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SOME OF THE STORIES FROM THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL.. . . .



ARSENAL
  
create a new League record by remaining unbeaten in 
49 consecutive League games.

It may be hard to believe now but Nottingham Forest not only once won the League championship but for two seasons they were the best team in Europe. Cloughie had made Forest a hard team to beat which was clearly shown by the fact that between November 1977 and November 1978 the Nottingham club had gone a record 42 League games unbeaten (Forest's record). It was always going to take a brilliant side to beat that record, and that brilliant side proved to be Arsene Wenger's Arsenal side of a quarter of a century or so later. 

The Gunners record was spread over three seasons and was to last from May 2003 to October 2004 and so included a complete unbeaten season in the Premier League in 2003/04. They increased the record to 49 unbeaten League matches before - almost inevitably - their greatest rivals Manchester United defeated them at Old Trafford. Normally that victory would probably have given United an edge in the championship race but by the start of the 2004/05 campaign there was a new, more successful kid on the block - Chelsea. That season finished 1st Chelsea, 2nd Arsenal, 3rd Manchester United - full table.
               
   

The 49 matches

   
                 
   

2002/03

       
Sun May 4   Premier Leeds United Home Lost 2-3
1 Wed May 7   Premier Southampton Home Won 6-1
2 Sun May 11   Premier Sunderland Away Won 4-0

2003/04

3 Sat Aug 16 Premier   Everton Home Won 2-1
4 Sun Aug 24 Premier   Middlesbrough Away Won 4-0
5 Wed Aug 27 Premier   Aston Villa Home Won 2-0
6 Sun Aug 31 Premier   Manchester City Away Won 2-1
7 Sat Sep 13 Premier   Portsmouth Home Drew 1-1
8 Sun Sep 21 Premier   Manchester United Away Drew 0-0
9 Fri Sep 26 Premier   Newcastle United Home Won 3-2
10 Sat Oct 4 Premier   Liverpool Away Won 2-1
11 Sat Oct 18 Premier   Chelsea Home Won 2-1
12 Sun Oct 26 Premier   Charlton Athletic Away Drew 1-1
13 Sat Nov 1 Premier   Leeds United Away Won 4-1
14 Sat Nov 8 Premier   Tottenham Hotspur Home Won 2-1
15 Sat Nov 22 Premier   Birmingham City Away Won 3-0
16 Sun Nov 30 Premier   Fulham Home Drew 0-0
17 Sat Dec 6 Premier   Leicester City Away Drew 1-1
18 Sun Dec 14 Premier Blackburn Rovers Home Won 1-0
19 Sat Dec 20 Premier   Bolton Wanderers Away Drew 1-1
20 Fri Dec 26 Premier   Wolverhampton W. Home Won 3-0
21 Mon Dec 29 Premier   Southampton Away Won 1-0
22 Wed Jan 7 Premier   Everton Away Drew 1-1
23 Sat Jan 10 Premier   Middlesbrough Home Won 4-1
24 Sun Jan 18 Premier   Aston Villa Away Won 2-0
25 Sun Feb 1 Premier   Manchester City Home Won 2-1
26 Sat Feb 7 Premier   Wolverhampton W. Away Won 3-1
27 Tue Feb 10 Premier   Southampton Home Won 2-0
28 Sat Feb 21 Premier   Chelsea Away Won 2-1
29 Sat Feb 28 Premier   Charlton Athletic Home Won 2-1
30 Sat Mar 13 Premier   Blackburn Rovers Away Won 2-0
31 Sat Mar 20 Premier   Bolton Wanderers Home Won 2-1
32 Sun Mar 28 Premier   Manchester United Home Drew 1-1
33 Fri Apr 9 Premier   Liverpool Home Won 4-2
34 Sun Apr 11 Premier   Newcastle United Away Drew 0-0
35 Fri Apr 16 Premier   Leeds United Home Won 5-0
36 Sun Apr 25 Premier   Tottenham Hotspur Away Drew 2-2
37 Sat May 1 Premier   Birmingham City Home Drew 0-0
38 Tue May 4 Premier   Portsmouth Away Drew 1-1
39 Sun May 9 Premier   Fulham Away Won 1-0
40 Sat May 15 Premier   Leicester City Home Won 2-1
   

2004/05

         
41 Sun Aug 15 Premier   Everton Away Won 4-1
42 Sun Aug 22 Premier   Middlesbrough Home Won 5-3
43 Wed Aug 25 Premier   Blackburn Rovers Home Won 3-0
44 Sat Aug 28 Premier   Norwich City Away Won 4-1
45 Sat Sep 11 Premier   Fulham Away Won 3-0
46 Sat Sep 18 Premier   Bolton Wanderers Home Drew 2-2
47 Sat Sep 25 Premier   Manchester City Away Won 1-0
48 Sat Oct 2 Premier   Charlton Athletic Home Won 4-0
49 Sat Oct 16 Premier   Aston Villa Home Won 3-1
Sun Oct 24 Premier   Manchester United Away Lost 0-2
                   

 

 

 

Question:

No League club could do it until the 1981/82 season but York City were the first to do it - in 1983/84. Fulham were the first club to do it twice while a Premier League club didn't manage it until 2017/18. What?

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