2000–01 Arsenal F.C. season

Arsenal's first signing in the transfer window was Cameroon international Lauren from Mallorca for an estimated fee of £7 million.[5] Robert Pires moved to Arsenal in July 2000 and was later joined by Brazilian Edu; both players were transferred from Marseille and Corinthians respectively. Striker Guy Demel signed for Arsenal a month later and after weeks of transfer speculation, Sylvain Wiltord joined on a club-record fee from Bordeaux, believed to be £13 million.[6] Defenders Igors Stepanovs and Sebastian Svärd were purchased during the season, as well as forward Tomas Danilevičius, who impressed on a trial spell.[7]

After 13 years of building his career at Arsenal, defender Nigel Winterburn moved to West Ham United on a free transfer; he was described by Wenger as a "consummate professional", who "has not only shown a remarkable amount of commitment to Arsenal but has also proven that he is an excellent footballer."[8] Winterburn was joined by Šuker, who also signed for West Ham. Midfielders Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit joined Barcelona for a combined fee of £30 million.[9] Other notable departures included Christopher Wreh to Saudi club Al-Hilal and teenage striker Jay Bothroyd to Coventry City for £1 million.

Arsenal joined Barcelona and Lazio taking part in the annual Amsterdam tournament, hosted by Ajax at their home stadium. Within this tournament, each team plays two games where 3 points is given for a win, 1 point for a draw, and 0 for a loss. However an additional point is also granted for every goal scored.[33]

FC Barcelona v Arsenal

3 August 2000 Amsterdam Tournament	FC Barcelona	2-1	Arsenal	Amsterdam, Netherlands
	Guardiola  3' (pen) Cocu  39'	Report	Danilevicius  33'	Stadium: Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 50,000

Ajax v Arsenal

5 August 2000 Amsterdam Tournament	Ajax	2-0	Arsenal	Amsterdam, Netherlands
	Arveladze  38' Hosé  89'	Report		Stadium: Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 51,000

With 2 losses and just 1 goal scored, Arsenal finished bottom of the table. Barcelona and Ajax finished with a draw and a win each, but with Barcelona storming the top of the table with 5 goals, they won the overall competition.[33]

Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts
Barcelona	2	1	1	0	5	4	+1	9
Ajax	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2	6
Lazio	2	0	2	0	3	3	0	5
Arsenal	2	0	0	2	1	4	−3	1

Arsenal opened the league season away to Sunderland on 18 August 2000. A second-half header from Niall Quinn was enough to earn the home team victory, in a match where Arsenal wasted numerous chances to equalise.[34] Patrick Vieira was sent off for swiping his forearm at defender Darren Williams in injury time and Wenger was involved in an altercation with fourth official Paul Taylor in the stadium tunnel.[34] He was later charged with "alleged threatening behaviour and physical intimidation"[35] and found guilty by a FA disciplinary commission.[lower-alpha 1] Right back Lauren scored on his debut for Arsenal against Liverpool two days after; Vieira was dismissed off the pitch for the second successive game, with Liverpool being reduced to nine men when midfielders Gary McAllister and Dietmar Hamann were also shown red cards.[37] In Vieira's final match before his five-match suspension, he scored two goals against Charlton Athletic at Highbury in a 5–3 win.[38] Arsenal earned a point away to Chelsea in the first week of September[39] and drew 1–1 against Bradford City.[40] Although the team beat Coventry City 2–1,[41] they needed a late goal scored by Dennis Bergkamp to draw away against promoted Ipswich Town.[42]

A "spectacular" goal by Henry against Manchester United on 1 October 2000 inflicted the champions their first league defeat of the season.[43] The Frenchman scored after receiving a pass from Gilles Grimandi in the 30th minute; with his back to goal he flicked the ball up before pivoting to strike the ball over goalkeeper Fabian Barthez.[44] Henry scored the winning goal against Aston Villa the following week[45] and a further league victory, away at West Ham United moved Arsenal level on points with Manchester United.[46] The month ended with a 5–0 win against Manchester City.[47]

A penalty scored by Henry against Middlesbrough ensured a fifth successive league win for Arsenal.[48] They were held to a stalemate against Derby County;[49] this was followed by defeat at Goodison Park away to Everton in which Wenger called the team performance as "not acceptable".[50] Arsenal lost their second consecutive league match against Leeds United when a deflected Olivier Dacourt free-kick went past goalkeeper Alex Manninger and into his net.[51] A win against Southampton[52] came before a 5–0 victory at home to Newcastle United where Ray Parlour scored a hat-trick.[53]

The Christmas period began with a 1–1 draw against local rivals Tottenham Hotspur.[55] A 4–0 defeat away to Liverpool concerned Wenger, who noted a lack of goals being problematic: "It has been our problem all season. We so very rarely score two in a match, and that makes life very difficult."[56] Henry scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 win at home to Leicester City on Boxing Day.[57] A draw against Sunderland, having been 2–0 up at half time meant Arsenal ended the calendar year in second place, eight points behind Manchester United.[58]

