The Story of a Premiership Season

March 2004

Football is rocked by the detention of three Leicester players, on sexual assault charges, at the club’s Spanish training camp in La Manga, Frank Sinclair, Keith Gillespie and Paul Dickov. The charges are subsequently dropped, after Leicester are relegated.

Arsenal are nine points ahead of second-placed Chelsea after winning at Blackburn. Thierry Henry has a ‘foot-up’ block goal, al la George Best 1971, ruled out but then scores a stunning 30 yard free-kick. Chelsea stage a late ‘smash and grab’ to beat Bolton, after Wanderers dominate.

Manchester United are a further three points adrift, in third, after they lose the Manchester derby and their title quest is virtually over. City’s win is their first at home for five months and United’s defeat is their worst reverse since losing 5–0 to Chelsea, in 1999. Newcastle’s hopes of fourth place are damaged by an 86th minute O’Brien own goal that means a first away defeat in eight games.

James Beattie’s 13th goal of the campaign and a sixth in seven games for Kevin Phillips, means a first Southampton Premiership League double over Liverpool, whose cause isn’t helped by Michael Owen’s 13th penalty miss in 22 attempts.

Leicester’s win at Birmingham is their first for more than three months. Les Ferdinand’s winner takes The Foxes out of the bottom three. Wolves are crushed by Aston Villa and Juan Pablo Angel’s brace makes him the first Villa player since Dwight Yorke, in 1996–97, to reach 20 goals. Fulham beat Leeds to keep Eddie Gray’s strugglers anchored to the foot of the table, two points behind Wolves.

Liverpool move fifth, one point behind Charlton, following their win over Portsmouth, who stay in the bottom three. Michael Owen scores twice after only one previous goal this year.

Arsenal’s victory over Bolton keeps them nine points clear and matches the 29 game unbeaten run, from the start of a season, held by Leeds and Liverpool. Chelsea are still second after beating Fulham and Manchester United are 12 points behind The Gunners but get back to winning ways with victory over Spurs in which they keep a first clean sheet for 12 games.

Portsmouth beat Southampton for the first time in 16 years to head the basement trio, three points ahead of Wolves, who are beaten by Sammy Hyypia’s last-minute winner at Anfield. Leicester move out of the relegation zone, on goal difference, when they claim a point against Everton with a last-minute equaliser. But David Moyes’ team have Duncan Ferguson sent off for shaking Steffen Freund ‘warmly’ by the throat. Leeds beat Manchester City but climb just one place off the foot of the table, splitting Wolves and Portsmouth.

Arsenal and Manchester United draw to stay top and third, respectively. The Gunners establish a new top flight record of 30 consecutive League games unbeaten. Thierry Henry’s stunning 30 yard goal, his 30th, in all competitions for the season, is cancelled out by Louis Saha’s 86th minute equaliser. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hits a 13 minute hat-trick, after coming off the bench, to help Chelsea to victory over Wolves, without an away win all season, Wanderers actually lead 2–1 by the hour. Jimmy’s first goal is his 100th in the Premier League and Frank Lampard marks his 100th consecutive Premiership start with a goal.

Fourth placed Liverpool are held by Leicester, who move to within two points of fourth-bottom Portsmouth, who stay out of the drop zone with victory at Blackburn.

SIDEBAR
Mikael Forsell, on loan from Chelsea, scores twice in Birmingham’s defeat by Middlesbrough. His tally, of 12 exceeds the combined total of £30 million Chelsea strike pair of Adrian Mutu and Hernan Crespo. Forsell is the first Birmingham player to score 15 top flight goals since Tony Evans in 1982.

SIDEBAR 2
Rory Delap’s spectacular overhead winner, over Spurs, is his first goal in 66 games, nearly two years, very nearly 6,000 minutes without scoring.

SIDEBAR 3
Of the top six teams, after 29 games, in the history of the Premier League, Manchester United feature three times but Arsenal have the best record.

Story of a Premiership Season - March 2004

Story of a Premiership Season -
March 2004