Game #4691
Aston Villa
Sunday, 9 December 2001
Lost
7th (-1)
Last 5: 🟨 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟥
Premier League
Attendance: 38,074
Arsenal
Highbury
Villa lose from being two goals to the good at half time as they are beaten by title chasing Arsenal to extend their winless Premier League run to six games and three defeats as they gall to 7th in the table.
Arsenal
3-2
Aston Villa
Assist(s) | Dion Dublin | 21' |
KEY MAN
Paul Merson, opener
PREVIOUS MATCH
NEXT MATCH
MATCH TIMELINE
Sunday, 9 December 2001
⚽ | 21’ Goal, 1-0, Paul Merson, Assist by Dion Dublin
⚽ | 34’ Goal, 2-0, Steve Stone
🕒 | HT Arsenal 0-2 Aston Villa
🥅 | 46’ Goal, 2-1, (Arsenal), Sylvain Wiltord
🥅 | 72’ Goal, 2-2, (Arsenal), Thierry Henry
🔁 | 78’ Sub off, Gareth Barry, Sub on, Darius Vassell
🥅 | 90’+ Goal, 2-3, (Arsenal), Thierry Henry
🕒 | FT Arsenal 3-2 Aston Villa
ON THIS DAY
Villa's wretched form continued as, despite being two goals to the good at half time, they conceded an injury time goal for the second successive game and record their sixth League game without a win.
Aston Villa
European Cup / Champions League: 🏆
UEFA Cup Winners Cup: ❌
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: 1997–98
FIXTURE HISTORY
Arsenal
Previous 5 vs. Arsenal: 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟥 🟨
FIXTURE DETAILS
Season | 2001-02 |
Matchday | #26 |
League Game | #16 |
Manager Game | #182 |
Sunday, 9 December 2001
MATCH SUMMARY
Manager: John Gregory | 🏴 | Scunthorpe, 1998-2002
Referee: Alan Wiley | 🏴 | Staffordshire, 1995-2010
Kick off: 4.00pm
HT Score: 🟩 2-0
FT Score: 🟥 2-3
FT Result: 🟥 Lost
Last 5: 🟨 🟥 🟥 🟨 🟥
MANAGERIAL RECORD
John Gregory | 🏴 |
GAMES | WINS | DRAWS | LOSSES | POINTS PER GAME
🕒 181 | 🟩 | 80 🟨 | 48 🟥 53 | 1.59
Career Form:
Top 8
John Gregory | 🏴 |
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: Alan Wiley | 🏴 | Staffordshire, 1995-2010
Previous 5: 🟥
Last Match: 🟥 24 February 2001, Villa 0-1 Derby, Pride Park.
Cards: 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
Alan Wiley
CARDS
Villa
None
Arsenal
🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨
TEAM NEWS
Jlloyd Samuel replaces Mark Delaney.
TEAM STATS
Starting XI Average Age
| 27.39 |
Oldest Player |
M Paul Merson | 🏴 | 33.75 |
Youngest Player |
RB Jlloyd Samuel | 🏴 | 20.71 |
MANAGER
MANAGER
John Gregory | 🏴 |
Arsène Wenger | 🇫🇷 |
Aston Villa
GK Peter Enckelman | 🇫🇮 |
LB Steve Staunton | 🇮🇪 |
LB Alan Wright | 🏴 |
CB Olof Mellberg | 🇸🇪 |
RB Jlloyd Samuel | 🏴 |
M George Boateng | 🇳🇱 |
M Paul Merson | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Gareth Barry | 🏴 | 🔁 |
M Steve Stone | 🏴 | ⚽ |
M Lee Hendrie | 🏴 |
CF Dion Dublin | 🏴 | 🔥 |
Arsenal
GK Steven Taylor | 🏴 |
LB Ashley Cole | 🏴 |
CB Matthew Upson | 🏴 | 🔁 |
CB Sol Campbell | 🏴 |
RB Laurén | 🇨🇲 | 🟨 |
M Patrick Viera | 🇫🇷 | 🟨 |
W Robert Pirés | 🇫🇷 |
M Freddie Ljungberg | 🇸🇪 | 🔁 |
M Ray Parlour | 🏴 |
CF Thierry Henry | 🇫🇷 | ⚽ | 🟨 | ⚽ |
F Dennis Bergkamp | 🇳🇱 | 🟨 | 🔁 |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 CF Darius Vassell | 🏴 | for M Gareth Barry | 🏴 | 78’ |
SUBSTITUTES
🔁 | CB Matthew Upson | 🏴 | (CB Martin Keown (ex) | 🏴 |)
🔁 | M Freddie Ljungberg | 🇸🇪 | (F Sylvain Wiltord | 🇫🇷 | (⚽))
🔁 | F Dennis Bergkamp | 🇳🇱 | (CF Nwankwo Kanu | 🇳🇬 |)
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Boaz Myhill | 🏴 |
RB Jonathan Bewers | 🏴 |
W David Ginola | 🇫🇷 |
CF Juan Pablo Ángel | 🇨🇴 |
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES
GK Graham Stack | 🇮🇪 |
M Gilles Grimandi | 🇫🇷 |
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 7/11
