The Story of a Premiership Season

December 2002

A howler, by Jerzey Dudek, gifts Manchester United victory over Liverpool, with Diegor Forlan netting both goals, inside three minutes, in the win that takes United fourth and keeps Liverpool second.

West Ham draw with Southampton and stay bottom of the table.

Arsenal retain pole position despite a crucial defeat by Manchester United in which Veron scores his first goal of the season, in his 14th game, to help United climb a place to third. It’s the first time Arsenal have failed to score in 56 matches. Chelsea beat Everton and reach their highest placing of the campaign, second and Hasselbaink scores for a third consecutive game. Charlton mark the 10th anniversary of their return to The Valley with their fourth consecutive victory, over Liverpool, who drop to fourth. Storm clouds gather over Leeds who suffer their 10th Premiership defeat, in 17 outings, to Fulham, and drop to just two places above the relegation zone.

Bolton climb to 18th, after drawing with Blackburn, but West Ham stay bottom, despite drawing with ’Boro.

West Brom stay out of the drop zone despite losing to Spurs.

Manchester United continue their climb towards the top with a win over West Ham that takes them second and keeps The Hammers bottom. Chelsea draw with ’Boro and drop to third.

Aston Villa’s victory over West Brom pushes The Baggies back into the bottom three.
Arsenal draw with Tottenham but stay top. Liverpool lose for a fourth consecutive game and drop to fifth as a result of the club’s first defeat in Sunderland for more than 50 years.
Bolton crash to Leeds and stay in the bottom three.

Arsenal retain top spot by beating Middlesbrough with a goal at the end of each half, from Sol Campbell, his first of the season, and Robert Pires, his fourth. Chelsea beat Villa to go second.
West Brom’s draw with Sunderland keeps them 18th but they squander a 2–0 lead, with just over half an hour remaining.

Roy Keane returns for his first game in more than three months but Manchester United suffer their first defeat in a dozen games, with Gary Flitcroft scoring the only goal for Blackburn, and drop a place, to third. A draw in the Mersey derby drops Liverpool down a place to fifth and allows Everton to leapfrog their neighbours into fourth.

Arsenal stay top and Francis Jeffers gets his first goal of the season as The Gunners beat West Brom and The Baggies drop to 19th. Chelsea’s draw with Southampton keeps them second. Manchester United lose again, to Middlesbrough, but stay third.

Bolton’s cracking victory over Newcastle takes them out of the bottom three for the first time in three months. West Ham draw with Fulham and stay 20th. Sunderland drop into the relegation zone after losing to Leeds, for whom James Milner becomes the youngest-ever Premiership scorer, aged 16 years and 357 days. The previous youngest, Wayne Rooney, is sent off as Everton draw with Birmingham.

Dion Dublin’s 200th career goal beats Middlesbrough. West Ham end the year bottom after a draw with Blackburn. West Brom see out 2002 19th after losing to Charlton and Sunderland will see in the New Year 18th after defeat by Southampton.

Chelsea lose to Leeds but retain second place. Manchester United beat Birmingham to enter 2003 in third place.

Arsenal stay top after drawing with Liverpool. It’s the ninth game without a win, for the Anfield outfit, their worst sequence for half a century. Alan Shearer marks his 250th Newcastle game with a headed winner against Spurs that takes The Magpies fourth.

SIDEBAR
Liverpool’s defeat at The Stadium of Light was the first time a Liverpool side lost on Wearside since 30 August 1958, when Sunderland won the Second Division fixture 2–1.

Story of a Premiership Season - December 2002

Story of a Premiership Season -
December 2002