The 2002–2003 season was Liverpool Football Club's 111th season in existence and their 41st consecutive season in the top-flight of English football.
Season summary Having finished second the previous season, Liverpool had high hopes to win their first league title since 1990. Indeed, they topped the Premier League table after their first 12 games (including a seven-game winning streak), picking up 30 points out of a possible 36, a run which saw them four points clear at the top from reigning champions Arsenal. However, on 9 November 2002, they suffered a surprise 1–0 away defeat at the hands of high-fliers Middlesbrough. This wasn't completely disastrous; it did see their lead cut to one point but three days later, they completed a miserable week after they bowed out of the Champions League after failure to beat Basel. That week's two results started a freefall of 13 matches without victory (including 11 league games) and a dismal run of only two wins in 16 league matches (both away at Southampton and West Ham United) which ended such title hopes. They were, in fact, out of the top four altogether, never to return after a shock 2–1 defeat at struggling Sunderland. However, their first home league win in four months came in a 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers on 8 March 2003, starting a more promising run of seven wins in eight league games which almost took the club to Champions League qualification anyway, but defeats at the hands of Manchester City and Chelsea in the final two games of the season buried those hopes. A League Cup win following a 2–0 victory over arch-rivals Manchester United was the sole glorious moment of a disappointing season. Competition Result Top scorer Premier League 5th Michael Owen, 19 Champions League First group stage Michael Owen, 4 UEFA Cup Quarter-finals Michael Owen, 3 FA Cup Fourth round Danny Murphy, 1 League Cup Winners El Hadji Diouf, 3 Overall Michael Owen, 28
First-team squad
Left club during season
Statistics Appearances As of end of season
Transfers
In #PosPlayerFromFeeDate28MF Bruno Cheyrou Lille£3,700,00016 May 20029FW El Hadji Diouf Lens£10,000,0001 June 2002–MF Alou Diarra Bayern MunichFree9 July 200239GK Patrice Luzi MonacoFree29 July 200221MF Salif Diao Sedan£4,700,0006 August 2002
Out #PosPlayerToFeeDate21GK Jørgen Nielsen NordsjællandFree1 July 200220MF Nick Barmby Leeds United£3,750,0008 August 200229DF Stephen Wright Sunderland£1,500,00015 August 200237MF Jari Litmanen AjaxFree30 August 2002
In: £18,400,000 Out: £5,250,000 Total spending: £13,150,000
Competitions
Premier League
League table
Results by round
Matches
FA Cup Matches
League Cup Matches
Champions League
Group B
Matches
UEFA Cup
Matches
References
Notes
External links 2002–03 Liverpool F.C. season at LFCHistory.net