2007–08 Arsenal F.C. season

(Redirected from Arsenal F.C. season 2007-08)

The 2007–08 season was Arsenal Football Club's 16th season in the Premier League and their 82nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football.[2][3] The club ended their Premier League campaign in third position, having led the table for two-thirds of the season. Arsenal made it into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, but were eliminated on aggregate score against Liverpool. The team exited the FA Cup in the fifth round to Manchester United and lost in the semi-finals of the League Cup to Tottenham Hotspur. This was Arsenal's first hat-trick of trophyless seasons since 1997.

Arsenal F.C.
2007–08 season
ChairmanPeter Hill-Wood
ManagerArsène Wenger
StadiumEmirates Stadium
Premier League3rd
FA CupFifth round
League CupSemi-finals
UEFA Champions LeagueQuarter-finals
Top goalscorerLeague: Emmanuel Adebayor (24)
All: Emmanuel Adebayor (30)
Highest home attendance60,161 (vs. Manchester United, 3 November 2007, Premier League)
Lowest home attendance53,136 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 9 January 2008, League Cup)
Average home league attendance59,581
(in all competitions)[1]

Arsenal sold striker and club record goalscorer Thierry Henry to Barcelona, in the transfer window. Other departures included first team players Freddie Ljungberg and José Antonio Reyes to West Ham United and Atlético Madrid respectively; defender Bacary Sagna and striker Eduardo were the notable purchases from Auxerre and Dinamo Zagreb, respectively.

A strong start to the season saw Arsenal top the league table by September. Defeat against Sevilla in November ended a run of 28 matches undefeated and it was not until a month after did the team lose in the league for the first time, away at Middlesbrough. Arsenal extended their league lead to five points in February, but a career-threatening injury to Eduardo against Birmingham City coincided with the team going on a run of four draws in the Premier League. Manchester United soon overtook them in first and defeat to Chelsea in March moved Arsenal down in third place, where they remained at the end of the season. However, their points tally of 83 remains as the highest in the Premier League for a third-placed team under the 38 game format.

Thirty-two different players represented the club in four competitions, and there were 16 different goalscorers. Emmanuel Adebayor was Arsenal's top goalscorer in the 2007–08 season, scoring 30 goals in 48 appearances.

Background

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The previous season was a transitional period for Arsenal. The club transferred a number of first-team players such as defenders Sol Campbell and Lauren to Portsmouth and winger Robert Pires to Spanish club Villarreal.[4] After lengthy negotiations, Ashley Cole moved to Chelsea on the final day of the summer transfer window, in exchange for £5 million and defender William Gallas.[5] Arsenal played their home games at the newly constructed Emirates Stadium and drew their first game against Aston Villa.[6] After a defeat by Bolton Wanderers, manager Arsène Wenger admitted that his team were unlikely to make a serious challenge for the Premier League.[7] Despite being a young and inexperienced team, however, Arsenal reached the final of the League Cup, where they were beaten 2–1 by Chelsea.[8] Elimination in the UEFA Champions League in the knockout stage (two-legged matches played home and away) and FA Cup in the space of four days followed – the club lost three games in succession for the first time since October 2002.[9] Arsenal eventually finished fourth in the league, level on points with third-placed Liverpool but lost out on goal difference +30 to +28.[10]

Transfers

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At the end of the 2006–07 season, Arsenal transferred Fabrice Muamba to Birmingham City and released Mart Poom, who subsequently joined Watford on a free transfer.[11] Jérémie Aliadière moved to Middlesbrough in a £2 million deal while club captain and record goalscorer Thierry Henry left to join Barcelona for a reported fee of £16 million.[12] Henry commented that his decision to leave Arsenal was because of the departure of chairman David Dein and the uncertainty over Wenger's future.[12] Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and striker José Antonio Reyes departed the club in July 2007, moving to West Ham United and Atlético Madrid respectively. Other players, Arturo Lupoli, Ryan Garry and Joe O'Cearuill, left on free transfers.[11] Defender Matthew Connolly, who joined Colchester United on loan for a six-month period, later signed for Queens Park Rangers.[13]

Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański was the first player Arsenal recruited of the new season.[14] Next to arrive was striker Eduardo, who signed from Dinamo Zagreb, shortly followed by French defender Bacary Sagna.[11] Lassana Diarra was purchased on transfer deadline day from Chelsea, but later transferred to Portsmouth in January after he was frustrated at limited playing time; he said, "I read that the club [Arsenal] wanted to keep me. But when you want to keep someone, you do it by playing them. This hasn't been the case."[15]

In

 
French defender Bacary Sagna joined Arsenal in the transfer window
 
Striker Thierry Henry moved to Barcelona in June 2007
No. Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Ref
21 GK Łukasz Fabiański Legia Warsaw £2,000,000 26 May 2007 [14]
9 FW Eduardo Dinamo Zagreb £7,500,000 3 July 2007 [16]
55 DF Håvard Nordtveit Haugesund Undisclosed 3 July 2007 [17]
3 DF Bacary Sagna Auxerre £6,000,000 12 July 2007 [18]
8 MF Lassana Diarra Chelsea £4,000,000 31 August 2007 [19]

Out

No. Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Ref
MF Fabrice Muamba Birmingham City £4,000,000 11 May 2007 [20]
21 GK Mart Poom Watford Free transfer 26 May 2007 [21]
30 FW Jérémie Aliadière Middlesbrough £2,000,000 19 June 2007 [22]
14 FW Thierry Henry Barcelona £16,000,000 25 June 2007 [23]
FW Arturo Lupoli Fiorentina Free transfer 1 July 2007 [24]
8 MF Freddie Ljungberg West Ham United £3,000,000 23 July 2007 [25]
9 FW José Antonio Reyes Atlético Madrid £6,000,000 31 July 2007 [26]
DF Ryan Garry AFC Bournemouth Free transfer 6 August 2007 [27]
DF Joe O'Cearuill Barnet Free transfer 24 August 2007 [28]
DF Matthew Connolly Queens Park Rangers £1,000,000 2 January 2008 [29]
8 MF Lassana Diarra Portsmouth £5,500,000 17 January 2008 [30]

Loans out

No. Position Player Loaned to Date Loan expires Ref
DF Matthew Connolly Colchester United 6 July 2007 2 January 2008[31] [32]
DF Kerrea Gilbert Southend United 30 July 2007 3 January 2008[33] [34]
FW Jay Simpson Millwall 31 August 2007 4 May 2008 [35]

Club

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Coaching staff

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This is Arsène Wenger's 12th seasons with Arsenal.
Position Staff
Manager   Arsène Wenger
Assistant manager   Pat Rice
First team coach   Boro Primorac
Goalkeeping coach   Gerry Peyton
Physiotherapist   Gary Lewin
Fitness coach   Tony Colbert
Chief scout   Steve Rowley

Last updated: 2 August 2006
Source: Arsenal FC

Supplier: Nike / Sponsor: Fly Emirates

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Kit information

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Nike released new kit for Arsenal this season.

  • Home: The home kit from last season was unchanged.
  • Away: The away kit with a design that celebrates the pioneering spirit of club legendary Herbert Chapman, and sees a return to the white away shirts worn throughout the club's history. The shirt incorporates a tonal print in a horizontal stripe, detailing many of Chapman's groundbreaking innovations which among others include the introduction of the white ball, rubber studs and numbered shirts. The Gunners legend also campaigned for Gillespie Road tube station to be changed to Arsenal tube station - the setting for the print adverts - to further promote the club's name, and was successful with its renaming in 1932. The kit with a redcurrant v-neck collar and a red currant trim to the sleeves - the hooped design another of the ideas that Chapman introduced to the club along with his inspiration for Arsenal's famous red and white shirt.
  • Third: The third kit featured with hooped dark-redcurrant shirts with gold trim in side collar, dark shorts and hooped redcurrant in dark socks with gold stripes, same as the away kit to commemorate the influence and achievements of under club legend Herbert Chapman.
  • Keeper: The goalkeeper kit are yellow. grey and navy blue.

