Rewind: Arsenal 2 - 3 Leeds United, 4th of May 2003

A look back at the last time Leeds beat Arsenal.

After Monday nights triumphant return against Everton, Leeds United have the more daunting task of facing Arsenal in London this Saturday evening. Over the last 20 years or so, Leeds haven't faced Arsenal all that much due to the depressingly high number of seasons the club has spent languishing in the Championship, and briefly, League One. What makes matters worse is whenever Leeds have come up against Arsenal, it hasn't exactly been happy hunting for the Whites.

22 Years, 0 Wins

In the last 14 games vs the North London side, across all competitions, Leeds have recorded 12 losses and 2 draws. Pretty bleak stuff. In fact, to find the last time Leeds beat Arsenal, we have to go all the way back to the 4th of May 2003. It may have been a long time ago, but fans whose memories can stretch that far back will remember that it was a game that is well worth revisiting....

Depressing Transitions

2002/2003 was a pretty miserable season for Leeds. Only 2 years before, the club was splashing cash and competing in the semi-finals of the Champions League. However, successive failures to qualify for Europe's premier competition meant that the purse strings were no longer as flexible as they once were. Ridsdale et al had been blinded by their own hubris and the consequences would be biting. The young, exciting squad that had been built would now start to be slowly dismantled.

First out the door was Rio something-or-other, who joined a Salford-based club for £30 million. He was followed soon after by Robbie Keane and Olivier Dacourt, who joined Spurs and Roma respectively. Unfortunately, the hits kept coming. As Leeds' dire financial state became more unavoidable, more key players were sold. Lee Bowyer, Jonathan Woodgate,and Robbie Fowler, all the left during the January transfer window. A few replacements were brought in, but none were of the required standard.

2003: Not a Vintage Year

The crippling combination of key players exiting, and an appalling run of results from the end of January until early April - 1 win, 1 draw, 7 losses - meant the pungent wiff of relegation hung over Leeds United during the end-of-season run-in. Although results picked up, Leeds still went into the penultimate game of the season against Arsenal still unsure of their Premier League status. Only a win would secure safety, hardly an easy task against an Arsenal team containing Henry, Bergkamp, Vieria (I could go on), who were chasing the title. The stage was set for a convincing Arsenal win.

Highbury Thriller

The sun was shining on a packed out Highbury and the game got off to a flyer. Gilberto Silva hit the bar from a Robert Pires corner in the 3rd minute. The bar was still shaking when Jason Wilcox sent Harry Kewell chasing a high ball over the Arsenal defence. The Aussie forward brought the ball down with his chest, running towards the corner of the Arsenal box, he smashed a left-footed shot across David Seaman and into the far corner on the goal. 1-0 Leeds, 5 minutes in.

Despite the great start, Arsenal were back level after half an hour. Paul Robinson got down well, palming a hard shot onto the post. However, the ball bounced up kindly for Henry to head into an empty net. Arsenal were in the ascendancy, but thankfully half-time came, which disrupted their momentum.

Leeds began the second half as they started the first. 4 minutes in and Ashley Cole had fouled Mark Viduka on the edge of the box. Perfect range for Ian Harte, who smashed a free-kick across the Arsenal goal, into the far corner, aided by a deflection off Gilberto Silva. They all count, though, and Leeds had seized the initiative again to make it 2-1.

The initiative lasted all of about 13 minutes, however. Slick attacking football from Arsenal - Henry to Pires, Pires to Bergkamp.... (you get the picture) - and it was back level. With nearly 30 minutes left on the clock, both teams needed a winner. For Leeds, a win would guarantee safety, for Arsenal, it would maintain a chance of retaining the title. All to play for.

Viduka Magic

As the clock ticked away, it looked like an equally unhelpful draw was on the cards. Until......Dom Matteo broke forward on the counter after intercepting a sloppy pass. He clipped the ball over to the right hand-side of the pitch, where a definite on-side Mark Viduka ran through towards the Arsenal goal. As Viduka ran into the box, he flicked the ball behind his standing leg (great feet for a big man), cutting inside the defender and curling past Seaman into the top corner. Unbelievable finish.

The Leeds fans roared, while the Arsenal fans sat in stunned silence. Minutes later, the final whistle blew. Leeds players and fans celebrated , the weight of relegation lifted from their shoulders. For Arsenal, this result meant the title would be on its way to Salford - the only slight down-side to an otherwise great day. I'm sure they were dancing on the streets of Surrey that night, but let's not dwell on the negatives. Leeds had secured their safety and that's all that mattered.

I actually remember watching this game. Twelve years old, sitting in my Nanna and Grandad's living room, in front of their T.V (they had Sky), surrounded by my Dad, Brother, Uncles and Cousins, everyone celebrating wildly when Viduka scored. Looking back over match reports and highlights gave me a very warm sense of nostalgia. Great memories.

Time to Break the Streak?

Reminiscing is all well and good, but it's the present and future that occupies the thoughts of Leeds fans. The team travel to the Emirates on Saturday evening, hoping to end their dismal win-less streak. This Arsenal team might not have the same aura as the Wenger-led side of the early 00's, but they're still one of the best in the league. Will Leeds leave North London with 3 points? It seems unlikely, but after Monday night, confidence will be riding high. Plus, all runs, good and bad, must come to an end.....