Memories of Arsenal's incredible unbeaten season with the 'Invincibles' are mostly coloured with domination and euphoric celebrations. A large part of that was owed to Thierry Henry for ripping apart nearly every opposition defence.
But when they faced Liverpool on April 9, 2004, fear circulated the air inside a tense Highbury, with the knowledge that Arsenal's season was on the brink of ruin after a catastrophic week for Arsene Wenger's side.
Off the back of a double exit from the Champions League and FA Cup, Wenger needed to steer his side back on course with the Premier League title still yet to be wrapped up. The last thing he needed was his fellow Frenchman, Gerard Houllier, coming to visit with the Merseyside outfit.
Just six days earlier, Arsenal had been dreaming of becoming only the second English side to record a magnificent Treble, following Manchester United's success in 1998-99. So it was fitting that the Red Devils were the ones to obliterate their hopes by knocking them out of the FA Cup at the semi-final stage.
Just days later, Arsenal faced their newest challenger to the domestic title in Chelsea, backed by oil-rich Roman Abramovich. And the Blues put on a terrific display at Highbury, with Wayne Bridge the unlikely hero as he drilled home into the bottom corner to hand Claudio Ranieri's side a shock victory.
Then came Liverpool, who were challenging for the Champions League qualification spots with Man United and boasted the likes of Steven Gerrard, Michael Owen and Jamie Carragher. Beating them would be no easy task for Arsenal, who had gone 29 games unbeaten in the league and were four points clear at the top. And three defeats in a week would pile the pressure on Wenger's side.
Have Your Say! Which is your favourite Thierry Henry moment in an Arsenal shirt? Comment below.
Henry was listed as a doubt for the match on Good Friday after missing the FA Cup clash against Manchester United. But after passing a late fitness test, he was named in the starting XI. And that slice of good fortune handed Arsenal the belief they needed to take home a crucial victory.
"I was already struggling against Chelsea. I didn't play against United at Villa Park, so very close," he added. "But there were many games in my career where I was close [to missing]. I went out there and it could have been a big mistake, but it wasn't."
Liverpool took an early lead through Sami Hyypia's header from a corner after just five minutes. But on the half-hour mark, Robert Pires lifted an exquisite ball over the top for Henry to run onto and with two touches, he controlled the ball and slid it underneath Jerzy Dudek. The visitors retook the lead through Owen just before half-time, giving Arsenal an uphill task to salvage their unbeaten record and perhaps also their season.
"We knew there was a sense of urgency because you play against Liverpool, who were a great team at the time," Henry told Sky Sports' Greatest Game. "You know if you don't go out and perform, they are going to punish you. As we all know, we were 2-1 down at half-time and it didn't look like we were going to win that game."
Still, if Arsenal had Henry, they had belief. The French forward combined with Freddie Ljungberg to set up Pires for the leveller at 2-2 and a minute later, produced one of the most memorable goals the Premier League has ever witnessed.
Picking up the ball from midfield, he left Dietmar Hamann on the floor. Then, as he advanced towards goal, his clever drag of the ball to his left duped Carragher and left him with only Dudek to beat. Once he opened up his body in classic Henry style, there was only one outcome.
If anything, it was a shame his hat-trick was completed with a moment of unbelievable fortune as the ball cannoned off Dudek and ricocheted off Henry into the net to complete a stunning 4-2 comeback. The fans knew it and so did the players too, that this was their year. But did they expect to seal the unbeaten record as well?
"That [victory] was a big relief, because there was a question mark over our heads after two back-to-back defeats in big games," Henry added. "You know if you don't lose for a little while you can win the title. We didn't think we were going to stay unbeaten, but with every game you win you believe that anything is possible."
And they proved the impossible was indeed possible. Despite winning only three of their remaining eight fixtures, Arsenal were crowned champions and with it, earned the 'Invincibles' tag that has stuck with them for 18 years. No one will need to remind him, but Henry's hat-trick heroics - and 30 goals that season - will forever be recognised as crucial in achieving that feat.
