The expensive Arsenal kit blunder that will make Portsmouth's Fratton faithful chuckle

So imagine the chuckles that will be heard among the Fratton Faithful upon news of an embarrassing kit cock-up by the Gunners to honour that 2003-04 Premier League campaign.

Indeed, it’s a blunder so severe that Arsenal have had to withdraw from sale their new £110 ‘authentic’ home shirt and offer refunds while the error is corrected.

The design fault was spotted by eagle-eyed Gunners fans, who carefully ran their eye over the white trim that runs down the side of the latest shirt.

Incorporated in the trim is a sequence of Ws and Ds that reflect the team’s unbeaten record that season and ultimately led to Arsenal lifting the Premier League title ahead of nearest challengers Chelsea.

But instead of 38 results – 26 wins and 12 draws – being included, only 32 match results were stitched into the design, leaving manufacturers Adidas red-faced.

And it just so happens that Pompey’s 1-1 draw with the Gunners at Fratton Park on Tuesday, May 4, 2004, is one of the six mistakenly left out.

It would have been a lot more comical if the Blues’ draw at Highbury from earlier in the season - September 13, 2003 – had been one of the results overlooked, particularly given the circumstances of the stalemate that Saturday afternoon.

Yet, no doubt, Pompey fans will still see the funny side of the error – especially as many believe Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season and place in the history books would not exist if referee Alan Wiley had not fallen for the Robert Pires theatrics that helped Arsene Wenger’s side secure a point on match-day five of the campaign.

Harry Redknapp’s Blues had taken a 36-minute lead through Teddy Sheringham, with the former Spurs striker recording his fifth goal in five games for his new side.

However, that lead was controversially cancelled out four minutes later when Pires fell to the ground inside the Pompey penalty area when challenged by Dejan Stefanovic. It was a clumsy tackle by Blues defender, but no contact was made, while he admitted to The News that the Frenchman later apologised to him for the dive.

Thierry Henry subsequently equalised from the penalty spot – and the rest is history as far as Arsenal are concerned as they went on to complete the season unbeaten.

Only, 20 years later, the Gunners & Co seem to have forgotten all the events from that important campaign.

That’s something which won’t happen down these parts, with that Highbury draw still raw for many of the Fratton faithful who watched on that day.