Background
On the 6th April 2004, Arsenal faced Chelsea at Highbury needing either a home win or a 0-0 to get through to the semi final of the champions league. This Arsenal team, who had played scintillating football all season and would go on to become the first and as of 2020, the only team to go the entire top league campaign unbeaten. However, they were undone by the erratic goalkeeping late in the match and arguably the best team in Europe this year were out of the tournament. This article plays tribute to the team put together with a shoestring budget who played some of the finest football english football has ever seen.
Article
As the score from Monaco came through, the sense of disappointment may well have reached optimum levels. Real Madrid was out and Monaco would be the team that would stand between their victors and the champions league final in May. Arsenal though were out and after the FA cup semi final defeat on Saturday, were left with the sole prize of the domestic league. Not that a final in Cardiff against first division Millwall would have helped tonight in any case.
Over the coming days, there will be many conspiracy theories as to why they have collapsed the last two games. The reality is not so exciting. They were beaten on Saturday by a team which has begun to take the FA cup far too seriously. It is a sign of Manchester United’s downfall that they were so keen just to beat Arsenal to get to the final. Today, their erratic goalkeeper handed the game to Chelsea. At 1-0, Arsenal would surely have got a few more on the counter attack but so short was the time that they had the lead, that the advantage was given to Chelsea.
Arsenal will be very disappointed and nothing anyone will say will take away that hurt. They are a team who believe that they are the best in Europe, if not the world. In many experts eyes, they still are the most complete team in the world. Losing this game will hurt them deep and some wounds may never heal. But before we call the Samaritans, let us go back in time eight months. When Chelsea were spending £120 million on the best talent on sale and Manchester United were flexing their muscles paying 12 million on an eighteen year old, Arsenal were scratching their coffers to get some pennies together to get themselves a goalkeeper. Throwing an inexperienced Toure into the centre of defence, and scrapping together a team that might try and hold on to the coattails of Manchester United and Chelsea. Yet eight months on, Arsene Wenger has put together a team young enough yet to go one step forward and to become the greatest team in the history of the world. Yes today will hurt but if they can learn the lessons of this season, they can surely go on and become almost invincible.
Their immediate task is to become the greatest team in the history of the English premiership by going the entire season unbeaten. Then to buy a world class goalkeeper in the summer. David Beckham would be nice as well but that would be dreaming. Arsenal must not despair and realise that this season is the start of a new phase in the clubs history. Hold your heads high for in all neutrals eyes, you have shown us a glimmer of total football and the way it should be played. I thank you and please proceed with the final show.
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