Charlton Athletic recorded their first victory over Arsenal in 44 years, on New Year's Day; Jonatan Johansson scored the winning goal in the first half.[59] Back-to-back draws, first at Chelsea[60] and then Leicester City,[61] preceded a 2–0 win against Bradford City.[62] Bergkamp scored the winning goal at Coventry City; it was the club's first away win since November.[63] A 1–0 victory at home to Ipswich Town on 10 February 2001 moved the club five points clear of Liverpool.[64]

Arsenal faced Manchester United at Old Trafford, needing a win to realistically have a chance of winning the league. Striker Dwight Yorke scored in the second minute for the home team, before Henry equalised.[65] They conceded within 60 seconds, when Igors Stepanovs played Yorke onside to put the ball past Seaman.[65] He completed his hat-trick, before Roy Keane, Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Teddy Sheringham each scored to compound a 6–1 loss – Arsenal's biggest defeat in the Premier League.[65] Wenger rued the performance, saying "...we were very naive and gave too much freedom to United. No one communicated."[54]

Wiltord scored a hat-trick in Arsenal's 3–0 win over West Ham United on 3 March 2001.[66] A scoreless draw at Aston Villa[67] was followed with a 2–0 win against Tottenham Hotspur; both clubs observed a minute's silence before the game, in honour of former Arsenal midfielder David Rocastle, who died at age 33.[68] Arsenal rested several first-teamers for the trip to Manchester City and won the match 4–0.[69] However, defeat to Middlesbrough three days after handed the league championship to Manchester United, for the third consecutive season.[70] Wenger refuted criticism over the team's league performance, and said, "It's not just Arsenal's responsibility to push Manchester United. There are 10 to 15 teams with the potential quality of Arsenal."[70]

Following their exit in the Champions League in midweek, Arsenal beat Everton 4–1 on 21 April 2001.[71] They moved four points clear in second with a further win, this time away at Derby County.[72] Wiltord scored the winning goal against Leeds United to secure a Champions League place for Arsenal;[73] a draw against Newcastle United confirmed the club as runners-up for the third season running.[74] Arsenal ended their league campaign against Southampton, in the final match played at The Dell. With the score 2–2 in the 89th minute, striker Matthew Le Tissier volleyed the ball from inside the penalty box and over goalkeeper Alex Manninger, to win the match for the home team.[75]

In the final against Liverpool, played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Arsenal began the brighter of the two teams, before being denied two penalty shouts – one involving Stéphane Henchoz, who cleared Henry's shot with his hand.[82] In the 72nd minute, Arsenal took a "deserved" lead, when Pires played Ljungberg clean through to round goalkeeper Sander Westerveld and shoot.[82] Liverpool equalised nine minutes after, through a Gary McAllister free-kick, which was not cleared properly by Arsenal; Michael Owen "waited for the loose ball to come down before drilling a rebound into Seaman's bottom right corner".[82] Owen scored in the 88th minute, outpacing both Adams and Dixon to shoot the ball into the bottom right corner of the goalnet.[82] The defeat prompted Wenger to admit new players would be brought in during the transfer window.[83]

Carlisle United v Arsenal

6 January 2001 Third round	Carlisle United	0–1	Arsenal	Carlisle
		Report	Wiltord  22'	Stadium: Brunton Park Attendance: 15,300 Referee: Stephen Lodge

Queens Park Rangers v Arsenal

27 January 2001 Fourth round	Queens Park Rangers	0–6	Arsenal	London
		Report	Plummer  32' (o.g.) Wiltord  33', 56' Rose  49' (o.g.) Pires  58' Bergkamp  74'	Stadium: Loftus Road Attendance: 19,003 Referee: Neale Barry

Arsenal v Chelsea

18 February 2001 Fifth round	Arsenal	3–1	Chelsea	London
	Henry  52' (pen) Wiltord  74', 85'	Report	Hasselbaink  62'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 38,096 Referee: Graham Barber

Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers

10 March 2001 Quarter-finals	Arsenal	3–0	Blackburn Rovers	London
	Wiltord  2' Adams  5' Pires  36'	Report		Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 36,304 Referee: Jeff Winter

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

8 April 2001 Semi-finals	Arsenal	2–1	Tottenham Hotspur	Manchester
	Vieira  33' Pires  74'	Report	Doherty  14'	Stadium: Old Trafford Attendance: 63,541 Referee: Graham Poll

Arsenal v Liverpool

12 May 2001 Final	Arsenal	1–2	Liverpool	Cardiff
	Ljungberg  72'	Report	Owen  83', 88'	Stadium: Millennium Stadium Attendance: 72,500 Referee: Steve Dunn

Arsenal won their first three matches in Group B, against Sparta Prague, Shakhtar Donetsk and Lazio.[85] The club secured qualification into the second group stage with a 1–1 draw away at Lazio,[86] before a win against Sparta Prague and defeat to Shakhtar Donetsk to end the first group stage with 13 points. Arsenal finished top of Group B due to a better head-to-head record.[87]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Arsenal	6	4	1	1	11	8	+3	13	Advance to second group stage
2	Lazio	6	4	1	1	13	4	+9	13
3	Shakhtar Donetsk	6	2	0	4	10	15	−5	6	Transfer to UEFA Cup
4	Sparta Prague	6	1	0	5	6	13	−7	3

