AT 3-1 DOWN EIGHT minutes into the second half, Arsenal stared down the barrel of a sawn-off shotgun. The “Invincibles” appeared about to be beaten in the Premiership for the first time in 15 months and Thierry Henry, the France striker, was as bewildered as his colleagues. “We didn’t know what to say or think,” Henry said. “We knew what we had done and maybe it was not going to be our day.”
Dennis Bergkamp reduced the deficit to 3-2 just a minute later, starting the comeback, and the record of Nottingham Forest was no longer safe. Henry breathed a sigh of relief. “Dennis looked out there like he was 20 not 35,” he said. “He was everywhere and thank God that he was.
“It’s quite something to equal the record but it’s only the beginning of the season. It won’t mean much if we break the record and get nothing at the end of the season. It’s not about not losing, it’s about thinking of winning every time we step on to the pitch. We know that one day it will happen but we’re just trying to make it last.”
Arsène Wenger, the Arsenal manager, conceded that it had been the closest that his side had come to losing in the league since May 2003. “But we refused to lose the game, it was as simple as that,” he said. “Yes, it was an amazing game and, yes, it was a day when we defended badly, but we were able to compensate by being offensively remarkable.
“We were frustrated at half-time because we had had plenty of chances and were in control. The players felt a bit low because it was only 1-1. I think, though, that the record is a bonus not a burden. The advantage of having it is that it helps you to remain more focused on the game.”
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Patrick Vieira, the Arsenal captain, was unable to contribute to the remarkable record-equalling exploits of his team-mates yesterday because of a thigh injury. He played a part, though, collecting a replica trophy of the Premiership — to mark the 38-match unbeaten run last season — from Richard Scudamore, the chief executive of the FA Premier League.
In the match programme, Vieira also took the opportunity to explain to the fans why he declined the overtures of Real Madrid during the summer. “I first knew that there was a big interest from Madrid during the European Championship,” he said. “I had a few days to think about it, then spoke to Arsène Wenger and David Dein (the Arsenal vice-chairman). They gave me a few days to think about it on my own and that’s when I began to question myself about what I wanted.
“In my heart, I knew that I wanted to stay. One of the big reasons is the strength and potential of the Arsenal team. We are one of the strongest in the world and capable of beating anyone. I knew that my heart, my pride and my head is still very much at the club.”
Arsenal’s recovery yesterday should only have confirmed Vieira’s opinions. He made the right choice.