Game #4488
Sunday, 26 October 1997
Attendance: 38,061
Drew
Premier League
13th= (-2)
Arsenal
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟨
Highbury
Villa record another creditable goalless draw as they hold Arsenal at Highbury but it is now one win in five Premier League games and thirteenth place in the table.
Arsenal
0-0
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | None
KEY MAN
Riccardo Scimeca, outstanding
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
🕒 | HT Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
🟥 | 83’ Sending off, (Arsenal), Emmanuel Petit
🕒 | FT Arsenal 0-0 Aston Villa
🟨 | Booking, Gareth Southgate
ON THIS DAY
After their recent league difficulties Villa secure a creditable draw at Highbury.
Former Villa midfielder David Platt entered the fray as a 67’ substitute 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
Arsenal
Previous 5 vs. Arsenal: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 1997-98 |
Matchday | #16 |
League Game | #12 |
Manager Game | #142 |
Sunday, 26 October 1997
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: Brian Little | 🏴 | Peterlee, 1994-1998
Referee: Paul Durkin | 🏴 | Dorset, 1987-2004
Kick off: 4.00pm
HT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Score: 🟨 0-0
FT Result: 🟨 Drew
Last 5: 🟩 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟨
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Paul Durkin | 🏴 | Dorset, 1987-2004
Previous 5: 🟨 🟥 🟩 🟨 🟩
Last Match: 🟩 22 January 1997, FA Cup, Villa 3-0 Notts County, Villa Park.
Cards: 🟥 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
CARDS
TEAM NEWS
Ugo Ehiogu is recalled as Ian Taylor makes way with Stan Collymore, Savo Milošević and Steve Staunton replaced by Gary Charles, Simon Grayson and Julian Joachim. Lee Hendrie makes his first squad appearance of the season.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 25.81 |
Oldest Player
FB Simon Grayson | 🏴 | 27.88 |
Youngest Player
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 | 22.37 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
Brian Little | 🏴 |
Arsène Wenger | 🇫🇷 |
Aston Villa
GK Mark Bosnich | 🇦🇺 |
RB Simon Grayson | 🏴 |
RB Fernando Nélson | 🇵🇹 |
RB Gary Charles | 🏴 |
CB Ugo Ehiogu | 🏴 |
CB Riccardo Scimeca | 🏴 |
CB Gareth Southgate | 🏴 | 🟨 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
M Mark Draper | 🏴 |
CF Dwight Yorke | 🇹🇹 |
CF Julian Joachim | 🏴 |
Arsenal
GK David Seaman | 🏴 | 🟨 |
RB Lee Dixon | 🏴 |
LB Nigel Winterburn | 🏴 |
CB Steve Bould | 🏴 | 🟨 |
CB Tony Adams | 🏴 |
M Patrick Viera | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
M Ray Parlour | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Emmanuel Petit | 🇫🇷 | 🟥 |
W Luis Boa Morte | 🇵🇹 | 🔁 |
F Dennis Bergkamp | 🇳🇱 |
CF Ian Wright | 🏴 |
SUBSTITUTES
No Substitutions Made
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | M Ray Parlour | 🏴 | (M David Platt (ex) | 🏴 |)
🔁 | W Luis Boa Morte | 🇵🇹 | (CF Nicolas Anelka | 🇫🇷 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Michael Oakes | 🏴 |
CB David Hughes | 🏴 |
M Saša Ćurčić | 🇷🇸 |
M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 |
M Scott Murray | 🏴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Alex Manninger | 🇦🇹 |
M Gilles Grimandi | 🇫🇷 |
M Stephen Hughes | 🏴 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 12/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 7/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 9/16
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
"Arsenal's patent frustration at their inability to overcome such obdurate opponents, for whom Simon Grayson and Riccardo Scimeca were outstanding."
*The Irish Independent*
Monday, 27 October 1997
ARSENE Wenger left Highbury yesterday clutching the match-tape. Although not a video nasty, it contains scenes that must concern Arsenal's thoughtful manager. Three players were booked and one dismissed during the clash with Villa and the stalemate ensured Arsenal stayed behind Manchester United.
The Gunners' bouts of indiscipline may yet keep them there. Wenger said he would watch the video from the start but his finger will be twitching over the fast-forward button.
Eighty three minutes into an absorbing if error-strewn Premiership match. Emmanuel Petit was sent off by referee Paul Durkin for laying his hands on the Portland official.
Even before viewing the tape, a clearly upset Wenger said Arsenal would appeal. It was a curious incident. one rooted in Arsenal's patent frustration at their inability to overcome such obdurate opponents, for whom Simon Grayson and Riccardo Scimeca were outstanding.
Arsenal's displeasure boiled over when they thought Ugo Ehiogu had handled in the box. Durkin waved play on and the ball went dead only when Steve Bould flattened Dwight Yorke.
In the first half, Julian Joachim and Yorke knocked Bould over in their determination. Such was the visitors' workrate, the mood embodied by the spine of Scimeca, Grayson and Joachim, that Arsenal's threat stemmed mainly from set-pieces.
From one of Petit's expert corners, a stooping Patrick Vieira thought he had scored but Durkin rightly observed a hand. Petit chose the opportunity to air his views and as Durkin ran towards him, the Frenchman put up two hands. To some, it appeared more ref to hand than hand to ref but attempts to touch an official is a straightforward dismissal, although some other referees might have shown more leniency.
After 20 minutes, Arsenal pieced together their one real fluid move of the half. Nigel Winterburn executed a lenghty one-two with Luis Boa Morte before crossing from the left. The ball arrowed towards lan Wright, whose forceful volley cannoned into Scimeca.
"Emmanuel is very down," Wenger said. "He knows he will miss three important games. He didn't rush to the referee and push him. He just wanted to tell the referee that maybe it was a hand by Ehiogu. I think we will appeal."
Arsenal then returned to their dead-ball routines. Another Petit corner brought a misdirected header from Vieira, who then crashed a volley onto the bar.
Wenger is becoming well versed in defending his players, who have accumulated 34 yellow and two red cards this season. It is a particular frustration to Arsenal's many legions of admirers, who have warmed to the classy footbal so often on show at Highbury.
Yesterday, with Bergkamp perhaps distracted by his own pending suspension, Arsenal were disappointing. They had to work hard to match the commitment of a Villa side missing Collymore, Milosevic, and Staunton.
Arsenal were attacking a Clock End containing Paul Gascoigne. sitting in the Subbuteo box. This was a treat for his son rather than any suggestion that he might have been watching Villa.
"I've just signed a new contract with Rangers and things are going well there now," he said.
He will have admired the effort put in by Villa. who appeared stronger at defending open-play moves rather than set-pieces.