Thierry Henry has won the PFA Players' Player of the Year award for the second successive year.
The Frenchman's influence on Arsenal's title-winning campaign made him the outstanding candidate.
He won ahead of fellow nominees Frank Lampard, who was second, Steven Gerrard (third), Alan Shearer, Jay-Jay Okocha and Patrick Vieira.
Chelsea midfielder Scott Parker was the surprise choice for young player of the year, beating his captain John Terry.
Henry's honour came just hours after Arsenal clinched the championship following a 2-2 draw at Tottenham.
He became only the third player to win it twice - after Mark Hughes and Alan Shearer - and the first to win it two years running. Arsenal had six players in the PFA's Premiership Team of the Year, which also included Vieira, Robert Pires, Sol Campbell, Lauren and Ashley Cole. "I am quite lucky to play in a special team," Henry said. "The strikers grab the headlines but I have special players around me. "We play as a team and we are willing to fight for each other, and you need that ability. "It's like we are a family, willing to do things together and fight for it." Gunners captain Vieira praised Henry's contribution to the their success, particularly in recent weeks.
"He will tell you it is a team game but he has been tremendous in the last two games when we have been a little bit tired and needed someone to do something special," Vieira said. Parker's emergence as a player with international potential was confirmed in January when he joined Chelsea in a �10m move from Charlton. He is not yet a fixture in the Blues line-up but started both legs of the Champions League quarter-final against Arsenal. Parker said: "This is very pleasing for me and it rounds off a brilliant season, although there are a couple of things that could still go my way in the summer, such as the Champions League and the European Championship. "It has been a tough year for me but a brilliant year. It was always going to be tough leaving Charlton because I had not known anything else since the age of nine.
"It was always going to take a bit of time to settle in at Chelsea but I am happy with the way things are going."
PFA Divisional Awards:
FA BARCLAYCARD PREMIERSHIP
Tim Howard (Manchester United), Lauren (Arsenal), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), John Terry (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Robert Pires (Arsenal), Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United).
NATIONWIDE FIRST DIVISION
Robert Green (Norwich), Phil Jagielka (Sheffield United), Danny Gabbidon (Cardiff), Malky Mackay (Norwich), Julio Arca (Sunderland), Tim Cahill (Millwall), Michael Carrick (West Ham), Jason Koumas (West Brom), Andrew Reid, (Nottingham Forest), Robert Earnshaw (Cardiff), Andrew Johnson (Crystal Palace).
NATIONWIDE SECOND DIVISION
Steven Phillips (Bristol City), Louis Carey (Bristol City), Graham Coughlan (Plymouth), Danny Cullip (Brighton), Gino Padula (QPR), Carlos Edwards (Wrexham), David Friio (Plymouth), Brian Tinnion (Bristol City), Richard Wellens (Blackpool), Leon Knight (Brighton), Scott Taylor (Blackpool).
NATIONWIDE THIRD DIVISION
Chris Weale (Yeovil), Nathan Stanton (Scunthorpe), Andrew Crosby (Oxford), Efe Sodje (Huddersfield), Andrew Dawson (Hull), Peter Beagrie (Scunthorpe), Liam Lawrence (Mansfield), Michael McIndoe (Doncaster), Alex Russell (Torquay), David Graham (Torquay), Lee Trundle (Swansea).
Tottenham 2-2 Arsenal
MAY 2004
Arsenal claimed the Premiership title after drawing with rivals Spurs. The champions-elect took a third minute lead when Patrick Vieira slid the ball home after a counter-attack involving Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp. The Dutchman then combined with Vieira to set up Robert Pires, who calmly slotted the ball into the corner.
But Spurs pulled a goal back through Jamie Redknapp's shot and Robbie Keane secured a late equaliser with a penalty after being fouled by Jens Lehmann. Thirty-three years ago Arsenal also won the title at White Hart Lane, though in 1971 they had to wait until the 88th minute before Ray Kennedy popped up to head the winner for Bertie Mee's side. The Spurs team circa 2004 proved less resilient and within three minutes the visitors were ahead.
Henry's pace has been key to Arsenal's success this season and the Frenchman's speed of thought and movement provided the impetus for Vieira's breathtaking goal.
KEY MOMENTS
3 mins: Vieira puts Arsenal ahead with a wonderful goal
35 mins: Pires adds a second after a more incisive approach play
63 mins: Redknapp's well-struck shot gives Spurs hope
78 mins: Pires's shot hits the bar
90 mins: Keane's late penalty earns Spurs a point
After a Spurs corner, Henry scampered away down the left wing before feeding the ball to Bergkamp.
The Dutchman curled his cross into the path of Vieira, who touched the ball home. Throughout Keane worked manfully for Spurs in attack to bring the home side back into the game. The Republic of Ireland international won a free-kick after being fouled by Kolo Toure and Redknapp's low shot drew a competent save from Lehmann. Keane also held the ball up well before passing to Mauricio Taricco, whose dipping shot nearly embarrassed Lehmann.
Just before the half-hour Sol Campbell had to react quickly to head the ball clear with Keane lurking. But five minutes later Arsenal mercilessly exposed Spurs' defensive shortcomings.