Other information

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The Emirates Stadium is the second largest stadium in the Premier League.
Chairman   Peter Hill-Wood
Ground (capacity and dimensions) Emirates Stadium (60,355 / 114x71 yards)

Updated to match played 2 August 2007
Source: Arsenal and Emirates Stadium

Pre-season

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14 July 2007 Barnet 0–2 Arsenal Barnet
15:00 BST Report Adebayor   18'
Barazite   66'
Stadium: Underhill Stadium
Attendance: 5,091
Referee: Michael Russell
19 July 2007 Austria Tour Gençlerbirliği   0–3   Arsenal Bad Waltersdorf
19:00 BST Report Van Persie   45', 65'
Walcott   51'
Stadium: Bad Waltersdorf Stadion
25 July 2007 Austria Tour Red Bull Salzburg   1–0   Arsenal Salzburg
19:00 BST Janočko   75' Report Stadium: EM Stadion
Attendance: 31,000
28 July 2007 Emirates Cup Arsenal   2–1   Paris Saint-Germain London
16:15 BST Flamini   45'
Bendtner   70'
Report Luyindula   80' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 55,106
Referee: Peter Walton
29 July 2007 Emirates Cup Arsenal   2–1   Internazionale London
16:15 BST Hleb   67'
Van Persie   85'
Report Suazo   62' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,821
Referee: Mark Halsey
2 August 2007 Amsterdam Tournament Lazio   1–2   Arsenal Amsterdam
18:30 CET Pandev   40' Report Bendtner   19'
Eduardo   55'
Stadium: Amsterdam Arena
Attendance: 20,000
Referee: Bas Nijhuis
4 August 2007 Amsterdam Tournament Ajax   0–1   Arsenal Amsterdam
21:15 CET Report Van Persie   87' Stadium: Amsterdam Arena
Attendance: 30,000
Referee: Eric Blom

Premier League

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Twenty teams competed in the Premier League in the 2007–08 season. Each team played 38 matches, two against every other team and one match at each club's stadium. Three points were awarded for each win, one point per draw, and none for defeats. At the end of the season, the top two teams qualified for the group stages of the UEFA Champions League; teams in third and fourth needed to play a qualifier.[36]

The provisional fixture list was released on 14 June 2007, but was subject to change in the event of clashes with other competitions, inclement weather, or matches being selected for television coverage.[37]

August–October

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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.[38] 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.[39] Cesc Fàbregas scored the winning goal against Manchester City, ten minutes before the end of the match.[40] The result was followed with what The Guardian described as a "fluent attacking display" at home to Portsmouth, on the first day of September.[41] 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.[42] Emmanuel Adebayor scored the equaliser in the second half, before Fàbregas "piloted a 30-yarder beyond Paul Robinson in the 80th minute."[42] 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.[42] A week after, Adebayor scored a hat-trick (three goals) in a 5–0 win against Derby County.[43] Van Persie scored the only goal against West Ham United on 29 September 2007 to maintain the lead at the top.[44]

Two goals from Van Persie helped Arsenal beat Sunderland 3–2 at home, on the first weekend of October.[45] Second half goals from defender Kolo Touré and midfielder Tomáš Rosický against Bolton Wanderers, gave the team a seventh straight victory in the league.[46] Arsenal played Liverpool on 28 October 2007, a match billed as the "first great test" of their title credentials.[47] 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.[47]

November–February

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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.[48] In the 45th minute, Gallas inadvertently scored an own goal to give United the lead, before Fábregas equalised early in the second half.[48] 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.[48] 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".[49] A win against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 12 November 2007 brought about Arsenal's 1,000th Premier League goal, scored by Adebayor.[50] 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."[51]

"Arsenal are my favourite team right now and I think they are the best performing team in the Premier League."

Pelé, November 2007[51]

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.[52] 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."[53] The team played out a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United four days after[54] and lost against Middlesbrough, ending a record of 22 league matches unbeaten.[55] Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 on 16 December 2007[56] and needed a late goal, scored by substitute Nicklas Bendtner to win against Tottenham Hotspur.[57] In spite of a draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day, which moved Arsenal down to second place,[58] a win against Everton helped the club move past Manchester United to the first-place spot.[59]

On 1 January 2008, Eduardo and Adebayor each scored to earn Arsenal a win against West Ham United.[60] The team dropped two points against Birmingham City,[61] but a 3–0 victory at Fulham meant that Arsenal retained their first-place status.[62] Goals scored by Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and Fábregas helped Arsenal beat Newcastle United in the final week of January.[63] The team became the first to reach 60 points in February, after winning 3–1 against Manchester City; Wenger described the feat as "phenomenal".[64] 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.[65]

