The 2001–02 season was Arsenal Football Club's 10th season in the Premier League and their 76th consecutive season in the top flight of English football. Having ended the previous season as FA Cup finalists and league runners-up to Manchester United, the club went one better in this campaign, by completing the domestic double – their second in four years and third overall. Arsenal won the Premier League by a seven-point margin, were unbeaten away from home and managed the unique feat of scoring in every league game. They lost only three times in the division, all of which were at home. At the Millennium Stadium, Arsenal beat Chelsea 2–0 to win the 2002 FA Cup Final. In Europe however, they fared poorly as they were eliminated in the second group stage of the UEFA Champions League.
In the transfer window, Arsenal sold several fringe players, notably Nelson Vivas to Internazionale and Sylvinho to Celta Vigo; goalkeeper John Lukic was released following his decision to retire. Goalkeeper Richard Wright was signed as an earmarked understudy to David Seaman, while midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst and striker Francis Jeffers were purchased in big money moves from Rangers and Everton respectively. Perhaps the most marked signing for Arsenal was the acquisition of defender Sol Campbell, who moved from local rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer.
Manager Arsène Wenger was named Barclaycard Manager of the Year and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg received the player equivalent – the Barclaycard Player of the Year, in recognition of the team's achievement. Winger Robert Pires was given the accolade of being the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, while Thierry Henry ended the campaign as club and the league's top goalscorer, the latter for which he was awarded the Premier League Golden Boot. At the end of the season, club captain Tony Adams announced his retirement from football after almost 20 years at the club; he was followed by fellow defender Lee Dixon and club goalkeeping coach Bob Wilson.
Background
In the 2000–01 season, Arsenal finished second in the Premier League for the third consecutive season – this time ten points behind Manchester United. The title race was as good as over by February, when Arsenal lost 6–1 to United at Old Trafford. The season gave priority to cups, with the best chance of ending their three-year wait for a trophy being in the FA Cup; Arsenal beat Tottenham Hotspur in the semi-finals and met Liverpool in the final. Although they dominated most of the match and went a goal up, they succumbed to two late Michael Owen goals and lost 2–1.
Transfers
The cup final defeat prompted manager Arsène Wenger to admit new players would be brought in during the transfer window. To fill the seemingly large void left by Emmanuel Petit in the centre of midfield, Giovanni van Bronckhorst was signed from Rangers for £8.5 million. Teenager Francis Jeffers was purchased from Everton in an initial £8 million deal. Junichi Inamoto and Richard Wright were also recruited, with Nelson Vivas and Sylvinho departing the club. After a protracted transfer saga, which involved him questioning Arsenal's ambitions and being linked to a move with Manchester United, midfielder Patrick Vieira remained at the club.
Perhaps the marked signing of the summer was defender Sol Campbell, who moved from rivals Tottenham Hotspur on a Bosman ruling. The player's wage demands seemed to have extinguished Arsenal's chances of signing the player at one point. Campbell was unveiled at a midday news conference on 3 July 2001, which journalists "presumed had been called to announce goalkeeper Richard Wright's arrival from Ipswich." Wenger described Campbell as the "best", adding: "I felt we could not compete on financial basis with the top clubs but we could give him a football challenge."
In No.PositionPlayerTransferred fromFeeDateRef57DFJuanSão PauloUndisclosed1 May 20019FWFrancis JeffersEverton£10,000,00014 June 200116MFGiovanni van BronckhorstRangers£8,500,00019 June 200123DFSol CampbellTottenham HotspurFree transfer3 July 200124GKRichard WrightIpswich Town£6,000,0005 July 200119MFJunichi InamotoGamba Osaka£3,500,00023 July 200127DFStathis TavlaridisIraklis£1,000,00019 September 200128DFKolo Touré ASEC Mimosas£150,00014 February 2002
Out No.PositionPlayerTransferred toFeeDateRef40DFLee CanovilleTorquay UnitedFree transfer1 June 200124GKJohn LukicRetiredFree transfer1 June 200123DFNelson VivasInternazionaleFree transfer12 June 200119MFStefan MalzKaiserslautern£580,00024 June 200127MF Guillaume NorbertLorientFree transfer25 July 200126MFGuy DemelBorussia Dortmund£194,00025 July 200116DFSylvinhoCelta Vigo£5,000,00031 August 200144MFGreg LincolnStevenage BoroughFree transfer1 September 2001
Pre-season Arsenal kicked off their pre-season in England playing, and beating both Boreham Wood, and Rushden & Diamonds, before flying to Austria to play a series of friendlies against Turkish club, Kocaelispor, Spanish side Real Mallorca, and Italian champions, Roma, with mixed results. Both Sol Campbell and Richard Wright made their debuts for the club in the 2–0 win against Real Mallorca. Returning to England they won games against Norwich City., and Barnet, before the commencement of the Premier League.
Results
Tony Adams Testimonial Following his announcement of retirement, a testimonial match was organised for Tony Adams at the end of the season, against the Scottish football champions, Celtic, on 13 May, at Highbury. The match played out as a 1–1 draw, with Lee Dixon scoring the singular Arsenal goal.