Bergkamp was again the creator, his vision and weight of pass slicing opened the Spurs defence on the right as he fed Vieira. The Arsenal captain turned the ball into the path of Pires, who calmly clipped the ball past Kasey Keller. Spurs kept plugging away and on 62 minutes Redknapp reduced the deficit. Brown and the substitute Defoe linked well to create an opening for Redknapp and his low shot arrowed past Lehmann. Arsenal continued to create openings and Henry hit the side-netting while Pires rattled the crossbar.
But Spurs never gave up and in stoppage time referee Mark Halsey penalised Lehmann for a foul on Keane as a Brown corner skimmed the crossbar. The Irishman made no mistake from the spot to earn Spurs an important point in their fight against relegation.
Tottenham: Keller, Kelly (Poyet 79), Gardner, King, Taricco (Bunjevcevic 90), Davies, Brown, Redknapp, Jackson (Defoe 45), Kanoute, Keane. Subs Not Used: Ricketts, Hirschfeld. Booked: Redknapp, Keane.
Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Parlour (Edu 67), Vieira, Silva, Pires, Henry, Bergkamp (Reyes 80). Subs Not Used: Keown, Clichy, Stack. Booked: Lehmann.
Attendance: 36,097.
Referee: M Halsey (Lancashire).
28 MARCH 2004
Substitute Louis Saha equalised late on to earn Manchester United a point in a compelling encounter at Highbury. Arsenal 1-1 Man Utd
Thierry Henry had spectacularly given the home side the lead when he fired in a sublime swerving 30-yard shot. United were angered when Ryan Giggs' penalty appeal after a Sol Campbell tackle was rejected, but Saha slotted in at the far post to snatch a draw. The draw means Arsenal have now set a record of 30 league games unbeaten from the start of the season.
Arsenal had kicked off this much-anticipated game and a lively opening period more than matched the hype. United set the tone at a vociferous Highbury as Paul Scholes almost embarrassed Arsenal defender Kolo Toure but failed to get a proper contact on his shot.
KEY MOMENTS
50 mins: Henry powers Arsenal ahead
53 mins: Giggs is denied a penalty
86 mins: Saha levels for Man Utd
Arsenal's response saw Henry play Freddie Ljungberg through only for a last-ditch tackle by Wes Brown to come to the visitors' rescue. Almost immediately, Ljungberg's angled shot forced keeper Roy Carroll into a near-post save when he might have done better to square a pass to the in-rushing Jose Antonio Reyes. At the other end, Gunners keeper Jens Lehmann had to dive quickly to his right to scramble away a well-struck Eric Djemba-Djemba volley. A sprawling Carroll was back in action when saving a shot from Reyes before the flow of the game was interrupted by stoppages for strong tackles. Tempers almost boiled over just after the half-hour mark when Patrick Vieira was penalised for a challenge on Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The clash resulted in Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and his United counterpart Sir Alex Ferguson having a heated exchange on the touchline. Gary Neville was correctly denied a penalty soon after before Scholes mis-timed a shot during two moments of danger in the home box. Henry was then through on the United goal but the usually clinical striker's first touch was too heavy and, when he fell in the area, his penalty claim was also justifiably waved away. A fast and furious half ended with Roy Keane flashing a shot across the Arsenal goal. Henry then landed a telling blow when he sent his long-range effort into the top of the United net shortly after the interval.
The visitors thought they would be given the chance to equalise from the spot but had the most viable penalty claim of the match turned down after Campbell stumbled into Giggs. The referee decided there had been no contact had been made to the anger of United's players.
Arsenal sat back and tried to protect their lead but paid the price when Saha arrived at the far post to sidefoot in a Solskjaer cross at the far post. Van Nistelrooy had the chance to grab a winner but he headed straight at Lehmann before Henry headed wide at the other end in a frantic finish.
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Arsenal: Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Clichy, Pires (Bergkamp 85), Vieira, Edu, Ljungberg (Cygan 82), Reyes (Silva 77), Henry. Subs not used: Kanu, Stack. Booked: Clichy.
Man Utd: Carroll, Gary Neville, Brown, Silvestre, O'Shea, Fletcher (Solskjaer 71), Djemba-Djemba (Saha 59), Keane, Scholes, Giggs, van Nistelrooy. Subs not used: Phil Neville, Butt, Howard. Booked: Scholes.
Attendance: 38,184
Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).
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# Henry is kids' fave world player
28 FEB 2004
Thierry Henry is the world's best footballer according to young readers of Match magazine.
The Arsenal and France star finished top of the magazine's poll to find its readers best 50 players in the world.
Only two UK players were in the top 10, David Beckham at five and his ex-Man United pal Ryan Giggs at nine.
Beckham is one of six players from Real Madrid in the top 10, with the five spots behind Henry all taken by players from the Spanish giants. Becks is at number five in the poll The rest of the top 50 is a surprising list, as only 18 of the top 50 play their football in the Premiership.
The editor of Match magazine, Simon Caney, said: "The Match World Top 50 results show the enormous knowledge that our young readers have, not just of the Premiership, but of the world game."
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