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.[66] 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.[66] 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.[66] 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.[67] Wenger after the match called for a permanent football ban on tackler Taylor; he later retracted the comment.[68]

March–May

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A late equaliser at home to Aston Villa preserved Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League to only a point.[69] A goalless draw at Wigan Athletic, was followed by a fourth consecutive draw in the league, at home to Middlesbrough.[70] On the same day, Manchester United moved above Arsenal, who recorded a 1–0 win against Derby County.[71] 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.[72] Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea in the 73rd minute and nine minutes later scored the winner, from a Nicolas Anelka flick-on.[72] 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.[72] 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.[73] 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.[73]

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.[74] 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.[75] Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Reading 2–0 the week after.[76] 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.[77] 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."[78] Arsenal won their remaining two fixtures against Everton[79] and Sunderland by a single goal, ending the campaign four points behind champions Manchester United.[80]

Match results

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12 August 2007 1 Arsenal 2–1 Fulham London
12:00 BST Van Persie   84' (pen.)
Flamini   85'
Hleb   90'
Report Healy   1'
Bocanegra   59'
Smertin   66'
Kamara   73'
Warner   85'
Diop   85'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,093
Referee: Phil Dowd
19 August 2007 2 Blackburn Rovers 1–1 Arsenal Blackburn
15:00 BST Bentley   24'
Samba   29'
Savage   45+2'
Nelsen   60'   84'
Dunn   72'
Report Van Persie   18',   74'
Flamini   29'
Eduardo   65'
Clichy   66'
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 24,917
Referee: Alan Wiley
25 August 2007 3 Arsenal 1–0 Manchester City London
15:00 BST Fàbregas   80' Report Hamann   17' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,114
Referee: Chris Foy
2 September 2007 4 Arsenal 3–1 Portsmouth London
13:30 BST Adebayor   8' (pen.)
Fàbregas   35',   67'
Senderos   49'
Rosický   59'
Report Hreiðarsson   44'
Kanu   54',   60'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,114
Referee: Mark Halsey
15 September 2007 5 Tottenham Hotspur 1–3 Arsenal London
13:30 BST Bale   15'
Jenas   35'
Chimbonda   45'
Report Sagna   63'
Adebayor   65', 90+4'
Hleb   67'
Fàbregas   80'
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 36,053
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
22 September 2007 6 Arsenal 5–0 Derby County London
15:00 BST Diaby   10'
Adebayor   25', 50' (pen.), 79'
Eduardo   28'
Fàbregas   70'
Report Lewis   39' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,122
Referee: Martin Atkinson
29 September 2007 7 West Ham United 0–1 Arsenal London
15:00 BST Bowyer   16'
Noble   29'
Report Van Persie   13'
Flamini   58'
Eboué   90+4'
Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 34,966
Referee: Alan Wiley
7 October 2007 8 Arsenal 3–2 Sunderland London
12:00 BST Van Persie   7', 80'
Senderos   14'
Report Jones   4',   48'
Wallace   25'
Chopra   27'
