Game #4451
Saturday, 28 December 1996
Attendance: 38,130
Drew
Premier League
7th (-2)
Arsenal
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟨
Highbury
Villa are held at Highbury and slip to 7th in the Premier League table.
Arsenal
2-2
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Mark Draper | 68’ | Savo Milošević | 74’ |
KEY MAN
Riccardo Scimeca, displayed defender's instincts
RELATED MATCHES
MATCH TIMELINE
🥅 | 13’ Goal, 1-0, (Arsenal), Ian Wright
🕒 | HT Arsenal 0-1 Aston Villa
⚽ | 68’ Goal, 1-1, Savo Milošević, Assist by Mark Draper
🥅 | 73’ Goal, 1-2, (Arsenal), Paul Merson
⚽ | 74’ Goal, 2-2, Dwight Yorke, Assist by Savo Milošević
🔁 | 87’ Sub off, Mark Draper, Sub on, Tommy Johnson
🕒 | FT Arsenal 2-2 Aston Villa
🟨 | Booking, Ugo Ehiogu
🟨 | Booking, Steve Staunton
🟨 | Booking, Dwight Yorke
ON THIS DAY
As in the return fixture earlier in the season, future Villa midfielder Paul Merson scored for the Gunners in another 2-2 draw.
Future Villa manager Rémi Garde lined up for Arsenal.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1995-96
Arsenal
European Cup / Champions League: ❌
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: 🏆
League Champions: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆
FA Cup Winners: 🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 🏆
League Cup Winners: 🏆🏆
Last Trophy: 1993–94
FIXTURE HISTORY
Previous 5 vs. Arsenal: 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1996-97 |
Matchday | #24 |
League Game | #20 |
Manager Game | #105 |
Saturday, 28 December 1996
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Brian Little | 🏴 | Peterlee, 1994-1998
Referee: Jeff Winter | 🏴 | Middlesbrough, 1992-2004
Kick off: 3.00pm
HT Score: 🟥 0-1
FT Score: 🟨 2-2
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟥 🟨
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Jeff Winter | 🏴 | Middlesbrough, 1992-2004
Previous 5: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟩
Last Match: 🟩 23 October 1996, League Cup, Villa 2-1 Leeds, Elland Road.
Cards: 🟨 🟨 🟨
CARDS
Villa
🟨 🟨 🟨
Arsenal
None
TEAM NEWS
Villa name an unchanged line up for the second successive game.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.98 |
Oldest Player
M Andy Townsend | 🇮🇪 | 33.46 |
Youngest Player
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 | 21.56 |
MANAGER
Brian Little | 🏴 |
MANAGER
Arsène Wenger | 🇫🇷 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
RB Fernando Nélson | 🇵🇹 |
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 | 🟨 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 | 🟨 |
M Ian Taylor | 🏴 |
M Mark Draper | 🏴 | 🔥 | 🔁 |
M Andy Townsend | 🇮🇪 |
CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 | ⚽ | 🟨 |
CF Savo Milošević | 🇷🇸 | ⚽ | 🔥 |
Arsenal
GK John Lukic | 🏴 |
LB Nigel Winterburn | 🏴 |
CB Tony Adams | 🏴 |
CB Steve Bould | 🏴 |
CB Martin Keown (ex) | 🏴 |
M Patrick Viera | 🇫🇷 |
M Ray Parlour | 🏴 |
M Rémi Garde | 🇫🇷 | 🔁 |
M Paul Merson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
F Dennis Bergkamp | 🇳🇱 |
CF Ian Wright | 🏴 | ⚽ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CF Tommy Johnson | 🏴 | for M Mark Draper | 🏴 | 87’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Rémi Garde | 🇫🇷 | (RB Steve Morrow | 🇬🇧 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Michael Oakes | 🏴 |
CB Carl Tiler | 🏴 |
M Saša Ćurčić | 🇷🇸 |
CF Julian Joachim | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Vince Bartram | 🏴 |
CB Andy Linighan | 🏴 |
M Paul Shaw | 🏴 |
CF John Hartson | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 5/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 13/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Abbreviations:
GK : Goalkeeper
LB, RB, FB : Left Back, Right Back, Full Back
CB, D : Centre Back, Defender
M, W : Midfielder. Winger
F, CF : Forward, Centre Forward
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE

PROGRAMME



MATCHDAY QUOTES
"Both these enterprising teams will give it a firm shot, and play some entertaining stuff along the way, but the title may be beyond them. Having shared four goals at Villa Park earlier this season, they repeated the scoreline in this absorbing game."
*The Sunday Independent*
Sunday, 29 December 1996
Aston Villa up the tempo and earn a point
IN this open season, Arsenal and Aston Villa fancy their chances of closing in on the silverware next May.
Both these enterprising teams will give it a firm shot, and play some entertaining stuff along the way, but the title may be beyond them. Having shared four goals at Villa Park earlier this season, they repeated the scoreline in this absorbing game. Both showed glimpses of vibrant football, yet neither could impose themselves enough to emerge victorious.
Vieira, back in the Arsenal line-up after serving a two-match suspension. gave the home side a lift. It is a measure of the impact the young Frenchman has had that the midfield had looked decidedly lacklustre without his spark. His presence gave Arsenal's creative outlets - Bergkamp, Wright and Merson - added confidence. The subtle touch of Bergkamp opened up what little space there was.
Having given Bosnich his first test of the afternoon with a speculative lob, the Dutchman created the opening goal after 13 minutes. Bergkamp's accuracy and awareness provided Wright with the kind of chance he relishes. Picking up a neat interception from Vieira, he turned the ball directly into Wright's path. The Arsenal marksman raced clear, leaving Villa's three central defenders in a line behind him, and finished crisply.
From the moment the ball left Bergkamp's foot a goal was inevitable, such was the quality of his pass. When the Arsenal front pair are both on song, the rapport between them is sweet harmony. Moments later the roles were reversed, Wright finding Bergkamp accelerating into the box with a quick touch, but the linesman raised his flag. Where Villa's hack three were struggling to match Arsenal's movement in the absence of the injured Gareth Southgate, the home trio of Adams, Bould and Keown snuffed out the threat of Yorke and Milosevic.
Although a vital interception by Adams on Draper deprived the visitors a chance of a swift equaliser. Arsenal should have increased their lead before the break, creating a string of excellent chances. Scimeca's block denied Wright a certain second, after the explosive striker latched on to another immaculate pass from Bergkamp and danced past Bosnich towards a gaping, unprotected net. Then Arsenal's Dutch international produced a fitting shot which Villa's Australian goalkeeper parried, Keown hooked the ball back into the danger area, only for Bould to flick a header over the bar.
Villa started the second half in more determined mood, wasting no time in crafting Yorke's first chance of the afternoon. Villa's top scorer broke into the penalty area and his shot seemed to slip straight through the fumbling Lukic's grasp. The Arsenal goalkeeper was relieved that Bould was on hand to clear the ball before it slipped over the line.
The visitors' break came with 22 minutes remaining. Nelson whipped a free-kick into the box, Draper nodded the ball back across goal, and there was Milosevic to strike sweetly past Lukic. Five minutes later the Serb might have scored again, launching onto Townsend's cross to send a header on to the crossbar, with a little help from Lukic.
All that excitement was merely a prelude to an action packed two minutes, during which Arsenal again took the lead and Villa again equalised. Substitute Morrow fed Merson, who scored a delightful goal, finishing an artistic dribble with an audacious strike. No sooner had he run off in celebration than Yorke met Milosevic's pass to guide the ball under I.ukic and into the back of the net. It was breathless stuff, with both teams following their attacking instincts.