Each week, we'll reminisce about our incredible Invincible season 20 years on by looking back at what was going on at the club on and off the pitch, as well as remembering key news stories and the pop culture buzz at the time.
The previous week, we had drawn 1-1 with Portsmouth and suffered a 3-0 defeat in the Champions League against Inter Milan - hardly ideal preparation for a trip to Old Trafford…
Setting the scene
We travelled to Manchester United at a low ebb for our biggest game of the season so far, and arguably we’d face all campaign. Despite a poor week, we still sat second in the table, one point ahead of our arch-rivals.
An opportunity lay in front of us to leapfrog Chelsea into top spot, and dent Sir Alex Ferguson’s champions’ confidence in the process as the title race began to heat up despite us only being in September.
Wenger’s words
Having seen his side’s 100 per cent record end, Wenger was still satisfied with his team’s start to the campaign:
“Despite the draw at the weekend there is no need for us to feel down at the moment,” he said. “We have got 13 points in five Premiership games which I'm very pleased with and we all would have taken that at the start of the season. Overall we are still in a good position.
"Last season I was always worried, even with that good start and big lead in the table. I was worried for one simple reason - we could not impose ourselves in the big games. We lost at Manchester United and drew at Liverpool after leading. However I would say at the moment, and I hope it continues, we are imposing ourselves more.”
From the dressing room
Sylvain Wiltord had started the season with three goals in his opening five games, but felt there was more to come as he attempted to work out the secret to unlock more consistency.
“I try to perform in every game - but it sometimes happens that I go three or four games, have the chances, and do not convert them,” he admitted. “I go through phases when I'm not as sharp. How can I explain that? I don't know.
“I love those little purple patches when you feel - even before the game - that, if you get a chance, you'll put it in the net. Physically, I’m fine, but maybe lacking a little bit of confidence, as I recently had some good chances that I would have buried if I'd been a bit more composed, or a bit more aggressive in front of goal.”
On the pitch
GAME 6: MANCHESTER UNITED 0-0 ARSENAL
September 21, 2003
For a game that has gone down in Premier League history, the majority of it was a drab affair with both teams failing to land a glove on each other before the powder keg ignited with 10 minutes to go.
The match started well with both teams trying to exert their authority; United using Cristiano Ronaldo to good effect on the right and us patrolling the midfield with Patrick Vieira at the helm. As the game wore on, Ashley Cole began to get to grips with the young Portuguese winger and capped a fine first half performance with a rasping shot that beat Tim Howard but sadly not the American's post.
Few more chances followed and it wasn't until the second-half that the game lived up to its billing. Dennis Bergkamp, playing deeper than usual in the midfield, allowed Thierry Henry to roam the final third on his own and the extra space almost profited when Freddie Ljungberg came close to breaking the deadlock.
However, with 10 minutes to go, it all kicked off. Referee Steve Bennett ordered Vieira from the field of play for a second bookable offence after he kicked out following an incident wih Ruud van Nistelrooy, and started a 21-man scuffle.
Then in injury time, Martin Keown clashed with substitute striker Diego Forlan in the box and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. Jens Lehmann did well to buzz along his goal-line and did enough to see van Nistelrooy blast his penalty against the crossbar, sparking wild celebrations from Keown and co, that spilled over following the full-time whistle as the teams confronted each other again.
However, it was a point earned, a point proved and a place at the top of the league table at the end of a hard week. As Wenger put it himself post-match: "It was fantastic to get something out of the game. I wanted to see the character of the team. I have seen plenty today."
Line-up: Lehmann, Lauren, Toure, Keown, Cole, Ljungberg, Vieira, Gilberto, Parlour, Bergkamp (Edu 82), Henry. Subs not used: Stack, Cygan, Pires, Wiltord.
What the press were saying
"The entente cordiale that seemed to be growing between the Premiership's foremost teams only last Friday went up in the closing minutes of a mostly stupefying dull game." - Daily Telegraph
"Arsenal went for this match with the chippiness of the underdog: that's how they summoned up the will." - The Times
"Gunners chief Wenger felt his team were out-muscled when they lost the Premiership clash here last season and warned he did not want a repeat. And United had taken up boxing training, so it was a potent cocktail." - The Sun
Also this week
Following the game, the FA charged Lauren, Keown, Cole, Lehmann, Ray Parlour and Vieira with a total of 11 counts of misconduct.
Brazilian left-back Juan returned from a loan spell at Millwall where he made four appearances at The Den, which would prove to be his last in English football.
Henry was announced as the winner of the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year award for the 2002/03 season, having already won the PFA Player of the Year accolade.
Image of the week
In a now-infamous photograph, Keown roars at van Nistelrooy after the Dutchman's penalty miss.
Years later, our legendary defender would reflect: "We felt that Van Nistelrooy played a huge part in that sending-off, and we felt cheated. So, yes, my behaviour was not acceptable from an Arsenal point of view, but you can't take that back.
"I rang my wife after the game, and she's usually very supportive, but she said 'I think you've gone and done it now'. It was the first time she'd ever said anything like that."
UK number ones
Official top 40: Where Is the Love? - Black Eyed Peas
Album chart: Permission to Land - The Darkness (second week at number one)
Box office: Calendar Girls
In the news this week
David and Victoria Beckham took the extraordinary step of issuing a statement to deny press speculation that their marriage was in trouble following the England captain’s summer move to Real Madrid.
Plans were announced for 122 million new credit and debit cards to be distributed across the UK as chip and PIN was rolled out nationwide after a successful trial in Northampton.
David Hempleman-Adams became the first person to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an open-air, wicker-basket hot air balloon.
Discover what happened next, with Newcastle heading to Highbury in what would be one of the most entertaining fixtures of the campaign
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