When Arsenal 'ran riot' against Inter at San Siro

Arsenal and Inter Milan volition beryllium gathering for conscionable the 3rd clip successful the Champions League connected Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

They past faced disconnected 21 years agone erstwhile an unthinkable Arsenal broadside turned up to the San Siro and thrashed an Inter squad stacked afloat of stars 5-1.

That group-stage triumph was 1 of Arsenal's precise champion nether Arsene Wenger and helped propel the Gunners to their unbeaten Premier League title.

This is however the nighttime went down, and however a fewer fortunate Arsenal fans successful Milan remembered it...

After a 3-0 nonaccomplishment to Inter astatine Highbury and a 2-1 decision successful Kyiv, Arsenal were successful occupation successful Group B.

Failure to bushed Inter connected matchday four, coupled with an unfavourable effect elsewhere, would person knocked them retired of the Champions League.

Despite the hazard of failure, protagonist Mark recalled Luton airdrome being packed with "Gooners" astatine a "ridiculously aboriginal time".

Some Arsenal fans made the travel to Milan a fewer days successful beforehand including Guy McIntyre, who spent the nighttime earlier connected an Inter fan's floor.

Arsenal whitethorn person been flying successful the league with 10 wins from 13, but they were facing an Inter broadside who had already beaten them and had acold amended European Cup pedigree.

The past two-time winners had reached the semi-finals of the Champions League the play anterior and were lone knocked retired connected distant goals by eventual winners and fierce rivals AC Milan.

To the game, which started successful misty, drizzly conditions.

Both Richard Ryan and Kelvin told BBC Sport they had accidentally bought the incorrect tickets and recovered themselves successful the location end, desperately trying to fell their Arsenal allegiances.

The duo's stealth was called upon successful the 25th infinitesimal erstwhile underdogs Arsenal opened the scoring done Thierry Henry.

The Frenchman silenced a chorus of booing location fans by receiving the shot disconnected Ashley Cole and side-footing location from the borderline of the box.

Henry past continued to creation passed Inter's defenders astatine will, but the hosts responded and were level earlier the interruption erstwhile Vieri's changeable deflected wickedly disconnected Sol Campbell, was tipped connected to the barroom by keeper Jens Lehmann but bounced in.

Arsenal protagonist Dr Dave was successful an Irish pub successful Venice "stuffed afloat of Inter fans". He said: "We were 1-0 up and past determination was a five-minute powerfulness chopped - the lights came backmost connected with the people astatine 1-1 and the spot erupted."

With the people 1-1 astatine half-time, Arsenal were heading retired of the Champions League, and yet they produced an inspired second-half show - 1 of the club's champion ever successful Europe.

"I retrieve the archetypal fractional was beauteous adjacent but successful the 2nd half, shooting down towards our corner, Henry, [Robert] Pires, Edu and co. ran riot, sending america ecstatic!" added Guy Wisemen, who was besides astatine the game.

Arsenal retook the pb wrong 5 minutes of the restart erstwhile Henry chopped wrong and recovered Freddie Ljungberg, who fired into the bottommost corner.

It was past a lawsuit of Gunners dominance arsenic they looked for a 3rd and a two-goal cushion, and it yet came successful the 85th infinitesimal done an Henry stunner.

The Frenchman collected the shot from wrong his ain half, charged into the box, bushed Javier Zanetti with a trick, and past smashed 1 into the bottommost corner.

In the Inter conception Richard had already been kicked retired for celebrating Ljungberg's goal, portion Kelvin "went bonkers" for Henry's onslaught but managed to instrumentality astir by "speaking a small Italian".

Three minutes aboriginal and Arsenal grabbed different arsenic Henry's transverse missed Ljungberg successful the mediate but fell kindly for Edu, who passed into an unfastened goal.

Chaos, disorder and delirium for Arsenal supporters.

One infinitesimal aboriginal and the thrashing was implicit erstwhile Jeremie Aliadiere, connected arsenic a precocious substitute, slipped the shot to Robert Pires for fig five.

Arsenal's past biggest ever triumph successful the Champions League enactment them 2nd successful Group B, 1 constituent down Lokomotiv Moscow who they bushed 2-0 2 weeks aboriginal to spell done arsenic radical winners.

Wenger said the Inter effect was "beyond his wildest dreams" portion Ashley Cole said it was similar England's 5-1 triumph implicit Germany "but adjacent better".

"Henry was unplayable that nighttime and it's astir apt my favourite distant lucifer ever," added Guy McIntyre.

"Twenty-four hours successful Milan, I volition ne'er hide it."

Arsenal ended up being knocked retired astatine the quarter-final signifier by Chelsea, but successful the league that play they were unbeatable.

After the Inter lucifer they won 16 of their last 27 Premier League games, lifting the title, and with it the Invincibles were born.