Arsene Wenger Invincible: Arsenal’s unbeaten record questioned amid ‘diving’ claim
ARSENAL'S famous Invincibles team only remained unbeaten after a referee failed to spot Robert Pires' alleged "dive", according to a former Portsmouth footballer.
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Arsene Wenger: Invincible | Official trailer
Arsene Wenger’s finest achievement is the focus of a much-awaited docu-film which premiered on Tuesday. The red carpet was rolled out last night with a host of Gunners legends in attendance, including Ian Wright, Mikel Arteta and Wenger himself. The documentary paints a picture of one of football’s greats, framed across a backdrop of Arsenal’s unforgettable, record-breaking 2003/04 season. ‘Arsene Wenger: Invincible’ is released in cinemas today.
'Arsene Wenger: Invincibles' premiered on Tuesday evening. (Image: GETTY)
No team is yet to repeat the Invincibles' achievements. (Image: GETTY)
Pompey were leading 1-0 at Highbury through a goal from Spurs legend Teddy Sheringham.
However, much to the disgust of the away fans, Pires took a tumble in the penalty area under a challenge from Dejan Stefanovic.
Serbian defender Stefanovic recalled the incident in Played Up Pompey Too, written by journalist Neil Allen.
He said: “In September 2003, we drew 1-1 at Arsenal in a match many Pompey fans remember for Robert Pires’ dive.
“Teddy Sheringham had given us the lead at Highbury, then, with half-time approaching, Pires attacked down the left and went down under my challenge inside the box.
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Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta attending the film's premiere on Tuesday evening. (Image: GETTY)
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“The referee, Alan Wiley, awarded a penalty, which Thierry Henry converted.
“It wasn’t a foul, I didn’t even touch him, he dived over my leg, it’s as simple as that.”
Stefanovic was convinced that his team would have stopped the Gunners’ historic run before it had really begun.
He continued: “The Invincibles, they were christened, but a dive stopped us beating them.
“After the game, Pires apologised to me: “That wasn’t my decision, it was the referee’s, what can I do?”.
Dejan Stefanovic tackles Dennis Bergkamp in the match that could've ended Arsenal's run. (Image: GETTY)
“I accepted that. He’s a good guy and what happened, happened.”
Pires, who won the Premier League twice in six seasons with the Gunners, has previously been accused of bringing diving to English football.
Ex-Man City man Danny Mills said in The Times in 2016: “I will always remember him as the player who, in my view, really brought diving into the English game; his habit of throwing himself to the ground without any provocation always infuriated me.”
Writing in the newspaper a few months later, Pires responded: “I didn’t bring diving to England.
“There was one controversy against Portsmouth, but there was contact.
Christian Jeanpierre, Arsene Wenger and Gabriel Clarke attendingg the UK Premiere. (Image: GETTY)
“When you run fast with the ball and dribble, a slight touch from a defender or even movement towards you can unbalance you.
“I looked for a foul sometimes, I provoked the defender for sure and most of the time I dribbled past, but I never dived and I have never intentionally disrespected anyone.”
Wenger, too, referenced the incident in a furious post-match rant in 2012 after his team lost at Swansea.
He said: “Pires once dived against Portsmouth. For six months it was a story.
“[Nathan] Dyer dived and nobody said a word. If it doesn’t matter when Dyer dives, why does it matter when Pires dives?”
Pires is among a host of footballing legends to have provided interviews for ‘Arsene Wenger: Invincible’.
A heavyweight cast includes Sir Alex Ferguson, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, under the directorship of Gabriel Clarke, the man behind ‘Finding Jack Charlton’ which aired last year.
‘Arsene Wenger: Invincible’ airs in cinemas tomorrow. It will then be available on Amazon Prime, Apple TV and Sky from November 22.