McShane   90'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,098
Referee: Rob Styles
20 October 2007 9 Arsenal 2–0 Bolton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Fàbregas   20'
Touré   68'
Rosický   80'
Report Diouf   20'
McCann   21'
Nolan   71'
Davies   87'
Campo   90+1'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 59,442
Referee: Mike Riley
28 October 2007 10 Liverpool 1–1 Arsenal Liverpool
16:00 BST Voronin   5'
Gerrard   7'
Mascherano   55'
Carragher   90'
Report Rosický   51'
Touré   64'
Fàbregas   80',   80'
Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 44,122
Referee: Howard Webb
3 November 2007 11 Arsenal 2–2 Manchester United London
12:45 GMT Fàbregas   40',   49'
Gallas   90+1'
Report Evra   16'
Hargreaves   26'
Gallas   45+1' (o.g.)
Ronaldo   82'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,161
Referee: Howard Webb
12 November 2007 12 Reading 1–3 Arsenal Reading
20:00 GMT Gunnarsson   85'
Shorey   87'
Report Flamini   44'
Adebayor   52'
Hleb   78'
Fàbregas   80'
Stadium: Madejski Stadium
Attendance: 24,024
Referee: Rob Styles
24 November 2007 13 Arsenal 2–0 Wigan Athletic London
15:00 GMT Gallas   72',   83'
Rosický   85'
Report Brown   15'
Granqvist   53'
Bent   72'
Heskey   73'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,126
Referee: Peter Walton
1 December 2007 14 Aston Villa 1–2 Arsenal Birmingham
17:15 GMT Gardner   14'
Bouma   37'
Carew   56'
Young   87'
Report Flamini   23'
Adebayor   32',   36'
Gallas   55'
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 42,018
Referee: Chris Foy
5 December 2007 15 Newcastle United 1–1 Arsenal Newcastle upon Tyne
19:45 GMT Barton   41'
Given   59'
S. Taylor   60'
Beye   72'
Report Adebayor   4'
Diarra   45'
Sagna   63'
Stadium: St. James' Park
Attendance: 50,305
Referee: Mike Dean
9 December 2007 16 Middlesbrough 2–1 Arsenal Middlesbrough
13:45 GMT Downing   4' (pen.)
O'Neil   26'
Rochemback   57'
Tuncay   73'
Report Touré   50'
Clichy   52'
Rosický   90+5'
Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 26,428
Referee: Howard Webb
16 December 2007 17 Arsenal 1–0 Chelsea London
16:00 GMT Adebayor   22'
Eboué   35'
Gallas   45+2'
Flamini   63'
Fàbregas   90+6'
Report Terry   30'
Lampard   30'
J. Cole   67'
Ben Haim   74'
Mikel   84'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,139
Referee: Alan Wiley
22 December 2007 18 Arsenal 2–1 Tottenham Hotspur London
12:45 GMT Gallas   38'
Adebayor   48'
Bendtner   76'
Report Boateng   60'
Berbatov   66',   67'
Tainio   70'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,087
Referee: Rob Styles
26 December 2007 19 Portsmouth 0–0 Arsenal Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Lauren   56'
Diop   81'
Report Eboué   60' Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20,556
Referee: Steve Bennett
29 December 2007 20 Everton 1–4 Arsenal Liverpool
17:15 GMT Cahill   19'
Arteta   84'
Report Bendtner   24'   74'
Eduardo   47', 58',   66'
Clichy   68'
Adebayor   78'
Fàbregas   86'
Flamini   87'
Rosický   90+3'
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 39,443
Referee: Martin Atkinson
1 January 2008 21 Arsenal 2–0 West Ham United London
15:00 GMT Eduardo   2'
Adebayor   18'
Report Cole   23'
McCartney   64'
Noble   90+2'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: Chris Foy
Referee: 60,102
12 January 2008 22 Arsenal 1–1 Birmingham City London
15:00 GMT Adebayor   21' (pen.)
Hleb   55'
Report Kapo   39'
O'Connor   48'
Ridgewell   55'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,037
Referee: Phil Dowd
19 January 2008 23 Fulham 0–3 Arsenal London
