History makers, Arsenal, celebrate with win

Arsenal 2 Leicester City 1

Arsenal provided the perfect finale to the perfect season with a stirring second-half fightback against Leicester to write their name into the history books.

What Preston North End had achieved before them back in 1888-89 in going through an entire league campaign unbeaten, so Arsenal’s ’New Invincibles’ duly emulated over 38 unforgettable games.

It was not without a few unexpected late additions to the script, with Leicester even seizing the lead against the run of play through former Arsenal striker Paul Dickov after just 26 minutes.

Indeed, with Arsenal still trailing at the break, thoughts of Donald Bradman’s duck in his final Test innings and Devon Loch’s fall in the final straight of the Grand National sprung to mind.

However, Arsenal displayed the resilient spirit which had carried them through 37 league games unbeaten as they mounted a determined second-half comeback.

Thierry Henry steadied their nerves with a confidently-dispatched penalty, awarded by referee Paul Durkin in his final top-flight appearance, just two minutes after the restart.

It was Henry’s 30th league goal and while he has been Arsenal’s main guiding light this season, it was left to their other main source of inspiration to secure their winner.

With 22 minutes left, captain Patrick Vieira capitalised on a magical through-ball by Dennis Bergkamp to beat Ian Walker and the rest, as they say, is now history.

In a campaign which has seen just 24 points dropped, Arsenal may have allowed the Champions League and the FA Cup to slip through their grasp.

But the title was won with four games to spare and their unbeaten achievement is a feat which will be remembered for many years to come.

Arsenal had started confidently enough, although they were largely restricted to long-range efforts early on, as Walker tipped Henry’s audacious 30-yard free-kick over the bar.

Leicester were following the example of several sides at Highbury this season, including Birmingham two weeks earlier, in deploying a five-man midfield and suffocating the Arsenal supply lines.

While Dickov was up front on his own, Marcus Bent was a tireless worker on the right flank, while Jamie Scowcroft attempted to provide an outlet down the left flank.

There was still little warning of what was to come when Frank Sinclair embarked on a surging run on the counter-attack with 26 minutes gone.

It was scarcely believable as he weaved his way past Vieira, cut inside and floated an inviting cross to the far post, where the diminutive Dickov was lurking to beat Jens Lehmann at the far post with a header.

Wenger’s side were at least shaken out of their sense of complacency and starting attacking with renewed vigour.

Bergkamp scuffed two shots, while Walker parried Robert Pires’ long-range effort and dived on the rebound just as Ljungberg was poised to pounce.

The visitors were not wilting under the increasing pressure and their fans delighted in a prolonged spell of possession just before the break, as their team passed the ball to chants of ’ole’ from the away end.

Arsenal had nevertheless pulled themselves together just a few weeks earlier after trailing 2-1 at the break against Liverpool – and they did so again on this occasion.

Bergkamp’s lofted pass was brought down by Ashley Cole inside the penalty area and he was clumsily bundled to the ground by Sinclair.

Durkin had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and Henry stepped up to convert the penalty with a minimum of fuss as Walker dived the wrong way.

Just four minutes later they could even have gone ahead as Bergkamp picked out Henry with a superb through-ball but the Frenchman squared a pass to Ljungberg instead of shooting and the Swede was crowded out.

While Leicester’s claims of handball against Gilberto on a rare counter-attack were ignored, the Gunners nevertheless remained patient.

And it was entirely fitting that their second goal should come from a moment of pure inspiration from the peerless Bergkamp.

The Dutchman, who has just earned a final one-year contract, bided his time before picking out the surging run of Vieira with an exquisite through-ball.

Vieira’s first touch took the ball past Walker and his second guided the ball into the empty net as Arsenal moved within sight of an unbeaten league season.

While substitute keeper Danny Coyne denied Ljungberg in the final stages, the crowning moment of the afternoon came with just three minutes left.

Martin Keown, making his final appearance for the club, came on to rapturous applause to qualify for his Premiership winner’s medal.

The Premiership trophy soon followed. The Champions League and the FA Cup may have escaped them, but this has truly been a season to remember for the Gunners.