2007–08 Arsenal F.C. season

Alexander Hleb in action against Fulham

Arsenal started their league campaign at home to Fulham on 12 August 2007. A mistake by goalkeeper Jens Lehmann, "screw[ing] an attempted return pass against his own knee", allowed striker David Healy to score, just under 52 seconds. However, a late penalty scored by Robin van Persie and a goal from Alexander Hleb resulted in the team winning the match.[36] In their next match, away to Blackburn Rovers, another error by Lehmann – this time letting David Dunn's shot slip through his fingers and into the goalnet, meant the team drew 1–1.[37] Cesc Fàbregas scored the winning goal against Manchester City, ten minutes before the end of the match.[38] The result was followed with what The Guardian described as a "fluent attacking display" at home to Portsmouth, on the first day of September.[39] Arsenal faced local rivals Tottenham Hotspur after a week-long international break and went a goal behind when Gareth Bale's free-kick beat goalkeeper Manuel Almunia, past the net.[40] Emmanuel Adebayor scored the equaliser in the second half, before Fàbregas "piloted a 30-yarder beyond Paul Robinson in the 80th minute."[40] In stoppage time, Adebayor flicked the ball up and volleyed it into the top corner of Tottenham's goal; the result meant Arsenal went top of the league table, for the first time in the season.[40] A week after, Adebayor scored a hat-trick (three goals) in a 5–0 win against Derby County.[41] Van Persie scored the only goal against West Ham United on 29 September 2007 to maintain the lead at the top.[42]

Two goals from Van Persie helped Arsenal beat Sunderland 3–2 at home, on the first weekend of October.[43] Second half goals from defender Kolo Touré and midfielder Tomáš Rosický against Bolton Wanderers, gave the team a seventh straight victory in the league.[44] Arsenal played Liverpool on 28 October 2007, a match billed as the "first great test" of their title credentials.[45] Steven Gerrard gave Liverpool an early lead, from a free-kick, but as the match went on, Arsenal began to dominate possession, eventually rewarded when Fábregas equalised in the 80th minute, from a Hleb through ball.[45]

November began with a home match against Manchester United. Going into the match, both clubs were level on points and goal difference, at the top of the league.[46] In the 45th minute, Gallas inadvertently scored an own goal to give United the lead, before Fábregas equalised early in the second half.[46] Cristiano Ronaldo scored what was thought to be the winning goal, eight minutes from the end, but Arsenal equalised for the second time in the match via Gallas.[46] The draw pleased Wenger, who after the game noted his team were "...still charge of the title race because we are top with a game in hand".[47] A win against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 12 November 2007 brought about Arsenal's 1,000th Premier League goal, scored by Adebayor.[48] Reading striker Dave Kitson afterwards praised Arsenal's performance and asserted they were "the best team on the planet": "The thing that amazes you most is they are not just passing to each other – they are passing so that person can run on to the ball and then his mind is already made up what he is going to do next. It is just magic, it is unbelievable."[49]

Late goals scored by Gallas and Rosický at home to Wigan Athletic kept Arsenal three points clear of Manchester United in the league table, at the end of November.[50] The win at Villa Park against Aston Villa in December, moved Arsenal five points clear at the top of the league table, and provoked speculation as to whether the club could go another league season unbeaten; Wenger responded, "People will talk ... just let us play."[51] The team played out a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United four days after[52] and lost against Middlesbrough, ending a record of 22 league matches unbeaten.[53] Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 on 16 December 2007[54] and needed a late goal, scored by from substitute Nicklas Bendtner to win against Tottenham Hotspur.[55] In spite of a draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day, which moved Arsenal down to second place,[56] a win against Everton helped the club move past Manchester United to the first-place spot.[57]

On 1 January 2008, Eduardo and Adebayor each scored to earn Arsenal a win against West Ham United.[58] The team dropped two points against Birmingham City,[59] but a 3–0 victory at Fulham meant that Arsenal retained their first-place status.[60] Goals scored by Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and Fábregas helped Arsenal beat Newcastle United in the final week of January.[61] The team became the first to reach 60 points in February, after winning 3–1 against Manchester City; Wenger described the feat as "phenomenal".[62] Manchester City's defeat of Manchester United the following week meant a 2–0 win at home to Blackburn Rovers put Arsenal five points clear in first spot, with 12 matches to play.[63]

The team then faced Birmingham City at St Andrew's. Shortly after kick-off, defender Martin Taylor was sent off and took no further part in the game, after his tackle on Eduardo. The player's challenge left the Arsenal striker with a broken leg; he was ruled out from action for the rest of the season.[64] James McFadden scored through a free-kick in the 28th minute, before two Theo Walcott goals in the second half put Arsenal in the lead.[64] In stoppage time, Gaël Clichy was penalised for a foul on Stuart Parnaby in the penalty area; McFadden scored Birmingham's awarded penalty to draw the match 2–2.[64] It prompted Gallas to throw a tantrum: he attacked an advertising board situated on the side of the pitch and rested alone on the pitch, while his players headed for the dressing room.[65] Wenger after the match called for a permanent football ban on tackler Taylor; he later retracted the comment.[66]