15:00 GMT Report Adebayor   19', 38'
Clichy   66'
Rosický   81'
Stadium: Craven Cottage
Attendance: 25,297
Referee: Peter Walton
29 January 2008 24 Arsenal 3–0 Newcastle United London
19:45 GMT Hleb   20'
Adebayor   40'
Flamini   72'
Fàbregas   80'
Report N'Zogbia   35'
Owen   73'
Caçapa   80'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,127
Referee: Mike Riley
2 February 2008 25 Manchester City 1–3 Arsenal Manchester
12:45 GMT Fernandes   28'
Petrov   62'
Elano   89'
Report Adebayor   9', 88'
Eduardo   26'
Stadium: City of Manchester Stadium
Attendance: 46,426
Referee: Andre Marriner
11 February 2008 26 Arsenal 2–0 Blackburn Rovers London
20:00 GMT Senderos   4'
Adebayor   90+1'
Fàbregas   90+1'
Report Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,049
Referee: Steve Bennett
23 February 2008 27 Birmingham City 2–2 Arsenal Birmingham
12:45 GMT Taylor   3'
McFadden   28', 90+5' (pen.)
Report Walcott   50', 55'
Gallas   90+5'
Sagna   90+5'
Stadium: St Andrew's
Attendance: 27,195
Referee: Mike Dean
1 March 2008 28 Arsenal 1–1 Aston Villa London
15:00 GMT Gallas   30'
Bendtner   90+3'
Report Senderos   27' (o.g.)
Barry   80'
Osbourne   90+2'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,097
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
9 March 2008 29 Wigan Athletic 0–0 Arsenal Wigan
16:00 GMT King   71'
Sibierski   76'
Report Bendtner   25'
Gilberto   61'
Stadium: JJB Stadium
Attendance: 19,676
Referee: Rob Styles
15 March 2008 30 Arsenal 1–1 Middlesbrough London
17:15 GMT Touré   86'
Eboué   90+5'
Report Aliadière   25'
Wheater   27'
O'Neil   80'
Mido   88'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: Mark Halsey
Referee: 60,084
23 March 2008 31 Chelsea 2–1 Arsenal London
16:00 GMT J. Cole   32'
Ballack   34'
Drogba   72', 81'   73'
Report Eboué   5'
Sagna   59'
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 41,824
Referee: Mark Clattenburg
29 March 2008 32 Bolton Wanderers 2–3 Arsenal Bolton
15:00 BST M. Taylor   14', 43'
Davies   45+1'
Diouf   54'
Report Diaby   31'
Fàbregas   44'
Touré   45+1'
Gallas   62'
Van Persie   68' (pen.)
Samuel   90+1' (o.g.)
Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Attendance: 22,431
Referee: Chris Foy
5 April 2008 33 Arsenal 1–1 Liverpool London
12:45 BST Bendtner   54'
Eboué   67'
Report Riise   30'
Crouch   42'
Pennant   54'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,111
Referee: Phil Dowd
13 April 2008 34 Manchester United 2–1 Arsenal Manchester
16:00 BST Brown   15'
Ronaldo   54' (pen.)
Carrick   59'
Hargreaves   72'
Report van Persie   38'
Adebayor   48',   63'
Lehmann   53'
Hleb   56'
Gallas   59'
Hoyte   90+5'
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 75,985
Referee: Howard Webb
19 April 2008 35 Arsenal 2–0 Reading London
12:45 BST Adebayor   30'
Gilberto   38'
Report Kitson   28'
Bikey   58'
Sonko   70'
Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,109
Referee: Peter Walton
28 April 2008 36 Derby County 2–6 Arsenal Derby
20:00 BST McEveley   31'
Earnshaw   77'
Report Bendtner   25'
Van Persie   39'
Adebayor   59', 81', 90+1'
Walcott   78'
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium
Attendance: 33,003
Referee: Andre Marriner
4 May 2008 37 Arsenal 1–0 Everton London
13:30 BST Bendtner   77' Report Lescott   28' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,123
Referee: Alan Wiley
11 May 2008 38 Sunderland 0–1 Arsenal Sunderland
15:00 BST Collins   54' Report Walcott   24'
Clichy   82'
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 47,802
Referee: Keith Stroud