Premier League
August–October
Arsenal's league campaign started on 18 August 2001, with an away fixture at Middlesbrough. Thierry Henry scored the opening goal in the 43rd minute, before teammate Ray Parlour was sent off in the second half for a second bookable offence. In spite of the man disadvantage, Arsenal was awarded a late penalty which was converted in by Robert Pires – it was conceded by Ugo Ehiogu for a trip on Ashley Cole, who subsequently was sent off. Substitute Dennis Bergkamp added two goals in two minutes, in what finished a 4–0 victory. At home to Leeds United, Arsenal conceded within the half-hour after Ian Harte's "low, left-footed free-kick" beat goalkeeper Seaman. Although Sylvain Wiltord equalised moments after, striker Mark Viduka in the second half collected a pass from Harry Kewell and used his strength to beat Tony Adams and score for the visitors. In spite of an attacking formation change and Leeds going down to nine men, as Danny Mills and Lee Bowyer were dismissed, Arsenal was unable to break down their defence. Goals from Ljungberg, Wiltord, Henry and Kanu against Leicester City moved Arsenal into third place, a point behind joint-leaders Everton and Leeds.
The team could only manage a draw against Chelsea on 8 September 2001, in a game described by The Guardian writer David Lacey as one where "the teams simply battered away at each other until one cracked." Henry scored the winning goal away to newly promoted outfit Fulham; the 3–1 victory moved Arsenal to the top of the league for the first time in the campaign. Against Bolton Wanderers, Arsenal was held to a 1–1 draw after Jeffers' goal was cancelled out by Michael Ricketts. A win at Derby County, where Henry scored two goals was followed by an identical scoreline against Southampton at the new St. Mary's Stadium. At home to Blackburn Rovers, midfielder Keith Gillespie gave the visitors the lead, before Pires equalised and Bergkamp put Arsenal in front. A mistake by Lauren presented David Dunn the chance to shoot "from 25 yards" and score. Henry's controlled effort looked to have been the winner for Arsenal, until a pass by Tugay caused goalkeeper Wright to "race out of his goal" – the loose ball was collected by Dunn who shot into the empty net. Although Wenger was disappointed with the manner of the defeat, he saw some encouragement: "What's positive for everyone is that Manchester United are dropping points as well. But we need to rectify the fact we concede goals at home." October ended with a draw against Sunderland, where notably former Arsenal player Stefan Schwarz equalised for the home side and Patrick Vieira missed a penalty.
November–February
Arsenal's first fixture of November was at home to Charlton Athletic. The team conceded four goals in 20 minutes and blew several chances to "kill the game", in what was the club's biggest home defeat in the league under Wenger. An away trip to local rivals Tottenham Hostpur became magnified with interest, given it marked the return of Campbell following his move to Arsenal. An 81st-minute goal scored by Pires put Arsenal into the lead, before a lapse by Wright in goal allowed Gus Poyet's shot to squirm from his grasp and enter the goalnet. Arsenal then faced league champions Manchester United and in spite of conceding inside 14 minutes through a Paul Scholes’ strike, Ljungberg equalised for them "with a wonderful chipped finish, following Gary Neville's wretched error." Arsenal improved in the second half but scored in unforeseen fashion: United goalkeeper Fabien Barthez passed the ball directly into the feet of Henry, who profited from the error and scored. Five minutes later, Barthez's failure to grasp the ball presented Henry the chance to score his second, which he did. Both Henry and Wenger defended the opposition goalkeeper, with the former, his international teammate saying: "Of course I was happy to score the goals but it was strange. He's my good friend and I feel sorry for him; I would rather have got them another way."
Arsenal beat Ipswich Town on 1 December 2001 to put the club second in the league table. A week later the team played Aston Villa,. Goals from ex-Arsenal midfielder Paul Merson and Steve Stone gave the visitors a deserved lead before Arsenal produced an "enthralling" fight back, capped off by Henry, who scored the winner in stoppage time. The team drew 1–1 at West Ham United and lost more ground at the top of the league table following a comprehensive home defeat to Newcastle United. Arsenal began the Christmas period with a fixture against Liverpool and the team were without Vieira, who was suspended. Striker Michael Owen thought he had scored his 100th goal for Liverpool, which was acrobatically cleared off the line by Cole. Vieira's replacement Giovanni van Bronckhorst was sent off in the 35th minute for a dive but the man disadvantage did not stop Arsenal "catching their opponents on the break". The team scored the first goal of the match – a penalty, converted by Henry minutes before the interval and "uncharacteristic slackness" by Steven Gerrard allowed Pires to beat his defender and cross the ball from the left-hand side; it was met by Ljungberg, who nipped in at the far post to double Arsenal's lead. Jari Litmanen pulled a goal back for Liverpool but Arsenal hung on to record their first win at Anfield in Wenger's tenure. On Boxing Day Arsenal recorded a win against Chelsea and two days after, earned three points at home to Middlesbrough, courtesy of a headed winner by Cole.
In their first league match of 2002, Arsenal hosted Liverpool at Highbury. The match brought "little but frustration" for the home side as Liverpool scored an equaliser six minutes after Ljungberg gave Arsenal the lead. More ground was lost and the initiative was handed to Manchester United, following a second successive stalemate in the league, this time away to Leeds on 20 January 2002. With results going in Arsenal's favour that midweek however, the club moved second in the table after a 3–1 win against Leicester City. Victory away to Blackburn Rovers, where Oleh Luzhnyi was sent off in the second half and his defensive partner Campbell "provided the sort of display usually described as sterling", kept Arsenal in-touch of Manchester United.