by Tony Attwood
The day was 25 November 2003.
The match was Inter Milan v Arsenal. At the start of the season Arsenal lost the Community Shield on penalties, and the media felt Arsenal had bottled it. Any thought of being Champions (we were runners’ up, five points behind Man U last season) were thought to be pie in the sky).
Then in the first home game in the Champions League Arsenal lost 0-3 at home to Inter Milan. The media felt that any pretensions Arsenal had of being title winners were fantasies. Evening coming in the top four was seen to be in doubt.
A 0-0 draw at home against Lokomotiv Moscow didn’t help, nor did a 2-1 away defeat to Dynamo Kiev on 21 October.
That was followed by a 1-1 draw with Charlton, and then a draw with the same score at home to Rotherham in the league cup. Arsenal won 9-8 on penalties. After that we did get four wins in a row including a 1-0 over Kiev at home. Then came the big one. Inter Milan away in the Champions League.
Get yourself a cup of cocoa, sit down comfortably, and watch.
Day by Day the videos – An Arsenal video for (almost) every day of the year in order.
Day by Day the stories– a key moment in Arsenal and footballing history for each day of the year (this series is still under construction – stories are listed from 1 December onward).
100 Years: the complete story of Arsenal’s promotion in 1919 which launched 100+ consecutive years in the top division.
