Arsenal 2-1 Everton: The Invincibles’ First Day (2003)
Arsenal beat Everton 2-1 at Highbury on 16 August 2003, the first game of the season they would finish unbeaten as “The Invincibles”. Thierry Henry scored a first-half penalty and Robert Pirès added a second after the break, with Tomasz Radzinski replying for Everton. Arsenal won with ten men, Sol Campbell having been sent off on 25 minutes: a scrappy, unremarkable-looking start to the only unbeaten 38-game top-flight season in English football history.
The afternoon looked far less dramatic than some Arsenal openers to come, among them a seven-goal defeat to Liverpool in 2016 and an away defeat at newly promoted Brentford, yet it was the first step of a season that has never been repeated.
Key Facts
- Played on Saturday 16 August 2003 at Highbury, in front of 38,014. It was matchday one of the 2003-04 Premier League season.
- Arsenal won 2-1. Thierry Henry scored a penalty on 34 minutes and Robert Pirès added a second on 58; Tomasz Radzinski replied for Everton on 84.
- Arsenal played most of the match with ten men after Sol Campbell was sent off on 25 minutes. They still won.
- This was the first game of Arsenal’s unbeaten 2003-04 campaign: played 38, won 26, drawn 12, lost 0, for 90 points and the title.
- A 17-year-old Wayne Rooney featured for Everton as a substitute, about a year before his move to Manchester United. The referee was Mark Halsey.
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A Ten-Man Win to Start a Season Without Defeat
An Early Red Card at Highbury
On 25 minutes Sol Campbell was sent off, reducing Arsène Wenger’s side to ten men for two-thirds of the game. Arsenal took control anyway. On 34 minutes Thierry Henry scored from the penalty spot to put them ahead, and the one-man disadvantage barely troubled them.
| Minute | Event | Team | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Sol Campbell sent off | Arsenal | 0-0 |
| 34 | Thierry Henry (penalty) | Arsenal | 1-0 |
| 58 | Robert Pirès | Arsenal | 2-0 |
| 84 | Tomasz Radzinski | Everton | 2-1 |
Pirès Settles It
Robert Pirès doubled the lead on 58 minutes, giving Arsenal a cushion their ten men had earned. Everton, with a teenage Wayne Rooney introduced from the bench, pulled a goal back through Tomasz Radzinski on 84 minutes, but Arsenal held on. A 2-1 win with a man fewer was the first of a 38-game season in which Arsenal would not lose once.
How the afternoon unfolded:
- 25′ Sol Campbell is sent off; Arsenal down to ten.
- 34′ Thierry Henry scores a penalty, 1-0.
- 58′ Robert Pirès makes it 2-0.
- 84′ Tomasz Radzinski pulls one back for Everton, 2-1, but Arsenal hold on.
The Start of Something Unrepeatable
Arsenal went on to play all 38 league games that season without defeat, winning 26 and drawing 12 for 90 points and the title. It remains the only unbeaten 38-game top-flight season in English football, a feat approached only by Preston North End’s unbeaten 1888-89 side, whose title came over a much shorter 22-game campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Arsenal 2-1 Everton (2003)
Was Arsenal 2-1 Everton the first game of the Invincibles season?
Yes. Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Everton at Highbury on 16 August 2003 was the opening match of the 2003-04 season, which Arsenal finished unbeaten. It was the first of 38 league games in which they would not lose, the campaign that earned them the nickname “The Invincibles”.
What was the score in Arsenal 2-1 Everton, and who scored?
Arsenal beat Everton 2-1. Thierry Henry scored a penalty on 34 minutes and Robert Pirès added a second on 58, before Tomasz Radzinski pulled one back for Everton on 84. Arsenal won despite playing most of the game with ten men.
Why did Arsenal play Everton with ten men?
Arsenal defender Sol Campbell was sent off on 25 minutes, so Arsenal played roughly two-thirds of the match a man down. Winning 2-1 with ten men on the opening day was an early sign of the resilience that would carry the side through an unbeaten season.
Did Wayne Rooney play in Arsenal 2-1 Everton?
Yes. A 17-year-old Wayne Rooney featured for Everton as a substitute in this game, in what was still the early part of his career at the club. He would join Manchester United the following year, in 2004.
What was Arsenal’s record in the Invincibles season?
In 2003-04 Arsenal played 38 league games, won 26, drew 12 and lost none, finishing on 90 points as champions. It is the only unbeaten 38-game top-flight season in English football history, and it began with this 2-1 win over Everton.
Where was the game played, and who refereed it?
The match was played at Highbury, Arsenal’s ground before the move to the Emirates, in front of 38,014. The referee was Mark Halsey. It was the opening fixture of the 2003-04 Premier League season.
Why is the Invincibles’ opening day still remembered?
It is remembered because of what it started: the only unbeaten 38-game top-flight season in English football. That it began with a ten-man 2-1 win over Everton, after Sol Campbell’s early red card, is part of what makes it such a good story.
Who managed Arsenal during the Invincibles season?
Arsène Wenger managed Arsenal throughout the 2003-04 Invincibles season. His side blended flair and resilience, and the ability to grind out results like this ten-man opening-day win over Everton was as important to the unbeaten run as their more spectacular performances.
Has any other team completed an unbeaten 38-game season?
No. Arsenal’s 2003-04 side is the only team to have gone through an entire 38-game top-flight season in England without defeat. Preston North End went unbeaten in 1888-89, but over a much shorter 22-game campaign, which is why Arsenal’s achievement is regarded as unique.
What stadium did Arsenal play at then?
Arsenal played this game at Highbury, their home for more than 90 years before they moved to the Emirates Stadium in 2006. Highbury was the setting for much of the Invincibles season, including this opening-day win over Everton.
Arsenal 2-1 Everton
A ten-man 2-1 win that looked like nothing was the first step of the only unbeaten season English football has seen. For more opening days that shaped seasons, from Brentford’s 74-year wait to Premier League firsts, keep exploring our On This Day series and the channel.
Sources: Premier League, Arsenal, ESPN.
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