How Does Arteta’s Title-Winning Arsenal Side Compare to the Invincibles?

Manchester City’s draw at Bournemouth meant they could no longer catch Arsenal at the top of the Premier League. After 22 years of waiting, the Gunners have finally moved off their seemingly unlucky total of 13 top-flight titles. They have won the Premier League for the fourth time, with the faith shown to Mikel Arteta finally repaid.

The Spaniard led them to three successive runner-up spots, with fans beginning to wonder if the club would ever get over the line. However, it should be remembered that Arsene Wenger also oversaw a hat-trick of second places between 1998/99 and 2000/01.

His great turn-of-the-century Arsenal side would go on to win the title in two of the following three seasons. They also landed the PL in 1997/98 under the Frenchman, so Arteta has some way to go before he merits comparison with Wenger.

Nonetheless, one comparison that is worth considering is that between Arsenal’s current crop of title winners and the group that last took glory in 2003/04. That was Arsenal’s amazing Invincible season. They went the whole league campaign unbeaten. Wenger’s 2003/04 team is the only one in the history of top-flight football in England to go through a league season of more than 22 games without suffering a single defeat.

Arteta’s men cannot match that feat. But how do they compare more generally?

The Invincibles Remain Untouchable

Arsenal came close to defeat a number of times during the Invincible season. Undoubtedly, the most famous is the “Battle of Old Trafford”. On the 21st of September, the game was locked at 0-0 when Patrick Vieira was sent off in the 80th minute. The Gunners were up against it, and in the 90th minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty. However, Ruud van Nistelrooy blasted the spot-kick against the bar, and Arsenal got out of the game with a draw.

There were other close-run affairs, but the record books show that Arsenal went unbeaten. Fast forward 22 years, and Arteta’s title winners have been beaten five times in 37 games. One can argue there is greater strength in depth now, but ultimately, when we look at defeats, the Invincibles are very much on top.

A Valid Point

Wenger’s side was a very tough nut to crack, clearly. But while nobody managed to beat them, they drew 12 games. That meant their points tally was “only” 90 over the course of the season. A points tally of 90 is impressive from 38 matches, an average of 2.37 points per game. However, it is well shy of the 100-point record set by Manchester City in 2017/18 or the 99 of Liverpool two years later.

In fact, the Invincibles’ haul of 90 points does not even make the top 10 when it comes to most points in a Premier League campaign.

Despite that, it is significantly more than the 2025/26 title winners will get. With one game to go Arteta’s men have 82 points. Consequently, they will end with 82, 83, or at most 85 points. Therefore, this is another “win” for the 2003/04 Gunners.

Winning Margin

There are different ways to measure the winning margin. However we do it, once again the Invincibles come out on top. They finished 11 points clear of Chelsea and claimed the title in April. Pleasingly for the Gunners, they sealed the title away at Spurs. A 2-2 draw on the 25th of April saw them home with four games to spare.

The 2025/26 champions had to wait until the 19th of May to claim the title they so craved. They did it with just one game to spare. Additionally, the margin can be no more than seven points. But it will probably be just four.

Style

After waiting 22 years for a title, Arsenal fans will not care one jot about the way they won the title. We, on the contrary, do. And like most fans and pundits, we are not overly enthralled by a side that has only scored 69 goals in 37 games. Moreover, a mere 35 of those have come from open play. Arteta and his set-piece coaches have created a muscular, defensive team that is very dangerous at corners and dead balls.

In contrast, all of Wenger’s Arsenal sides were things of beauty. They had fighters and players who could defend. But they also had Dennis Bergkamp, Robert Pires and, of course, Thierry Henry. When it comes to style, grace and excitement, we simply cannot compare the Invincibles and the current Premier League champions.

Manager

Arteta has been at Arsenal since December 2019 and has taken charge of over 350 games. Wenger was there for almost 22 years and 1,235 games! In terms of winning percentage, Arteta actually has the edge. The Basque boss has won 60.4% of his games in charge. In contrast, Wenger ended with a win rate of 57.2%.

The question is, can the current supremo maintain that over anything like as long as Wenger did? It is unlikely. Moreover, despite his experience, Arteta remains a young man. He is just 44 years old and actually played under Wenger at Arsenal. He obviously has a bright future – and a brilliant present – but relatively speaking, he is in the foothills of his managerial career.

Comparing the two is, therefore, hard. In terms of personality, there are some similarities. Both can be spikey at times and have their eccentricities. But Wenger is far calmer generally. And in terms of style, Arteta is a little more pragmatic and certainly less accommodating of flair players like Bergkamp.

The Squad

Comparing the two squads is a complex process. There are lots of interrelated and multifactorial issues. However, on balance, we would just about give the current group the edge. Football has long been as much a squad game as the first XI. However, it is certainly more the case today than it was 22 years ago that managers needed to have strength in depth.

That is one of the greatest strengths of the 2025/26 team. David Raya, William Saliba, Gabriel, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka are all stars. But none mean quite as much to Arteta as Henry did to Wenger. Vieira probably falls into that same bracket.

Arteta has so many options, and there is certainly no reliance on one or two stars. In 2025/26, nine players scored six goals or more in all competitions for Arsenal. In 2003/04, that figure was just four. Additionally, the current team has so many exceptional defenders to choose from.

Of course, ultimately comparing teams from different eras is always subjective and contentious. And as far as Arsenal fans are concerned, two great teams are better than one, so they will just be delighted that the current group have even put themselves into the argument.