Sparta Prague v Arsenal

12 September 2000 1	Sparta Prague	0–1	Arsenal	Prague
			Sylvinho  33'	Stadium: Letná Attendance: 17,666 Referee: Gilles Veissière (France)

Arsenal v Shakhtar Donetsk

20 September 2000 2	Arsenal	3–2	Shakhtar Donetsk	London
	Wiltord  45' Keown  85', 90'	Report	Bakharev  26' Vorobey  29'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 33,922 Referee: Hartmut Strampe (Germany)

Arsenal v Lazio

27 September 2000 3	Arsenal	2–0	Lazio	London
	Ljungberg  43', 56'	Report		Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,521 Referee: José García Aranda (Spain)

Lazio v Arsenal

17 October 2000 4	Lazio	1–1	Arsenal	Rome
	Nedvěd  25'	Report	Pires  88'	Stadium: Stadio Olimpico Attendance: 40,151 Referee: Hellmut Krug (Germany)

Arsenal v Sparta Prague

25 October 2000 5	Arsenal	4–2	Sparta Prague	London
	Parlour  5' Lauren  8' Dixon  35' Kanu  51'	Report	Labant  40' (pen.) Rosický  90'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,397 Referee: Alain Hamer (Luxembourg)

Shakhtar Donetsk v Arsenal

7 November 2000 6	Shakhtar Donetsk	3–0	Arsenal	Donetsk
	Atelkin  34' Vorobey  57' Byelik  66'	Report		Stadium: Shakhtar Stadium Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Knud Erik Fisker (Denmark)

Arsenal succumbed to a 4–1 defeat in their opening match against Spartak Moscow, which was the biggest loss inflicted on the club in 18 years.[88] The team let slip a two-goal lead against Bayern Munich at Highbury on 5 December 2000,[89] before winning 1–0 at Olympique Lyonnais to keep their aspirations of qualifying for the quarter-finals attainable.[90] In the reverse fixture, an equaliser scored by Edmílson in the last minute of normal time prompted Wenger to rue fatigue and the absence of captain Adams.[91] Arsenal defeated Spartak Moscow by a solitary goal and in spite of losing to Bayern Munich on 14 March 2001, Lyon's draw with Spartak Moscow meant Arsenal qualified for the quarter-finals by the head-to-head rule.[92][93]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Bayern Munich	6	4	1	1	8	5	+3	13	Advance to knockout stage
2	Arsenal	6	2	2	2	6	8	−2	8
3	Lyon	6	2	2	2	8	4	+4	8
4	Spartak Moscow	6	1	1	4	5	10	−5	4

Spartak Moscow v Arsenal

22 November 2000 1	Spartak Moscow	4–1	Arsenal	Moscow
17:00	Marcão  29', 51' Titov  77' Robson  82'	Report	Sylvinho  2'	Stadium: Luzhniki Stadium Attendance: 63,000 Referee: Pierluigi Collina (Italy)

Arsenal v Bayern Munich

5 December 2000 2	Arsenal	2–2	Bayern Munich	London
20:45	Henry  4' Kanu  55'	Report	Tarnat  56' Scholl  66'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,318 Referee: Stefano Braschi (Switzerland)

Lyon v Arsenal

13 February 2001 3	Lyon	0–1	Arsenal	Lyon
20:45		Report	Henry  59'	Stadium: Stade de Gerland Attendance: 42,000 Referee: Urs Meier (Italy)

Arsenal v Lyon

21 February 2001 4	Arsenal	1–1	Lyon	London
20:45	Bergkamp  33'	Report	Edmílson  90'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 34,303 Referee: Ľuboš Michel (Slovakia)

Arsenal v Spartak Moscow

6 March 2001 5	Arsenal	1–0	Spartak Moscow	London
20:45	Henry  82'	Report		Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,296 Referee: Rune Pedersen (Norway)

Bayern Munich v Arsenal

14 March 2001 6	Bayern Munich	1–0	Arsenal	Munich
20:45	Élber  10'	Report		Stadium: Olympiastadion Attendance: 58,000 Referee: Anders Frisk (Sweden)

Arsenal faced Spanish club Valencia and won 2–1 at Highbury in the first leg, with goals scored by Henry and Parlour.[94] The team however were beaten 1–0 at the Estadio Mestalla, thus being knocked-out on away goals.[95]

Arsenal v Valencia

4 April 2001 First leg	Arsenal	2–1	Valencia	London
20:45	Henry  58' Parlour  60'	Report	Ayala  41'	Stadium: Highbury Attendance: 35,104 Referee: Dick Jol (Netherlands)

Valencia v Arsenal

17 April 2001 Second leg	Valencia	1–0 (2–2 agg.)	Arsenal	Valencia
20:45	Carew  76'	Report		Stadium: Mestalla Stadium Attendance: 48,000 Referee: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark)
Note: Valencia won on away goals.