20 years ago, Arsenal went unbeaten for 49 games - now Robert Pires tells FFT how Thierry Henry ensured the feat
(Image credit: Getty Images)
Arsenal legend Robert Pires has lifted the lid on what it was like to play with Thierry Henry – and just what a nightmare the forward was when he lost.
This month marks 20 years since the Gunners secured their last title at the home of bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur, before embarking on an Invincible season in the Premier League. Henry scored 30 goals during that campaign, in what has gone down as one of the greatest individual seasons of any player in English football.
Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo about the season as a whole, team-mate of club and country Pires has revealed exactly what it was like to share a pitch with Henry, who he claims “didn't accept” losing.
Robert Pires won the title with Arsenal in 2004 (Image credit: Getty Images)
“It was so fun playing with Thierry around that time,” says Pires. “But he was a winner and he didn’t accept when he’d lost. “He’s really competitive and not just in games – training sessions were the same. He’d never accept being on a losing side.”
Ultimately, Arsenal managed to remain 49 games unbeaten. A lot of that was down to Henry's goals – but Pires suggests that his attitude had as much to do with the run as anything.
“I think that’s why we stayed unbeaten so long,” the Frenchman jokes. “Thierry was too competitive!”
Mark White is the Digital Content Editor at FourFourTwo. During his time on the brand, Mark has written three cover features on Mikel Arteta, Martin Odegaard and the Invincibles, and has written pieces on subjects ranging from Sir Bobby Robson’s time at Barcelona to the career of Robinho. An encyclopedia of football trivia and collector of shirts, he first joined the team back in 2020 as a staff writer.
