Hi all, welcome to All Football's On This Day! Let's find out what happened today (May 15th) in football history. If you have more stories and news that happened on this day in history, feel free to post them in the comment area and share them with AFers.
On this day in 2004, Arsenal completed the only unbeaten season in EPL history
Whether it was the greatest Premier League season of all-time is up for debate, but Arsenal's 2003-04 team will always stand apart from the rest as the 'Invincibles'.
The team is mostly remembered for its attacking genius. Thierry Henry was at the peak of his powers and finished second in the Ballon d'Or voting in 2003 and fourth in 2004, and while Bergkamp was nearing the end of his career he had not lost his brilliant movement or vision.
Left winger Robert Pires provided a secondary source of goals, netting 14 in the league, while Patrick Vieira was both the heart and brain of the team from central midfield. On the right, Freddie Ljungberg was a ferocious box-to-box player who raised his game for the big occasion.
What is not mentioned as often - particularly when comparing the Invincibles to today's Arsenal team - was that the Gunners were also outstanding defensively, conceding just 26 goals. Sol Campbell and Kolo Toure were a brilliant mix of athleticism and intelligence at centre-back, Jens Lehmann brought international class in goal and Ashley Cole and Lauren were a dynamic full-back pairing.
Perhaps the most flattering compliment you can pay Wenger is that he was Sir Alex Ferguson's first true equal. The Arsenal boss has seen his star fall since, but in his first decade in north London he was a brilliant combination of tactical nous and ruthlessness, assembling teams that played scintillating football and were not intimidated by anyone.
On this day in 2002, Zidane scored THAT volley as Real Madrid won their ninth UCL trophy
Real Madrid were heavily favored and took very little time to stake their claim to the trophy, going up in the 8th minute with a strike from their center forward, Raúl.
Bayer did not lie down, however, and quickly responded with a 13th-minute header from Lúcio, their Brazilian center back.
Then, in the 45th minute, Madrid got a Brazilian edge of their own when Roberto Carlos surged forward from his left back position and sent a high arcing cross into the box. It dropped to Zinedine Zidane, who executed a stunning left-footed volley from the edge of the box. The ball rocketed over Bayer's keeper, putting Madrid up 1-2. It was the last goal of the match.
On this day in 1997, Ousmane Dembele was born
Dembélé began his career at Rennes before joining Dortmund in 2016. He won the DFB-Pokal with die Borussen in the 2016–17 season, scoring a goal in the final. A year later, he transferred to Barcelona for an initial fee of €105 million, becoming at the time the joint-second most expensive footballer ever alongside compatriot Paul Pogba. Dembélé subsequently won the double of La Liga and Copa del Rey in an injury-riddled first season in Spain.
Dembélé is well-known for his ability to use both feet. His dribbling ability and performance of tricks allows him to cut through from the left or right in order to score or create goalscoring opportunities for teammates. A highly skillful player, Dembélé has great quality in terms of shooting from distance. The French uses his speed for beating opponents and has excellent crossing ability. His creativity is exceptional when in possession of the ball. During a counterattack he is a big threat, because of his intelligent runs.
On this day in 2013, Chelsea won the Europa League for the first time
Fernando Torres scored against the run of play to put Chelsea ahead on the hour but Oscar Cardozo's penalty deservedly drew Benfica level.
Blues keeper Petr Cech saved superbly from Cardozo and Frank Lampard struck the woodwork in a dramatic conclusion before Ivanovic - suspended for last year's Champions League final - rose to meet Juan Mata's corner deep into stoppage time to prompt a subdued clenched-fist celebration from Benitez.
It was a night when Chelsea rode their luck for periods against their Portuguese opponents but the sheer grit and resilience shown in grinding out this win in their 68th game of the season is a tribute to their reserves of character.
On this day in 1963, Tottenham became the first British club to win a European trophy
Played at Rotterdam's Feyenoord Stadium before a crowd of 49,000, the Final was close for about a half. Tottenham forward Jimmy Greaves scored first in the 16th minute, then his fellow forward John White extended the lead to 2-0 in the 35th minute. The Spanish side pulled one back shortly after the break, when forward Enrique Collar converted a 47th-minute penalty kick, but it was all Spurs after that.
Forward Terry Dyson restored the two-goal advantage with a 67th-minute strike, then both he and Graves completed braces (Greaves 80', Dyson 85') to finish the match 5-1.