The Story of a Premiership Season

September 2000

Manchester United hammer Bradford while Arsenal rescue a point at Chelsea with a Silvinho equaliser four minutes from time. Leeds lose ground after losing to Manchester City and a Michael Owen hat-trick for Liverpool, taking his tally to five in two games, means Aston Villa are still without a win. Newcastle go top, for the first time since November 1996, with Alan Shearer netting his 200th League goal, in 275 games, in the win at Coventry.

West Ham claim a point at Sunderland but fail to move off the bottom while Southampton draw at Charlton and stay 19th and Derby, still awaiting a first win, overcome a 3–0 deficit at ’Boro, to force a draw, with The Rams netting twice in the final seven minutes.

Arsenal, with £13 million Sylvain Wiltord making his bow, are held at Bradford and fall to fifth as a consequence. Unbeaten Leicester go second with Gerry Taggart’s first goal of the campaign earning the points against Southampton, who are 18th and without a win. Liverpool are fourth after beating Manchester City, helped by Michael Owen’s sixth goal, in three games, and a brace from Dietmar Hamann. Manchester United go top with victory over Sunderland, who drop into the bottom three, to join West Ham and Southampton. Aston Villa get their first win, at Ipswich.
Derby, still without a win, draw for the fourth time in five games, against Charlton, to move out of the relegation zone.

Chelsea, without a win since the opening day, sack Gianluca Vialli amidst speculation of rifts in the Stamford Bridge dressing room. Within days Chelsea install little-known Claudio Ranieri, whose initial problems centre around his lack of English rather than his managerial acumen.
Manchester United stay top with a comfortable win at Everton and already this season nine different United players have scored.

Premiership newcomers Ipswich get a first away win when they take the points in a shock win at Leeds, who drop three places to ninth. Southampton finally win, against Newcastle, with a brace from Marian Pahars taking his tally, in four games, to five goals.

Ken Bates, using the platform of his national newspaper column, aims a ‘parting shot’ at Luca Vialli stating he could not, as chairman, allow the Chelsea club to disintegrate, so the manager had to go.

Paulo DiCanio’s penalty earns West Ham a point against Liverpool, after they lead through Steven Gerrard’s first goal of the season, but The Hammers remain 20th.

West Ham finally end their winless streak with victory at Coventry that lifts them two places but they are still in the bottom three.

Manchester United recover, from 3–1 down, to Chelsea, to claim a point and stay top of the table but unbeaten Leicester keep up the pressure, in second place, with a draw against Everton. The Foxes 15 points, thus far, have been earned by seven different scorers, with no one player registering more than a single goal.

Manchester United announce an awesome £300 million shirt deal with Nike.