The Invincibles (football)

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"The Invincibles", in English football (soccer), has been either used to refer to the Preston North End team of the 1888-89 season,[1] or the Arsenal team of the 2003-04 season.[2] In both cases, the teams won the top division of English football unbeaten, the only two times this has occurred in English football history.

In addition, Preston's achievement in 1888-89 was further enhanced by winning the FA Cup without conceding a goal, making them the first team to achieve the Double. Preston's final record in the league was 18 wins, 4 draws and 0 losses, out of 22 games total. Out of the five teams to have completed the Double, Preston remain the only ones to have done so unbeaten.

Arsenal's 2003-04 side did not win the FA Cup in the same season, as they reached the semi-finals and lost to Manchester United. Their final record for the 2003-2004 league campaign stood at 26 wins, 12 draws and 0 losses, out of 38 games total. The unbeaten run, starting during the 2002-03 season and ending in the 2004-05 season, finally ended up spanning 49 league matches, which still stands as a national record.

[edit] References

  1. ^ The History of Preston North End. Preston North End official website.
  2. ^ Arsenal the Invincibles. BBC Sport.