Thierry Henry has now revealed the ‘worst’ Arsenal display ‘in the history of Highbury’.
The iconic forward enjoyed a storied career in north London between 1999 and 2007, plus a brief return in 2012. Arsene Wenger capitalised on Henry falling out of favour at Juventus to sign the 1998 World Cup winner. His deal led to two Premier League and three FA Cup titles.
One of Henry’s crowns at Highbury was even the golden Premier League trophy Arsenal won for going unbeaten in 2003/04. But the Invincibles season was not without its struggles. The historic term even featured the ‘worst’ display Arsenal ever produced at Highbury for Henry.
Arsenal had their ‘worst’ Highbury display in a Champions League defeat to Chelsea in 2004
Henry, who is one of the greatest Arsenal legends ever, feels the second leg of their 2003/04 Champions League quarter-final with Chelsea was the worst that the Gunners ever played at Highbury. The Blues progressed 3-2 on aggregate after they took a 2-1 win in north London.
A 59th-minute goal from Robert Pires countered Eidur Gudjohnsen’s 53rd-minute goal in the first leg at Stamford Bridge. Jose Antonio Reyes even put Arsenal in front at home to Chelsea in the 45th minute. But goals by Frank Lampard (51’) and Wayne Bridge (87’) flipped the tie.
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Henry believes Arsenal simply ran out of steam in the second half as Chelsea won their only match in the Champions League. UEFA drew the rivals in one of its competitions for the first time in 2003/04. They have only met in Europe since with the 2018/19 Europa League final.
Thierry Henry admits Arsenal ‘could not run’ as Chelsea won at Highbury
Arsenal ‘could not run’ in the second half when Chelsea visited Highbury during a frantic run in the Gunners’ schedule. The Blues visited north London after Arsenal had met Manchester United in an FA Cup semi-final and before the Gunners met Liverpool and Newcastle United.
Fixtures with the Red Devils, Blues, Reds and Toon ticked by in the space of just eight days in April 2004. Henry also did not play in Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to Manchester United due to a lack of fitness and went off against Chelsea after sustaining a hamstring injury in a torrid tie.
“I didn’t play the semi-final of the FA Cup because I was absolutely dead,” Henry has told the Arsenal website. “The squads were not the same size as they are now. We didn’t have many people on the bench. But nobody cared.
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“We played the FA Cup semi on Saturday, Champions League Tuesday, then Premier League on Friday and again on Sunday – could we change those games? Nope, nobody cared. One English team would go through anyway, so who cares? So, we had to adjust
“We had to battle and, at times, it was too much. I think that first-half against Chelsea was one of the best halves we played in the Champions League. But then you saw in the second half, we just died physically. It was the worst second-half we played we played in the history of Highbury. We couldn’t run. How can you play all those games in that space of time?”