Still Invincible
13 comments October 25th, 2004
The dust settles, and we’re still invincible.
The storm has passed, and Highbury still stands – an emblem of footballing beauty unparalleled anywhere in the world.
I didn’t fear the end of our unbeaten record.
It’s there now. The record book is closed. 49 unbeaten games. That will stand forever. The fact that Manchester United beat us 2-0 in the 50th game of our run will be dust on the mantle of our brimming trophy cabinet within a few years.
That record – 49 games without defeat – will remain.
Yesterday was a one-off. An anomaly. Some would have you believe that this was the day when we were finally repayed for Robert Pires’ tumble in the box against Portsmouth, all those months ago. There’ve been a few close calls – some lucky escapes – and yesterday could have been another of those.
But it wasn’t. Thanks to Mike Riley and a rash moment from Sol Campbell, it wasn’t. We lost.
And that’s what defeat feels like.
Savour it. This is football. Days like yesterday are, in the end, why we all love the game. For the highs and the lows. You can’t take one without the other. You can live in dreamland for 49 games, but sooner or later, you’ll have to look defeat in the eye and overcome it.
Which is exactly what this Arsenal side will do.
You can’t go 49 games unbeaten without a ridiculous amount of mental strength.
And what’s more, we’re still Arsenal.
Still Champions.
Still Invincible.
.