Classification

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Manchester United (C) 38 27 6 5 80 22 +58 87 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Chelsea 38 25 10 3 65 26 +39 85
3 Arsenal 38 24 11 3 74 31 +43 83 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round
4 Liverpool 38 21 13 4 67 28 +39 76
5 Everton 38 19 8 11 55 33 +22 65 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
For further information on European qualification see Premier League – Competition
(C) Champions

Results summary

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Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
38 24 11 3 74 31  +43 83 14 5 0 37 11  +26 10 6 3 37 20  +17

Source: [81]

Results by round

edit
Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundHAHHAHAHHAHAHAAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
ResultWDWWWWWWWDDWWWDLWWDWWDWWWWDDDDLWDLWWWW
Position47621111111111111121122111111232333333
Source: [82]
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

UEFA Champions League

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Third qualifying round

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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.[83]

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)
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)

Group stage

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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.[84] Arsenal started their campaign in good stead, beating Sevilla 3–0 and followed the result with a 1–0 victory against Steaua București.[85][86] Against Slavia Prague at the Emirates, Arsenal equalled their best ever victory in a European competition, scoring seven goals.[87] 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."[87] Qualification into the knockout stages was ensured with a draw away to Slavia Prague on 7 November 2007.[88] 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.[89] 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.[90]

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
Source: RSSSF
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)

Knockout stage

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First knockout round

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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.[91] 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.[92] In doing so, they progressed into the last eight and became the first English team to beat Milan, away from home.[92]

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)
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)

Quarter-finals

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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 had a strong penalty appeal harshly turned down after Kuyt seemingly pulled Alexander Hleb in the penalty box and missed a chance to score a second goal, had Bendtner not managed to inadvertently clear Fàbregas' strike.[93] 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.[94] 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.[94] 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.[94] 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.[94] 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."[95]

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)
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)

FA Cup

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Arsenal entered the FA Cup in the third round, where they were drawn to play Championship opposition Burnley. Goals from Eduardo and Bendtner, in either half of the match ensured victory for a "second-string" team.[96] Against Newcastle United a fortnight later, a 3–0 victory meant Arsenal progressed into the fifth round, where they faced Manchester United away.[97] The match played on 16 February 2008, ended in a "embarrassingly one-sided victory" for the home team; defender Emmanuel Eboué was notably dismissed for a high challenge on Patrice Evra.[98]

6 January 2008 Third round Burnley 0–2 Arsenal Burnley
14:00 GMT Lafferty   60'
Caldwell   86'
Report Eduardo   7'
Bendtner   75'
Stadium: Turf Moor
Attendance: 16,709
Referee: Alan Wiley
26 January 2008 Fourth round Arsenal 3–0 Newcastle United London
15:00 GMT Adebayor   51', 83'
Butt   89' (o.g.)
Report Caçapa   75' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,046
Referee: Martin Atkinson
16 February 2008 Fifth round Manchester United 4–0 Arsenal Manchester
17:15 GMT Rooney   16'
Fletcher   20', 74'
Nani   38'
Report Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 75,550
Referee: Alan Wiley

League Cup

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Arsenal began their League Cup campaign in the third round, drawn at home to Newcastle United.[99] They made nine changes from the previous starting XI – Eduardo paired up with Bendtner in the front two.[100] Bendtner scored the opening goal seven minutes from the end of normal time; Denílson added a second goal to ensure Arsenal's progression.[100] Fourth-round opponents Sheffield United were easier to defeat, with Eduardo scoring a brace (two goals).[101] The quarter-final pitted Arsenal away to Blackburn Rovers, in a match played on 18 December 2007. Diaby gave Arsenal the lead with a volley after six minutes and Eduardo extended the lead, before Roque Santa Cruz pulled a goal back for Blackburn, three minutes from the end of the first half.[102] Santa Cruz scored the equaliser and his second of the match, heading in a cross by David Bentley.[102] In stoppage time, Denílson was sent off for a two-footed challenge on Dunn. In spite of playing with one less player, Arsenal regained the lead. Alex Song passed the ball to Eduardo, who held off his opponent Ryan Nelsen and with minimal effort placed it past Brad Friedel.[102] The performance prompted Wenger to assert that his team could win the cup,[103] while opposing manager Mark Hughes commented that Arsenal's blend of young players were capable of following in the footsteps of Manchester United's fledglings, managed by Alex Ferguson.[104]

Arsenal was drawn against Tottenham Hotspur in the two-legged semifinal. In the first leg, at the Emirates, Arsenal scored a late equaliser to even the tie at 1–1.[105] However, a 5–1 victory for Tottenham in the return leg meant it was their first victory over their north London rivals in nine years.[106] Wenger after the game defended his policy to play a young side, adding: "The only regret I have is to have played the players who should not have played."[107]

