The Blues have a realistic chance of equalling Arsene
Wenger's achievement of 2003-04 - but how does Jose Mourinho's side
stack up against the famous Gunners?
They said it could never be done. Then, when it was, they said it could never be repeated.
But now, just a decade on from Arsenal's Invincibles, there is a genuine possibility that Chelsea might go through the entire season unbeaten.
Think that's ridiculous? Well, they've already been away to Manchester City, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton, emerging with eight points.
In addition to that, all of the other sides in last season's top seven are in varying degrees of distress with none of them looking capable at this stage of mounting a genuine title challenge.
At present, it seems simply a matter of how many points Chelsea will finish clear of the pack rather than if they will be champions come May. But how does this team compare to the Arsenal side of 2003-04? And would it be a more impressive achievement if they went unbeaten this season than when Arsene Wenger's side did so a decade ago?
In terms of squad, Chelsea might just edge it. The two first XIs are roughly comparable, with almost every player from the two sides being among the top two in their position in the league. Arsenal were perhaps more physical then today's counterparts, but the subtle creativity of Cesc Fabregas, Oscar and Eden Hazard adds a different dimension to Chelsea's game.
Both have a devastating finisher in Thierry Henry and Diego Costa, brilliant goalkeepers in Jens Lehmann and Thibaut Courtois, and a dominant English centre-back in Sol Campbell and John Terry.
But Chelsea's bench is the stronger of the two. Arsenal had some wonderful squad players in the shape of Edu and Ray Parlour, but Pascal Cygan and Stuart Taylor were weak links.
Yet Mourinho can call on Petr Cech, €35m worth of defenders in Kurt Zouma and Felipe Luis, a World Cup winner in Andre Schurrle and a club legend in Didier Drogba. It is an area where Chelsea have a clear edge.
When it comes to X-factor, however, Arsenal's Invincibles can boast to be the best. They created more chances but were less clinical than Chelsea, with Costa's chance conversion rate an astonishing 45.5 per cent. Thierry Henry was Arsenal's most clinical striker, finishing 18.1% of his chances, while Dennis Bergkamp – a creator rather than a finisher – was even lower at just over 10%.
Those statistics don't convey quite how thrilling it was to watch Arsenal's Invincibles at full flight, though. Henry and Robert Pires, in particular, were superb in 2003-04 and Chelsea's attack – as effective as it is – doesn't quite set the blood pumping in the same way.
There are moments – think Oscar's wonderful goal against QPR, for example, or Hazard charging at a full-back – but this team is based more on brutal efficiency than aesthetic pleasure.
Interestingly, Arsenal are actually a better defensive side than this current Chelsea team, conceding just 0.68 goals per game whereas Mourinho's men average one per game. What's more, the stats also show us that it was harder to go unbeaten in 2003-04 than it would be this season.
The prime reason for that is the decline of Manchester United. Sir Alex Ferguson's side could call on the likes of Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs as they continued their long duel with Arsenal to be top dogs, while they have not returned to their perch after the troubles of the past 18 months.
Manchester City are far stronger now than a decade ago, but the likes of Newcastle and Aston Villa have regressed in that time.
Also, Arsenal faced teams in form throughout the season. On average, teams had taken five points from their previous three games before they met Arsenal, while for Chelsea this season it has been 4.3.
And the last factor that must be taken into account, the category which will split fans down the middle, is which manager deserves more credit for building their respective sides.
Wenger – just – shades this category. Mourinho has shrewdly solved the issues in his side by bringing in Fabregas and Costa, but the majority of this squad was in place before he took over.
Wenger, on the other hand, had brought in every member of the Invincibles bar Bergkamp. He also changed the positions and inexorably altered the careers of the likes of Henry, Kolo Toure and Lauren, while spending just €53.6m on his first-choice side. Mourinho's best XI – and the huge increases in TV money must be taken into account here - cost €274.4m.
In addition, Wenger was forced to keep costs down to help fund the construction of the Emirates Stadium. Considering the challenges he faced – and the rise of Chelsea under Abramovich – it is surely the finest managerial feat in the Premier League.
Now, though, we have to see if Chelsea can match it. But even if they do, they won't topple Arsenal's Invincibles as the finest unbeaten team in English football.
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