Arsenal Invincible insists squad never cared about record – there were no extra bonuses

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Ray Parlour revealed Arsenal’s Invincibles squad’s focus was never on remaining unbeaten.In 2004, the Gunners won 26 times and lost none across the 38-game season, beating Chelsea to the title by 11 points.Arsenal’s 03/04 team remains the only side to go unbeaten for an entire Premier League seasonAFP and licensorsIt was an iconic team that consisted of players like Jens Lehmann, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, Thierry Henry and were managed by a legendary manager in Arsene Wenger.However, the incredible feat was never an original aim for the north London side, as Parlour told talkSPORT Breakfast.He said: “I think the press really ramped [the idea of going Invincible] up with eight games to go, that’s when they realised that they haven’t been beaten yet.“The players were only interested in winning the league, to go unbeaten was just a bonus – we didn’t get anything extra from doing it.“22 years later, and  it’s still not been done again. The good thing about the team I was in was we had really good players to come on. People like [Nwankwo] Kanu, [Sylvain] Wiltord, they would come on and score you a goal.”Parlour went on to compare the Invincible squad with Mikel Arteta’s current side following their heavy 3-0 defeat to Brighton, insisting something would have been salvaged by his winners.“We would have come back even if we were down 2-0. We would never give up as a team, which was a real bonus for everyone involved in it.“The hardest games were the last four, we won the league at White Hart Lane with a 2-2 draw, we also had Birmingham, Fulham, Portsmouth and Leicester. “On paper, we should be winning them pretty comfortably but it doesn’t work like that, and we got battered.”Parlour was a key figure in Arsenal’s all conquering side that remained unbeaten across an entire season en route to winning the leagueGetty Images - GettyA unique legacy in the Premier LeagueSince Arsenal, a few teams have come agonisingly close to replicating the feat, including Chelsea in 2004/05, and Liverpool in 2018/19 – both suffering only one defeat.Incredibly, the Merseyside-based team still finished second that year despite winning 97 points.Arsenal, though, actually remained unbeaten for 49 Premier League games until they were finally beaten 2-0 by Manchester United.Critics have insisted it can’t really be deemed Invincible as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United, the League Cup by Middlesbrough, and the Champions League by Chelsea.The Invincible dream, however, is over for another season at least, with Brighton ensuring that. The only teams who are still able to complete an invincible run this season are Liverpool, Manchester City, Brentford, Everton, and Leeds.