Season Dates: August 2003 – May 2004
Champions: Arsenal
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 30 goals
Relegated Teams: Leicester City, Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers
European Qualification:
Champions League: Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United
Europa League: Liverpool, Newcastle United, Middlesbrough (via League Cup win)
Season Overview:
The 2003/04 Premier League season was historic as Arsenal completed the season unbeaten, becoming only the second team in English football history to achieve this feat and earning the nickname “The Invincibles.” Arsène Wenger’s side finished 11 points ahead of Chelsea, securing their third Premier League title.
Chelsea, under Claudio Ranieri, finished second, while Manchester United struggled for consistency and had to settle for third. Liverpool rounded out the top four, while Newcastle finished fifth.
At the bottom, Leeds United suffered relegation just three seasons after reaching the Champions League semi-finals, while Leicester and Wolves also went down.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2003 – The Season Begins
Arsenal started with a win over Everton, while Manchester United and Chelsea also got off to strong starts with wins in their respective matches.
Player of the Month: Teddy Sheringham (Portsmouth)
September 2003 – Early Contenders Emerge
Arsenal and Chelsea remained unbeaten, while Manchester United suffered an early defeat to Southampton.
Player of the Month: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
October 2003 – Arsenal Stay Unbeaten
Arsenal defeated Chelsea 2-1, reinforcing their title credentials. Despite that loss, the Blues’ Frank Lampard impressed and won the Player of the Month award.
Player of the Month: Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)
November 2003 – Chelsea Apply Pressure
Chelsea closed the gap on Arsenal, who picked up a few draws, while Manchester United struggled against mid-table sides.
Player of the Month: Jay-Jay Okocha (Bolton Wanderers)
December 2003 – Festive Fixtures Drama
Arsenal remained unbeaten through the congested schedule, while Leeds slipped further into the relegation battle. The once league contenders’s status in England’s top-flight looked like it could be in serious dangerous.
Player of the Month: Paul Scholes (Manchester United)
January 2004 – United Back in the Mix
Manchester United put together a strong winning run, while Chelsea faltered. Arsenal, on the other hand, remained unbeaten, picking up seven points out of a possible nine.
Player of the Month: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
February 2004 – Arsenal Extend Their Lead
A crucial 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge put Arsenal in pole position. The Gunners won all five of their games in February and looked to be shoe-ins for the Premier League title.
Player of the Month: Dennis Bergkamp and Edu (Arsenal)
March 2004 – The Unbeaten Run Survives
Arsenal drew 1-1 with Manchester United in a heated match, keeping their unbeaten run intact. That draw did end a spell of nine consecutive wins in the Premier League though. Liverpool were mounting a top-four charge though, with Steven Gerrard dragging them up the table.
Player of the Month: Mikael Forssell (Birmingham City)
April 2004 – Champions Elect
Arsenal secured the title with a 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane against Tottenham. What a fitting way for the history-making Gunners to seal the league title.
Player of the Month: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
May 2004 – The Invincibles
A 2-1 win over Leicester on the final day confirmed Arsenal’s unbeaten season. The first and only team in Premier League history so far to achieve the feat.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Thierry Henry (Arsenal) – 30 goals
- Alan Shearer (Newcastle United) – 22 goals
- Louis Saha (Fulham/Manchester United) – 20 goals
Most Assists
- Muzzy Izzet (Leicester) – 14 assists
- Paolo Di Canio (West Ham) – 12 assists
- Brett Emerton (Blackburn) – 11 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Jens Lehmann (Arsenal) – 16 clean sheets
- Edwin van der Sar (Fulham) – 15 clean sheets
- Carlo Cudicini (Chelsea) – 14 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal (April 25, 2004) – Arsenal secured the title at the home of their rivals, but two second-half goals from Spurs nearly ended the Gunners’ unbeaten run.
Biggest Upset: Portsmouth 1-0 Manchester United (April 17, 2004) – United’s title hopes faded with a surprise loss at Fratton Park towards the end of the 03/04 season.
Most Dramatic Match: Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool (April 9, 2004) – Henry’s hat-trick kept Arsenal’s unbeaten run alive. The Frenchman proved too quick, strong, powerful and clever for the Liverpol defence to deal with.
Best Goal: Thierry Henry (Arsenal vs Liverpool – April 9, 2004) – A stunning solo effort from Henry who dribbled past the entirety of the Liverpool side with pace and power.
Managerial Changes
- Tottenham – Glenn Hoddle sacked (September 21, 2003) – replaced by David Pleat (interim)
- Leeds – Peter Reid sacked (November 10, 2003) – replaced by Eddie Gray
- Southampton – Gordon Strachan resigned (February 13, 2004) – replaced by Paul Sturrock
- Leeds – Eddie Gray left by mutual consent (May 10, 2004) – replaced by Kevin Blackwell
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Hernan Crespo – Inter Milan to Chelsea – £21.5m
- Damien Duff – Blackburn to Chelsea – £20m
- Adrian Mutu – Parma to Chelsea – £18m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Arsène Wenger (Arsenal)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season: Scott Parker (Chelsea)
European Performance
- Chelsea – UCL Semi-Finals by Monaco
- Arsenal – UCL Quarter-Finals by Chelsea
- Manchester United – UCL Round of 16 by Porto
- Newcastle United – UCL Third Qualyfying Round to Partizan Belgrade and UC Semi-Finals by Marseille
- Liverpool – UC Round of 16 by Marseille
- Manchester City – UC First Round by Groclin Dyskobolia
