Lance Knight
08-23-2004, 09:46 AM
Arsenal equalled Nottingham Forest's record 42-game unbeaten league run by beating Middlesbrough 5-3 in their Barclays Premiership clash at Highbury.
The Gunners won their last two matches of the 2002-03 season before going through the last campaign unbeaten on the way to the title. They carried their form into the new season by thrashing Everton last Sunday.
Forest's mark is now the only significant record left for Arsenal to pass. Here, the Press Association takes a look at the great top-flight runs they have already equalled or bettered.
PRESTON 1888-89 (unbeaten throughout season)
The `Invincibles' are the only other team to have gone through an entire campaign unbeaten, and they did it in the inaugural season of the Football League.
The season may only have lasted 22 games in those days, but Preston's achievement was still a considerable one, given some of the obstacles they had to overcome.
North End had to cope with a cholera epidemic, low gates because of rumours Jack the Ripper was on a murderous tour of Lancashire and financial problems.
There was also controversy after an alcohol-fuelled incident at a railway station which involved a buxom barmaid and fighting.
Chairman William Sudell was forced out of office after being convicted of embezzling from his textiles employer and his successor died after catching a cold playing golf.
BURNLEY 1920-21 (30 games unbeaten)
Remarkably the Clarets lost their first three games of the campaign but they bounced back with an unbeaten run which stretched from September to Easter and set up their first championship success.
After defeats to Bradford, Huddersfield and Bradford again, the Lancashire side launched their title charge with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield.
They recorded some remarkable results, beating Aston Villa and Oldham 7-1 and thumping local rivals Blackburn 4-1 at home and 3-1 away. The run finally came to end with a 3-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Manchester City.
LEEDS 1973-74 (29 games unbeaten from start of season)
Leeds bounced back from the shock of losing the 1973 FA Cup final to Second Division Sunderland by avoiding defeat in their first 29 games of the following season.
Don Revie's fearsome side looked unstoppable as they powered towards the First Division title, but their run came to a surprising end at the hands of Stoke in February 1974.
Leeds were on course for a routine victory after opening up a 2-0 lead at the Victoria Ground but they were left reeling as the Potters fought back to win 3-2.
The defeat was the start of a tricky patch for the Yorkshire side but they recovered to win the title by five points from Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL 1987-88 (29 games unbeaten from start of season)
Kenny Dalglish responded to the trophyless end to the 1986-87 campaign by assembling what many believe to be the greatest Liverpool side ever.
Ian Rush's departure was swiftly forgotten as the Reds, with John Barnes, John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley in their ranks, swept all before them.
However, neighbours Everton decided to throw a spanner in the works by halting their unbeaten run at 29 games with a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.
They were also beaten by Forest that season but Dalglish's men responded by thrashing the Brian Clough's side 5-0 a fortnight later.
They won the league comfortably but a shock loss to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final denied them the double.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1977-78 & 1978-79 (42 games unbeaten)
After a 1-0 defeat by Leeds in November 1977, Forest did not lose again until playing Liverpool in December the following year.
Their sequence began with a goalless draw against West Brom and led them to the 1978 league title.
With the European Cup also in the bag, Forest began the `78-79 campaign in the same formidable fashion.
A 2-0 loss at Anfield eventually proved their undoing and in the end they had to settle for the league runners-up spot behind the Merseysiders.
By winning a second-successive European Cup, however, they had plenty to console themselves with.
The Gunners won their last two matches of the 2002-03 season before going through the last campaign unbeaten on the way to the title. They carried their form into the new season by thrashing Everton last Sunday.
Forest's mark is now the only significant record left for Arsenal to pass. Here, the Press Association takes a look at the great top-flight runs they have already equalled or bettered.
PRESTON 1888-89 (unbeaten throughout season)
The `Invincibles' are the only other team to have gone through an entire campaign unbeaten, and they did it in the inaugural season of the Football League.
The season may only have lasted 22 games in those days, but Preston's achievement was still a considerable one, given some of the obstacles they had to overcome.
North End had to cope with a cholera epidemic, low gates because of rumours Jack the Ripper was on a murderous tour of Lancashire and financial problems.
There was also controversy after an alcohol-fuelled incident at a railway station which involved a buxom barmaid and fighting.
Chairman William Sudell was forced out of office after being convicted of embezzling from his textiles employer and his successor died after catching a cold playing golf.
BURNLEY 1920-21 (30 games unbeaten)
Remarkably the Clarets lost their first three games of the campaign but they bounced back with an unbeaten run which stretched from September to Easter and set up their first championship success.
After defeats to Bradford, Huddersfield and Bradford again, the Lancashire side launched their title charge with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield.
They recorded some remarkable results, beating Aston Villa and Oldham 7-1 and thumping local rivals Blackburn 4-1 at home and 3-1 away. The run finally came to end with a 3-0 defeat to eventual runners-up Manchester City.
LEEDS 1973-74 (29 games unbeaten from start of season)
Leeds bounced back from the shock of losing the 1973 FA Cup final to Second Division Sunderland by avoiding defeat in their first 29 games of the following season.
Don Revie's fearsome side looked unstoppable as they powered towards the First Division title, but their run came to a surprising end at the hands of Stoke in February 1974.
Leeds were on course for a routine victory after opening up a 2-0 lead at the Victoria Ground but they were left reeling as the Potters fought back to win 3-2.
The defeat was the start of a tricky patch for the Yorkshire side but they recovered to win the title by five points from Liverpool.
LIVERPOOL 1987-88 (29 games unbeaten from start of season)
Kenny Dalglish responded to the trophyless end to the 1986-87 campaign by assembling what many believe to be the greatest Liverpool side ever.
Ian Rush's departure was swiftly forgotten as the Reds, with John Barnes, John Aldridge and Peter Beardsley in their ranks, swept all before them.
However, neighbours Everton decided to throw a spanner in the works by halting their unbeaten run at 29 games with a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.
They were also beaten by Forest that season but Dalglish's men responded by thrashing the Brian Clough's side 5-0 a fortnight later.
They won the league comfortably but a shock loss to Wimbledon in the FA Cup final denied them the double.
NOTTINGHAM FOREST 1977-78 & 1978-79 (42 games unbeaten)
After a 1-0 defeat by Leeds in November 1977, Forest did not lose again until playing Liverpool in December the following year.
Their sequence began with a goalless draw against West Brom and led them to the 1978 league title.
With the European Cup also in the bag, Forest began the `78-79 campaign in the same formidable fashion.
A 2-0 loss at Anfield eventually proved their undoing and in the end they had to settle for the league runners-up spot behind the Merseysiders.
By winning a second-successive European Cup, however, they had plenty to console themselves with.