremendous

01:17:56That dude was a fantastic player, really he was

01:17:59you know, when he first came into the side he was a brilliant player

01:18:01left footed, really cultured player

01:18:03you know, kept it moving

01:18:05simple player, scored some really important goals as well

01:18:11Whenever the boss was calling Sylvain Wiltho to play

01:18:15the guy was always delivering

01:18:18Then you've got the flip side, you've got say Ray Parle

01:18:21work rate is incredible

01:18:24he scored some beautiful goals as well

01:18:27and sometimes you need that kind of English mentality

01:18:31when it was really tough

01:18:33really good, strong tackles

01:18:35and to kind of, you know, almost turn the game

01:18:39Without those guys sometimes to be able to wake me up

01:18:42with the stuff that they were doing

01:18:44it wouldn't have been possible for me to perform

01:18:47Saul Campbell, like stopping someone barging the guy in the stand

01:18:50getting the ball back and passing it to you

01:18:52like as if he told you, hey I've done my part, you do yours now

01:18:56to be fair, I think Dennis Bergkamp was

01:18:58look, he does get a lot of credit anyway

01:18:59but he was so important for the team

01:19:01you know Thierry Omri, obviously

01:19:04the goals he scored was amazing

01:19:05but Dennis Bergkamp was the one

01:19:08that just linked everything up

01:19:10if you like

01:19:11I considered him on the pitch being probably

01:19:14my first target player when he was playing

01:19:16because either in training

01:19:18or in the games I was always aware

01:19:20that

01:19:22I wanted to give him the ball

01:19:24because with his technical abilities

01:19:26and that's why

01:19:28we stayed on beaten

01:19:29and that's why that year was so special

01:19:31because whoever that you were calling

01:19:33to do his duty

01:19:35that guy was doing it well

01:19:37you need a harmony in the group

01:19:39people need to get along

01:19:40people need to trust each other

01:19:43and you want people to

01:19:44not take their eye off the goal

01:19:46it's got to be the single most important thing

01:19:49that you want to do in your life

01:19:50otherwise you won't succeed

01:19:52and I felt that group was as focused

01:19:55as any group that I work with

01:19:58What is very different

01:19:59when you have such a high level of confidence

01:20:01is to find the right balance

01:20:02and maintain a level of urgency

01:20:05in the team

01:20:06you need to be confident

01:20:08and conscientious

01:20:11relaxed

01:20:12and have a level of urgency

01:20:15within you

01:20:16and all these players

01:20:18of course they contributed

01:20:20not only in the games but as well

01:20:22they maintained the level

01:20:25of focus of the team

01:20:40What was unusual

01:20:41before Arsene Wenger came

01:20:42I never remember sitting with the manager

01:20:45with the players

01:20:46trying to work out our goals

01:20:47and aspirations for the season

01:20:49that was never done before

01:20:51The meetings are always very informal

01:20:53we sit there

01:20:54and this is what we want for the season

01:20:56and Arsene Wenger will map it out

01:20:59again there might have been 20-25 players in the squad

01:21:02everybody's going to play a part

01:21:03you've got to be ready

01:21:05to play your part

01:21:06The bosses are leading it

01:21:07sometimes players will come along

01:21:08but as you know

01:21:11and as you are aware of it

01:21:12we had winners and men in that team

01:21:14so everybody was talking

01:21:16Let's train hard together

01:21:17let's be ready for every single battle

01:21:20there'll be times when we have a bad time

01:21:22but we've got to bounce back quickly

01:21:24and you know

01:21:25everybody was so experienced by then

01:21:27most of the players had won trophies

01:21:29they knew that we wanted more

01:21:32and it was going to be an important season

01:21:33You don't start off the season saying

01:21:36right we want to go unbeaten

01:21:37you just start the season saying

01:21:39we want to win the Premiership

01:21:41we want to win

01:21:42Everything was panned out

01:21:44and we would basically home in on those

01:21:46on those objectives to win that

01:21:48like an elastic band really

01:21:50pulling towards those targets

01:21:51and if we were suddenly

01:21:53dumped out of one of those

01:21:55there'd be a meeting

01:21:56to redefine our goals

01:21:58and what we were looking to achieve

01:22:00for the rest of the season

01:22:00to keep it on track

01:22:01so that for me was

01:22:03was great management from the boss

01:22:06was great

01:22:06keep us

01:22:06do

01:22:06we

01:22:09see...

01:22:09I

01:22:09yeah

01:22:11We

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