A late equaliser at home to Aston Villa preserved Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League to only a point.[67] A goalless draw at Wigan Athletic, was followed by a fourth consecutive draw in the league, at home to Middlesbrough.[68] On the same day, Manchester United moved above Arsenal, who recorded a 1–0 win against Derby County.[69] After Gallas missed a chance to score in the first half, Sagna put Arsenal in front, heading the ball into the goal net, from a corner in the 59th minute.[70] Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea in the 73rd minute and nine minutes later scored the winner, from a Nicolas Anelka flick-on.[70] The result pushed Chelsea up into second place and moved Arsenal down one; both clubs were five and six points behind Manchester United respectively at the top.[70] At the Reebok Stadium on 29 March 2008, Arsenal played Bolton Wanderers. The team went two goals down in the first half, both scored by Matthew Taylor and lost Abou Diaby, who was sent off for a foul on Grétar Steinsson.[71] The team's "dramatic" comeback however, in the form of a winning goal in stoppage time, secured their first league win at Bolton Wanderers' ground in six years.[71]

A 1–1 draw against Liverpool in early April, sandwiched in between Champions League legs between both teams "disappointed" Wenger, who refused to concede winning the title.[72] Defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on 13 April 2008, however ended any realistic chance of overtaking the leaders, as United, the champions, needed two more wins to retain the title.[73] Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Reading 2–0 the week after.[74] Adebayor scored a hat-trick against Derby County on 28 April 2008, which made him the first player to score three goals, home and away against the same side in the same season.[75] The win secured third place, pleasing Wenger who felt the team had a "great future – I believe we were really unlucky not to win something this year."[76] Arsenal won their remaining two fixtures against Everton[77] and Sunderland by a single goal, ending the campaign four points behind champions Manchester United.[78]

As Arsenal finished fourth in the league the previous season, the club played a qualifying round against Sparta Prague to ensure progression into the group stages. Goals from Fàbregas and Hleb in the away leg earned a 2–0 win and a 3–0 victory at home meant Arsenal qualified for a 10th successive season in the competition.[81]

Sparta Prague v Arsenal

15 August 2007 First leg	Sparta Prague	0–2	Arsenal	Prague
19:45 BST	Hušek  9' Kulič  17'	Report	Fàbregas  25',  72' Flamini  38' van Persie  45+2' Hleb  90+2'	Stadium: Generali Arena Attendance: 19,586 Referee: Luis Medina Cantalejo (Spain)

Arsenal v Sparta Prague

29 August 2007 Second leg	Arsenal	3–0 (5–0 agg.)	Sparta Prague	London
19:45 BST	Rosický  8' Fàbregas  82' Walcott  84' Eduardo  89'	Report	Kulič  29' Řepka  51' Hušek  87'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 58,462 Referee: Frank De Bleeckere (Belgium)

Arsenal players celebrating their win against Sevilla in September 2007.

The club were drawn in Group H, along with UEFA Cup holders Sevilla, Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic and Romania's Steaua București.[82] Arsenal started their campaign in good stead, beating Sevilla 3–0 and followed the result with a 1–0 victory against Steaua București.[83][84] Against Slavia Prague at the Emirates, Arsenal equalled their best ever victory in a European competition, scoring seven goals.[85] Walcott, who scored his first two goals of the season in the match, earned the praise of manager Wenger: "Once Theo scored his first, you saw him much more. When they opened up the space, you could see his runs and pace, and the fact he is clinical in front of goal."[85] Qualification into the knockout stages was ensured with a draw away to Slavia Prague on 7 November 2007.[86] Defeat against Sevilla at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium was Arsenal's first loss since April 2007, ending a run of 28 matches undefeated in all competitions.[87] The result moved them down into second place, and in spite of winning their final group match against Steaua at home, Arsenal ended two points behind group winners Sevilla.[88]

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Sevilla	6	5	0	1	14	7	+7	15	Advance to knockout stage
2	Arsenal	6	4	1	1	14	4	+10	13
3	Slavia Prague	6	1	2	3	5	16	−11	5	Transfer to UEFA Cup
4	Steaua București	6	0	1	5	4	10	−6	1

Arsenal v Sevilla

19 September 2007 1	Arsenal	3–0	Sevilla	London
19:45 BST	Fàbregas  28' Adebayor  49' Van Persie  59' Eduardo  90+2'	Report	Dani Alves  74' Keita  85'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,992 Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden)

