The Story of a Premiership Season

January 2003

Arsenal beat Chelsea to stay top but the visitors drop a place to third. Despite waterlogged pitches causing postponements, all over the country, the Old Trafford grass has to be watered before United beat Sunderland, with goals in the last 10 minutes, to go second, The Black Cats remain 18th.

Chelsea are still third after beating Charlton on a Stamford Bridge pitch that has more sand than grass.

Liverpool’s dreadful ‘winless’ run extends to 11 games with the draw against Villa that means Houllier’s side has picked up just five points from a possible 33.
Sunderland draw with Blackburn and stay 18th. West Ham draw with Newcastle and are one place lower while West Brom’s defeat at Old Trafford keeps them bottom and United second.
Thierry Henry scores his 100th goal, in just 180 Arsenal appearances, as The Gunners beat Birmingham City to stay top.

Robbie Keane hits Tottenham’s first hat-trick of the campaign as they beat Everton.
Another scoring record for Alan Shearer as he hits the second fastest Premiership goal, against Manchester City, after just 10.4 seconds. Victory takes Newcastle up to third. Manchester United beat Chelsea to stay second while Chelsea drop a place to fourth. Paul Scholes scores for the third game running. Liverpool end the club’s worst run of League results since 1955 with an Emile Heskey goal beating Southampton.

Sunderland stay 18th after losing to Everton.

Thierry Henry takes West Ham apart with a hat-trick taking his tally to five in two games as The Gunners stay top. The striker’s ‘treble’ includes his first headed goal in the Premiership after a staggering 9,639 minutes of trying. The Hammers stay rooted in 20th place. West Brom, without a win in seven games, are 19th after drawing with Leeds.

Newcastle go top of the table, they were 19th back in September, for the first time in the campaign when Jermain Jenas scores the only goal against Bolton.

Chelsea stay fourth courtesy of a winning own goal from Leeds’ Dominic Matteo. Veteran Dave Watson scores a brace as Everton are fifth following victory over Bolton.

Sunderland stay in the bottom three after defeat by Southampton. West Brom are still 19th after losing to Charlton and poor old West Ham are still 20th, despite beating Blackburn.
The transfer window closes with completion of Jonathan Woodgate’s £9 million transfer from Leeds to Newcastle.

Arsenal are held by Liverpool, due to a last-minute Heskey equaliser but retain pole position, ahead of Newcastle, on goal difference, following another match-winner from Jenas.

SIDEBAR
The fastest-ever goal, just 10 seconds from kick-off, was scored by Tottenham’s Ledley King, at Bradford City in December 2000.

Story of a Premiership Season - January 2003

Story of a Premiership Season -
January 2003