25 September 2007 Third round Arsenal 2–0 Newcastle United London
19:45 BST Bendtner   83'
Denílson   89'
Report Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 60,004
Referee: Howard Webb
31 October 2007 Fourth round Sheffield United 0–3 Arsenal Sheffield
19:45 BST Report Eduardo   8', 50'
Denílson   69'
Stadium: Bramall Lane
Attendance: Mike Dean
Referee: 16,971
18 December 2007 Fifth round Blackburn Rovers 2–3 (a.e.t.) Arsenal Blackburn
20:00 GMT Santa Cruz   42', 60' Report Diaby   6'
Eduardo   29', 104'
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 16,207
Referee: Mike Riley
9 January 2008 Semi-final, first leg Arsenal 1–1 Tottenham Hotspur London
19:45 GMT Walcott   79' Report Jenas   37' Stadium: Emirates Stadium
Attendance: 53,136
Referee: Mike Dean
22 January 2008 Semi-final, second leg Tottenham Hotspur 5–1
(6–2 agg.)
Arsenal London
20:00 GMT Jenas   3',   72'
Malbranque   20',   90+4'
Bendtner   27' (o.g.)
Keane   48'
Lennon   60'
Report Hoyte   62'
Adebayor   70',   74'
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 35,979
Referee: Howard Webb

Squad statistics

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No. Pos Nat Player Total Premier League FA Cup League Cup Champions League
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
1 GK   GER Jens Lehmann 13 0 6+1 0 3 0 0 0 3 0
2 MF   FRA Abou Diaby 28 4 9+6 1 2 0 4+1 1 5+1 2
3 DF   FRA Bacary Sagna 40 1 29 1 1 0 1+1 0 7+1 0
4 MF   ESP Cesc Fàbregas 45 13 32 7 2 0 0+1 0 9+1 6
5 DF   CIV Kolo Touré 41 2 29+1 2 2 0 0 0 9 0
6 DF   SUI Philippe Senderos 32 2 14+3 2 2+1 0 3 0 8+1 0
7 MF   CZE Tomáš Rosický 24 7 15+3 6 1 0 0 0 3+2 1
8 MF   FRA Lassana Diarra 13 0 4+3 0 0 0 3 0 1+2 0
9 FW   CRO Eduardo 31 12 13+4 4 2+1 1 3+2 4 4+2 3
10 DF   FRA William Gallas 42 4 31 4 2 0 1 0 8 0
11 FW   NED Robin van Persie 23 9 13+2 7 0 0 1 0 6+1 2
13 MF   BLR Alexander Hleb 42 4 29+2 2 1+1 0 1 0 8 2
15 MF   BRA Denílson 23 2 4+9 0 1 0 5 2 3+1 0
16 MF   FRA Mathieu Flamini 40 3 30 3 1+1 0 0 0 8 0
17 DM   CMR Alex Song 15 0 5+4 0 0 0 3 0 2+1 0
19 MF   BRA Gilberto Silva 36 1 12+11 1 2+1 0 3 0 3+4 0
20 DF   SUI Johan Djourou 3 0 1+1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0
21 GK   POL Łukasz Fabiański 8 0 3 0 0 0 5 0 0 0
22 DF   FRA Gaël Clichy 49 0 37+1 0 1 0 0 0 10 0
24 GK   ESP Manuel Almunia 38 0 29 0 0 0 0 0 9 0
25 FW   TOG Emmanuel Adebayor 48 30 32+4 24 1+1 2 0+1 1 7+2 3
26 FW   DEN Nicklas Bendtner 40 9 7+20 5 2 1 5 1 3+3 2
27 DF   CIV Emmanuel Eboué 36 0 20+3 0 2 0 1 0 8+2 0
30 DF   FRA Armand Traoré 11 0 1+2 0 2 0 4 0 2 0
31 DF   ENG Justin Hoyte 15 0 2+3 0 2+1 0 5 0 2 0
32 FW   ENG Theo Walcott 39 7 11+14 4 1 0 4 1 4+5 2
33 DF   ENG Matthew Connolly 2 0 0 0 0 0 1+1 0 0 0
34 DF   ENG Kieran Gibbs 2 0 0 0 0 0 1+1 0 0 0
36 MF   ENG Mark Randall 3 0 0+1 0 0 0 1+1 0 0 0
39 MF   ENG Henri Lansbury 1 0 0 0 0 0 0+1 0 0 0
40 GK   ITA Vito Mannone 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
42 MF   ESP Fran Mérida 3 0 0 0 0 0 0+3 0 0 0
43 MF   NED Nacer Barazite 2 0 0 0 0 0 0+2 0 0 0
46 DF   ENG Kerrea Gilbert 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

[L] – Out on loan, [S] – Sold

Source:[108]

See also

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References

edit
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