Steaua București v Arsenal

2 October 2007 2	Steaua București	0–1	Arsenal	Bucharest
20:45 CET	Marin  18' Rada  32'	Report	Adebayor  15' Van Persie  76'	Stadium: Stadionul Steaua Attendance: 12,807 Referee: Terje Hauge (Norway)

Arsenal v Slavia Prague

23 October 2007 3	Arsenal	7–0	Slavia Prague	London
19:45 BST	Fàbregas  5', 58' Flamini  11' Hubáček  24' (o.g.) Walcott  41', 55' Hleb  51',  59' Clichy  52' Bendtner  89'	Report	Volešák  71'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,621 Referee: Stefano Farina (Italy)

Slavia Prague v Arsenal

7 November 2007 4	Slavia Prague	0–0	Arsenal	Prague
20:45 CET	Tavares  41' Švec  47' Krajčík  72' Pudil  84'	Report	Diarra  52' Denílson  82'	Stadium: Stadion Evžena Rošického Attendance: 18,000 Referee: Bertrand Layec (France)

Sevilla v Arsenal

27 November 2007 5	Sevilla	3–1	Arsenal	Seville
20:45 CET	Crespo  21' Keita  24',  90+1' Luís Fabiano  34' Adriano  44' Palop  50' Kanouté  89' (pen.)	Report	Eduardo  11' Hoyte  44' Denílson  50'	Stadium: Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium Attendance: 35,529 Referee: Eric Braamhaar (Netherlands)

Arsenal v Steaua București

12 December 2007 6	Arsenal	2–1	Steaua București	London
19:45 GMT	Diaby  8' Bendtner  39',  42'	Report	Neaga  38' Zaharia  68'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 59,786 Referee: Yuri Baskakov (Russia)

Arsenal was drawn against Champions League holders Milan in the knockout stages. In the first leg, Arsenal was held to a draw at home, with their best chance of winning the match coming in stoppage time; Adebayor headed the ball against the crossbar.[89] A week later at the San Siro, the team produced a performance "with style, intelligence and discipline", to win the match by two goals to nil.[90] In doing so, they progressed into the last eight and became the first English team to beat Milan, away from home.[90]

Arsenal v Milan

20 February 2008 First leg	Arsenal	0–0	Milan	London
19:45 GMT	Senderos  70' Eboué  81'	Report	Pato  33'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,082 Referee: Claus Bo Larsen (Denmark)

Milan v Arsenal

4 March 2008 Second leg	Milan	0–2 (0–2 agg.)	Arsenal	Milan
20:45 CET	Inzaghi  55' Kaká  80' Pirlo  85'	Report	Hleb  33' Eboué  56' Clichy  72' Fàbregas  84' Adebayor  90+2'	Stadium: San Siro Attendance: 81,879 Referee: Konrad Plautz (Austria)

In the quarter-finals, Arsenal played against fellow English club Liverpool, with the first leg at home. The two matches were played either side of a Premier League match between the two sides. Adebayor scored the first goal – he headed the ball from a corner, before Dirk Kuyt equalised three minutes later. Arsenal missed a chance to score a second goal, had Bendtner not managed to inadvertently clear Fàbregas' strike.[91] In the return leg at Anfield, Arsenal made the better start of the two teams and took the lead when Diaby scored from a tight angle in the 13th minute.[92] Sami Hyypiä equalised from a header before Fernando Torres received a long pass and swivelled to shoot the ball with his right foot, sending it into the top-left hand corner of Arsenal's goal.[92] With five minutes remaining of the second half, substitute Walcott "covered some 80 yards at pace" to get past the Liverpool defenders and passed the ball for Adebayor, in the middle of the pitch to score.[92] Touré moments after was adjudged to have fouled Ryan Babel and conceded a penalty kick; Gerrard converted the ball into the net to make the scoreline 4–3 on aggregate.[92] In stoppage time Babel scored Liverpool's fourth, meaning they faced Chelsea in the semi-finals. Wenger in his post-match news conference questioned the "dodgy decision" to give Liverpool a penalty and commented the defeat was "not down to mental strength ... It was down to a lack of experience defensively."[93]

Arsenal v Liverpool

2 April 2008 First leg	Arsenal	1–1	Liverpool	London
19:45 BST	Adebayor  23'	Report	Kuyt  26'	Stadium: Emirates Stadium Attendance: 60,041 Referee: Pieter Vink (Netherlands)

Liverpool v Arsenal

8 April 2008 Second leg	Liverpool	4–2 (5–3 agg.)	Arsenal	Liverpool
19:45 BST	Hyypiä  30' Torres  69' Gerrard  85' (pen.) Babel  90+2'	Report	Diaby  13' Senderos  17' Adebayor  84' Touré  85'	Stadium: Anfield Attendance: 41,985 Referee: Peter Frojdfeldt (Sweden)