Arsenal’s Memorable 5-1 Triumph Against Inter at San Siro

Arsenal and Inter Milan are scheduled to compete in the Champions League for only the third occasion this Wednesday (20:00 GMT). Their most recent encounter occurred 21 years ago, in November 2003, when Arsenal secured a dominant 5-1 victory against the Italian club at the San Siro. This particular group-stage triumph is remembered as one of Arsenal’s most outstanding performances during Arsene Wenger’s tenure, contributing to the club’s subsequent unbeaten Premier League title season. The following details recount the events of that evening and the recollections of some Arsenal supporters present in Milan. Prior to their victory against Inter, Arsenal occupied the last position in their Champions League group. Having previously suffered a 3-0 defeat to Inter at Highbury and a 2-1 loss in Kyiv, Arsenal faced a precarious situation in Group B. A failure to secure a win against Inter on matchday four, combined with an adverse outcome in another fixture, would have resulted in their elimination from the Champions League. Notwithstanding the potential for failure, fan Mark recounted seeing Luton airport filled with “Gooners” at a “ridiculously early time.” Several Arsenal supporters, including Guy McIntyre, traveled to Milan days ahead of the match, with McIntyre spending the night before the game at an Inter fan’s residence. While Arsenal was performing strongly in the league, having achieved 10 victories in 13 matches, they were confronting an Inter team that had previously defeated them and possessed a significantly superior European Cup history. Inter, then two-time winners of the competition, had advanced to the Champions League semi-finals the preceding season, where they were eliminated on away goals by their eventual winning and fierce rivals, AC Milan. Arsenal’s squad was missing key players Patrick Vieira, Sylvain Wiltord, and Lauren, with Martin Keown available on the bench but not deemed fit enough to start. Conversely, Inter, known for its strong defensive capabilities, had secured a 6-0 victory against Perugia in their previous fixture. The match commenced amidst misty and drizzly weather conditions. Richard Ryan and Kelvin informed BBC Sport that they had inadvertently purchased incorrect tickets, leading them to be seated in the home section, where they made considerable efforts to conceal their support for Arsenal. Their discretion proved necessary in the 25th minute when Arsenal, considered the underdogs, took the lead courtesy of Thierry Henry. The French player quieted the jeering home crowd by receiving a pass from Ashley Cole and scoring with a side-footed shot from the edge of the penalty area. Henry subsequently demonstrated exceptional skill, evading Inter’s defenders with ease. However, the home side equalized before half-time when Vieri’s shot took a significant deflection off Sol Campbell, was then parried onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, but ultimately rebounded into the net. Arsenal supporter Dr Dave, watching the game in an Irish pub in Venice “stuffed full of Inter fans,” recounted: “We were 1-0 up and then there was a five-minute power cut – the lights came back on with the score at 1-1 and the place erupted.” At half-time, with the score at 1-1, Arsenal faced imminent elimination from the Champions League. Nevertheless, they delivered an exceptional second-half display, widely regarded as one of the club’s finest in European competition. Guy Wisemen, who attended the match, stated: “I remember the first half was pretty even but in the second half, shooting down towards our corner, Henry, [Robert] Pires, Edu and co. ran riot, sending us ecstatic!” Arsenal regained the lead less than five minutes into the second half when Henry dribbled inside and passed to Freddie Ljungberg, who then struck the ball into the bottom corner of the net. The Gunners subsequently asserted their dominance, seeking a third goal to establish a two-goal advantage, which arrived in the 85th minute courtesy of a spectacular strike from Henry. The French forward gathered the ball from within his own half, surged into the penalty area, skillfully bypassed Javier Zanetti, and then powerfully drove the ball into the bottom corner. In the Inter supporters’ section, Richard had already been ejected for celebrating Ljungberg’s goal, whereas Kelvin “went bonkers” following Henry’s goal but succeeded in remaining by “speaking a little Italian.” Three minutes subsequently, Arsenal extended their lead further when Henry’s cross, intended for Ljungberg, bypassed him but fortuitously reached Edu, who tapped it into an unguarded net. This sequence of events led to chaos, confusion, and delirium among Arsenal supporters. A minute later, the comprehensive victory was sealed when late substitute Jeremie Aliadiere provided the assist to Robert Pires for Arsenal’s fifth goal. Arsenal manager Wenger described the victory as “beyond his wildest dreams.” This result, which was Arsenal’s largest ever win in the Champions League at that point, elevated them to second place in Group B, one point adrift of Lokomotiv Moscow. Two weeks later, Arsenal defeated Lokomotiv Moscow 2-0, securing their progression as group winners. Wenger reiterated that the outcome against Inter was “beyond his wildest dreams,” while Ashley Cole likened it to England’s 5-1 triumph over Germany, stating it was “but even better.” Guy McIntyre further commented, “Henry was unplayable that night and it’s probably my favourite away match ever,” concluding, “Twenty-four hours in Milan, I will never forget it.” Arsenal’s Champions League campaign concluded in the quarter-finals with a defeat to Chelsea. However, in the league that same season, they remained undefeated. Following the Inter match, they secured 16 victories in their remaining 27 Premier League fixtures, ultimately clinching the title and thereby earning the moniker “the Invincibles.”