Homegrown: 3/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 8/16
Homegrown: 6/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
SQUAD STATS
1st XI:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 5/11
Squad:
Home Nation 🏴 🏴 🏴 🇬🇧 : 6/16
MATCHDAY SQUAD
UNAVAILABLE
Not recorded
UNAVAILABLE
Not Recorded
Player Positions:
GK : Goalkeeper
CB, D, B : Centre Back, Defender, Back
FB, LB, RB, WH : Full Back, Left Back, Right Back, Wing Back, Wing Half
M, CH, LH, RH : Midfielder, Centre Half, Left Half, Right Half
W, OL, OR : Winger, Outside Left, Outside Right
F, IF, IL, IR : Forward, Inside Forward, Inside Left, Inside Right, Second Striker, False 9
CF : Centre Forward
Match Symbols:
⚽ | Goal
🔥 | Assist
🔁 | Substitution
🟨 | Booking
🟥 | Sending off
🆘 | Poor refereeing performance
🟢 : Debut 🔴 : Final Game
DEBUT APPEARANCES
FINAL APPEARANCES
MATCH STATS
Not recorded
TABLE
PROGRAMME
MATCHDAY QUOTES
"The Gunners found themselves 2-0 down at half time after Villa had put on a classic counter-attacking performance."
*BBC Sport*
Sunday, 9 December, 2001
Arsenal produced a stunning second-half comeback to beat Aston Villa at Highbury.
French striker Thierry Henry was again the inspiration for the Gunners, scoring two predatory goals.
The result puts Arsene Wenger’s side just three points behind Premiership leaders Liverpool.
But Wenger indicated afterwards that he still believed Manchester United, along with other sides, could mount a challenge.
The Gunners found themselves 2-0 down at half time after Villa had put on a classic counter-attacking performance.
Prompted by the busy Lee Hendrie, Villa looked in control following goals from Paul Merson and Steve Stone.
But Arsenal were sensational after the interval and piled forward relentlessly.
Wiltord pulled a goal back with a sharp volley early on before Henry struck his two goals.
Wenger made only one change from the Arsenal side that had beaten Juventus so impressively in midweek, with Dennis Bergkamp coming in for Kanu.
Villa boss John Gregory fielded the veteran strikeforce of Merson and Dion Dublin.
The pair were impressive and combined for Villa’s opening goal.
Villa keeper Peter Enckelman, continuing in goal in the absence of the injured Peter Schmeichel, made an excellent save from Ashley Cole and then launched a huge kick upfield.
Dublin headed on and Merson deftly lifted the ball over Arsenal keeper Stuart Taylor from nine yards.
Arsenal’s efforts were being frustrated by Villa’s solid defence, expertly marshalled by veteran Steve Staunton.
Villa went further ahead in the 34th minute. Lauren sent a header into his own area instead of clearing and Stone capitalised by driving the ball low past Taylor.
Wenger sent on Wiltord for Ljungberg at half-time and played with a three-pronged strikeforce.
He also replaced Matthew Upson, who had struggled against Dublin, with Martin Keown.
The changes worked almost immediately, with Wiltord showing great reactions to volley a Parlour cross home with his left foot.
Villa were now struggling to contain the Gunners. With 20 minutes to go, Patrick Vieira dispossess J Lloyd Samuel and crossed to Henry, who controlled before slotting past Enckelman from 10 yards.
Then, in the last minute, Henry was played through by Pires and drew Villa’s keeper before sliding the ball wide of him.
Image © THE BRITISH LIBRARY BOARD. With thanks to Trinity Mirror. Digitised by Findmypast Newspaper Archive Limited. All rights reserved. Source: British Newspaper Archive (www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk)