| 1997–98 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood | ||
| Manager | Arsène Wenger | ||
| Stadium | Highbury | ||
| Premier League | 1st | ||
| FA Cup | Winners | ||
| Football League Cup | Semi-finals | ||
| UEFA Cup | First round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Dennis Bergkamp (16) All: Dennis Bergkamp (22) | ||
| Highest home attendance | 38,269 (vsEverton, 3 May) | ||
| Lowest home attendance | 37,164 (vsCrystal Palace, 15 February) | ||
| Average home league attendance | 37,277[1] | ||
The1997–98 season wasArsenal Football Club's sixth season in thePremier League and their72nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football.[2][3] InArsène Wenger's first full season at the club, the Gunners won the league title for the first time in seven years. AtWembley Stadium, they beatNewcastle United 2–0 in the1998 FA Cup Final to win the competition for the first time since1993 and complete adomestic double – the second in the club's history and the first since 1970–71. Arsenal exited theLeague Cup in the semi-finals toChelsea and lost onaggregate score toPAOK in theUEFA Cup first round.
In thetransfer window, Arsenal purchased several players, including midfieldersMarc Overmars andEmmanuel Petit and goalkeeperAlex Manninger; English midfielderPaul Merson departed to joinMiddlesbrough. Arsenal began the league season relatively well, but a run of three defeats in four matches between November and December 1997 left the team in sixth position before Christmas, and seemingly out of championship contention. Although they were 12 points behind reigning championsManchester United at the end of February, a winning streak of ten matches ensured Arsenal won the championship with a 4–0 win overEverton on 3 May 1998.
In recognition of the team's achievement, Wenger was awarded theCarling Manager of the Year award and strikerDennis Bergkamp was given the accolade ofPFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow peers andFWA Footballer of the Year by football writers.
In the 1996–97 season, Arsenal contested in the Premier League. The club, having dismissed managerBruce Rioch before the beginning of the league season, appointed French managerArsène Wenger, in a contract worth £2 million.[4] Arsenal led the league table for much of November, but defeat toNottingham Forest on 21 December 1996 concurred with no wins in December. Two draws and defeats in February moved Arsenal into fourth position; a previous defeat toLiverpool at home a month earlier left Wenger ruling the club out of the title race.[5] On the final day of the season, Arsenal beatDerby County 3–1 at theBaseball Ground, finishing third on goal difference. The team, thus, qualified for theUEFA Cup, missing out onUEFA Champions League qualification to second placeNewcastle United.[6]
The major departure of the 1997–98 season for Arsenal was midfielderPaul Merson, who joinedMiddlesbrough in a £4.5 million deal, replacingJuninho.[7] Wenger said of the move, "You are never happy to lose a player of his calibre but it is a good deal for him and for the club."[7] Middlesbrough intended to signDavid Platt, but a move never came to fruition, as talks broke down between both parties.[8] DefenderMatthew Rose and goalkeeperLee Harper joinedQueens Park Rangers for a combined fee of £750,000.
Arriving first during the summer was English defenderMatthew Upson fromLuton Town.[9] French midfieldersEmmanuel Petit andGilles Grimandi joined fromMonaco, where they were protégées to Wenger.[10]Marc Overmars, a midfielder fromAjax, was recruited in a £7 million deal and spoke of his delight at joining Arsenal in his press conference: "I like English football because there is more space. With my speed and quality I think it will be good for me here."[11] Deals for midfieldersLuís Boa Morte andAlberto Méndez, strikerChristopher Wreh and goalkeeperAlex Manninger were also finalised before August.
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | DF | Matthew Upson | Luton Town | £1.2M | 10 May 1997 | [12] |
| 18 | DF | Gilles Grimandi | Monaco | £1.75M | 4 June 1997 | [12] |
| 21 | MF | Luís Boa Morte | Sporting CP | £1.75M | 14 June 1997 | [12] |
| 23 | MF | Alberto Méndez | 1. SC Feucht | £250,000 | 17 June 1997 | [12] |
| 11 | MF | Marc Overmars | Ajax | £7.0M | 1 July 1997 | [12] |
| 17 | MF | Emmanuel Petit | Monaco | £3.5M | 1 July 1997 | [12] |
| 13 | GK | Alex Manninger | Grazer AK | £1.0M | 3 July 1997 | [12] |
| 12 | FW | Christopher Wreh | Monaco | £300,000 | 7 August 1997 | [12] |
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31 | DF | Matthew Rose | Queens Park Rangers | £500,000 | 20 May 1997 | [13] |
| 29 | MF | Adrian Clarke | Southend United | Free | 31 May 1997 | [13] |
| 9 | MF | Paul Merson | Middlesbrough | £4.5M | 7 July 1997 | [13] |
| 26 | GK | Lee Harper | Queens Park Rangers | £250,000 | 9 July 1997 | [13] |
| 27 | MF | Paul Shaw | Millwall | £300,000 | 15 September 1997 | [13] |
| 22 | MF | Ian Selley | Fulham | £500,000 | 17 October 1997 | [13] |
| 29 | MF | Glenn Helder | NAC Breda | £150,000 | 24 October 1997 | [13] |
| 36 | MF | Jehad Muntasser | Bristol City | Free | 30 January 1998 | [14] |
|
|
| 8 July 1997 (1997-07-08)Friendly | St Albans City | 1–4 | Arsenal | St Albans |
| 19:30BST | Martin 73' | Report | Grimandi 5' Rankin ?'Shaw ?',?' |
| 12 July 1997 (1997-07-12)Friendly | Leyton Orient | 0–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00BST | Report | Shaw 4' | Stadium:Brisbane Road |
vArsenal| 20 July 1997 (1997-07-20)Friendly | Stade Nyonnais | 0–4 | Arsenal | Nyon |
| Report | Boa Morte 3' Méndez ?'Overmars ?'Bergkamp ?' | Attendance: 1,400[15] |
vArsenal| 25 July 1997 (1997-07-25)Friendly | Strasbourg | 1–2 | Arsenal | Strasbourg |
| 20:00CEST | Zitelli 38' | Report | Garde 45' Wright 54' | Stadium:Stade de la Meinau Attendance: 12,000 Referee: M. Léon |
vArsenal| 30 July 1997 (1997-07-30)Nike Challenge Cup | PSV | 1–0 | Arsenal | Eindhoven |
| 19:30CEST | Iwan 66' | Report | Stadium:Philips Stadion Attendance: 15,000 |
| 2 August 1997 (1997-08-02)Friendly | Sittingbourne | 2–5 | Arsenal | Sittingbourne |
| Planck 51' Miller 74' | Report | Anelka 10',43' Boa Morte 26'Kiwomya 45'Hughes 47' | Stadium:Central Park Attendance: 3,349 |
| 4 August 1997 (1997-08-04)Friendly | Norwich City | 2–6 | Arsenal | Norwich |
| 19:45BST | Eadie 64' Adams 89' | Report | Wright 6',28',58' Grimandi 15',46'Bergkamp 17' | Stadium:Carrow Road Attendance: 10,950 |
Arsenal's league campaign started on 9 August 1997 with an away fixture atLeeds United. The match ended in a 1–1 draw;Ian Wright scored his first goal of the season, before a mix up in defence meant Leeds strikerJimmy Floyd Hasselbaink equalised for the home team.[16] Two days later, Wright scored both goals in Arsenal's 2–0 win at home toCoventry City, leaving him one goal away from equallingCliff Bastin's club goalscoring record.[17] The following week, two goals fromDennis Bergkamp and a debut goal fromMarc Overmars helped Arsenal to win atSouthampton.[18] In spite of Bergkamp scoring ahat-trick againstLeicester City, Arsenal drew the match 3–3, having conceded a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time.[19] A further draw, at home to rivalsTottenham Hotpsur, for whom defenderSol Campbell particularly impressed, meant Arsenal ended August in fifth position.[20]
Wright scored his 179th goal for Arsenal againstBolton Wanderers and broke the club goal-scoring record with his first of three goals in a 4–1 win at Highbury. Manager Arsène Wenger praised the striker's achievement, adding "He is fantastic for the timing of his movement. It is so intelligent when he has not got the ball."[21] Arsenal facedChelsea atStamford Bridge on 21 September 1997; at 2–2, a late goal by left-backNigel Winterburn from 25 yards ended the home team's resistance, who went down to ten men afterFrank Leboeuf was sent off.[22] September ended with a third consecutive win, againstWest Ham United. Goals from Bergkamp, Wright and Overmars helped Arsenal move to the top of the league table, one point above championsManchester United.[23] The month ended with a 2–2 draw againstEverton atGoodison Park; Wright and Overmars scored Arsenal's goals.[24] October began with a 5–0 win at home to promotedBarnsley, but two goalless draws – first atCrystal Palace and then toAston Villa - meant Manchester United moved a point ahead of Arsenal.[25]
Arsenal's first fixture of November was against Derby County at the newly builtPride Park Stadium. Arsenal were awarded a penalty kick in the first half afterPatrick Vieira was fouled byLee Carsley; Wright hit the penalty, which ricocheted off the crossbar. Two goals byPaulo Wanchope and a late strike byDean Sturridge condemned Arsenal to their first defeat of the league season.[26] When Arsenal played Manchester United on 9 November, they needed a win to stay one point behind the league leaders. Wenger admitted in his pre-match comments that a second successive defeat would make it "difficult" for them to catch Manchester United, but not "impossible".[27] StrikerNicolas Anelka, standing in for Bergkamp, scored his first goal for Arsenal and Vieira added a second, leaving goalkeeperPeter Schmeichel rattled. AlthoughTeddy Sheringham scored twice for Manchester United to level the score, midfielderDavid Platt headed into the far corner with seven minutes left of the match to score the winner for Arsenal.[28] Wenger said of the win: "This result is good for the English game because it will stimulate interest in the Premier League"[28] and opposing managerAlex Ferguson half agreed: "A one-horse race is not good for the game."[28] Arsenal failed to capitalise on the result, losing toSheffield Wednesday andLiverpool in a period where the team were depleted due to injuries.[29]
A goal from Wright againstNewcastle United, his first in seven matches, was enough to earn victory away atSt James' Park.[30] Arsenal lost 1–3 toBlackburn Rovers the following week, denting their chances of closing the gap on leaders Manchester United.[31] The match was overshadowed by Wright being booed off by supporters because of his performance, who responded by appearing "at the window of the east stand clad in vest and underpants haranguing the crowd."[32] Arsenal began the Christmas period with a fixture againstWimbledon; the game was abandoned by refereeDermot Gallagher due to floodlight failure and rescheduled for a later date.[33] OnBoxing Day, an own goal bySteve Walsh helped Arsenal beat Leicester City 2–1 at Highbury.[34] A draw at Tottenham Hotspur, who were welcoming the return ofJürgen Klinsmann, left Arsenal in sixth at the end of the calendar year, 12 points behind Manchester United.[35]
In the first league match of 1998, Overmars scored twice to earn Arsenal a win against Leeds United.[36] The team drew 2–2 at Coventry City a week later, losing more ground at the top of the table.[37] January came to a conclusion with a 3–0 victory over Southampton, with all three goals scored in the space of seven minutes.[38] A further two wins in February, at home to Chelsea and Crystal Palace, moved Arsenal into second place, nine points behind Manchester United, albeit having played two games less.[39]
Arsenal dropped two points against West Ham United on 2 March with a goalless draw atUpton Park.[40] The following match, they closed the gap to six points after Manchester United could also only manage to draw against West Ham, but dropped to third position. A goal fromChristopher Wreh in the rescheduled match at Wimbledon was enough to move Arsenal into second and set up a title clash between themselves and Manchester United on 14 March 1998.[41] The result, moreover, reopened betting after Manchester bookmakerFred Done decided to pay out on punters who backed Manchester United.[42] After numerous attempts to break the deadlock in the match, Arsenal scored with 15 minutes left of the match; Overmars latched onto a header by Anelka and managed to flick the ball beyond the goalkeeper.[43] When asked which team was in the best position going into the final games of the season, Wenger toldSky Sports that United had a "small advantage" over the rest; Ferguson, however, warned that it would be "inevitable" for Arsenal to drop points.[44][45] Two 1–0 wins, first at home to Sheffield Wednesday and then Bolton Wanderers, meant Arsenal kept an eighth successive clean sheet, a new league record.[46]
Arsenal beat Newcastle United 3–1 to move within four points of Manchester United in early April. The return of Bergkamp from a three-match suspension helped Arsenal to trounce Blackburn Rovers; the team scored three goals in the space of the opening 14 minutes.[47] Manchester United's failure to beat Newcastle United meant Arsenal went top of the league table after beating Wimbledon 5–0. Victory against Barnsley and then at home against Derby County four days later meant Arsenal needed one more win in their last home game to become league champions, regardless of Manchester United's results.[48] Although Bergkamp was ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury against Derby, Arsenal eased to a 4–0 win against Everton to become the first club other than Manchester United or Blackburn Rovers to win the Premier League.[49] With a run of ten straight victories, a new record was set, and Wenger became the first non-British manager to lead a team to win the league championship. Arsenal lost their final two matches of the league season, both of which are played away from home, choosing to rest players for the upcomingFA Cup Final.[50]
| 9 August 1997 (1997-08-09)1 | Leeds United | 1–1 | Arsenal | Leeds |
| 15:00BST | Hasselbaink 42' Bowyer  | Report | Wright 35' Garde Grimandi Vieira Petit 71' | Stadium:Elland Road Attendance: 37,993 Referee:Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire) |
| 11 August 1997 (1997-08-11)2 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Coventry City | London |
| 20:00BST | Wright 29',47' Garde | Report | Shaw Williams Telfer | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,324 Referee:Keith Burge (Rhondda) |
| 23 August 1997 (1997-08-23)3 | Southampton | 1–3 | Arsenal | Southampton |
| 15:00BST | Maddison 25' Monkou | Report | Overmars 20' Bould Bergkamp 57',79'Wright | Stadium:The Dell Attendance: 15,246 Referee:David Elleray (London) |
| 27 August 19974 | Leicester City | 3–3 | Arsenal | Leicester |
| 20:00BST | Heskey 84' Elliott 90'Walsh 90'Kaamark Lennon Prior | Report | 9',61',90' Bergkamp BouldParlour | Stadium:Filbert Street Attendance: 21,089 |
| 30 August 19975 | Arsenal | 0–0 | Tottenham Hotspur | London |
| 15:00BST | Bergkamp Bould Wright | Report | CampbellCarrDominguez 44'Edinburgh | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,102 |
| 13 September 19976 | Arsenal | 4–1 | Bolton Wanderers | London |
| 15:00BST | Wright 20',25',81' Parlour 44'Vieira | Report | 13'ThompsonTaggart | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,138 |
| 21 September 19977 | Chelsea | 2–3 | Arsenal | London |
| 16:00BST | Poyet 40' Zola 60'Wise Leboeuf 67' | Report | 45',59'Bergkamp 89'Winterburn BouldGrimandi | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 33,102 |
| 24 September 19978 | Arsenal | 4–0 | West Ham United | London |
| 20:00BST | Bergkamp 12' Overmars 39',45'Wright 42' (pen.) | Report | DowieLampardLomasUnsworth | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,102 |
| 27 September 19979 | Everton | 2–2 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 19:45 | Ball 49' Cadamarteri 56' | Report | 32' Wright 41' Overmars | Stadium:Goodison Park Attendance: 35,457 |
| 4 October 199710 | Arsenal | 5–0 | Barnsley | London |
| 15:00BST | Bergkamp 25',32' Parlour 45'Platt 63'Wright 76' | Report | Arjan de ZeeuwThompson | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,049 |
| 18 October 199711 | Crystal Palace | 0–0 | Arsenal | London |
| 15:00BST | Linighan | Report | BergkampBoa Morte Grimandi Vieira Wright | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 26,180 |
| 26 October 199712 | Arsenal | 0–0 | Aston Villa | London |
| 16:00GMT | Bould Seaman Vieira Petit 83' | Report | Southgate | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,061 |
| 1 November 199713 | Derby County | 3–0 | Arsenal | Derby |
| 15:00GMT | Wanchope 46',65' Sturridge 82'Rowett | Report | Boa Morte Bould Winterburn | Stadium:Pride Park Stadium Attendance: 30,004 |
| 9 November 199714 | Arsenal | 3–2 | Manchester United | London |
| 16:00GMT | Anelka 7' Vieira 27'Platt 83'Wright | Report | 33',41'SheringhamP. NevilleScholes | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,205 |
| 22 November 199715 | Sheffield Wednesday | 2–0 | Arsenal | Sheffield |
| 15:00GMT | Booth 42' Whittingham 86'Atherton Nolan | Report | Adams Grimandi Platt | Stadium:Hillborough Attendance: 34,373 |
| 30 November 199716 | Arsenal | 0–1 | Liverpool | London |
| 16:00GMT | Adams Dixon | Report | 55'McManamanBjørnebyeMatteo | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,094 |
| 6 December 199717 | Newcastle United | 0–1 | Arsenal | Newcastle |
| 15:00GMT | Report | 36' Wright Adams Petit | Stadium:St. James' Park Attendance: 36,751 |
| 13 December 199718 | Arsenal | 1–3 | Blackburn Rovers | London |
| 15:00GMT | Overmars 18' Adams Bergkamp Parlour Wright | Report | 57'Wilcox 65'Gallacher 89'Sherwood | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,147 |
| 22 December 199719 | Wimbledon | v | Arsenal | London |
| --:-- | Stadium:Selhurst Park | |||
| Note: Abandoned due to floodlight problems. | ||||
| 26 December 199720 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Leicester City | London |
| 12:00GMT | Platt 36' Walsh 56' (o.g.)Winterburn | Report | 77'LennonCampbellElliott | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,023 |
| 28 December 199721 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Nielson 28' Campbell Wilson | Report | 62' Parlour BouldKeown | Stadium:White Hart Lane Attendance: 29,610 |
| 10 January 199822 | Arsenal | 2–1 | Leeds United | London |
| 15:00GMT | Overmars 60' 72' | Report | 69'HasselbainkHalleMaybury | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,018 |
| 17 January 199823 | Coventry City | 2–2 | Arsenal | Coventry |
| 19:45 | Whelan 21' Dublin 66' (pen.)Telfer Williams 79' | Report | 50' Bergkamp 57' Anelka Grimandi Parlour 65' Vieira | Stadium:Highfield Road Attendance: 22,864 |
| 31 January 199824 | Arsenal | 3–0 | Southampton | London |
| 15:00GMT | Bergkamp 62' adams 67'Anelka 67'Platt | Report | DoddHirst MonkouRichardson | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,056 |
| 8 February 199825 | Arsenal | 2–0 | Chelsea | London |
| 16:00GMT | S. Hughes 4',42' Bergkamp Bould Parlour | Report | Di Matteo Leboeuf Vialli Wise | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,083 |
| 21 February 199826 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Crystal Palace | London |
| 15:00 | Grimandi 49' Anelka Dixon Platt | Report | DyerFullarton Hreiðarsson Roberts | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,094 |
| 2 March 199827 | West Ham United | 0–0 | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Report | Vieira | Stadium:Boleyn Ground Attendance: 25,717 |
| 11 March 199819 | Wimbledon | 0–1 | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Perry | Report | 21'Wreh | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 22,291 |
| 14 March 199828 | Manchester United | 0–1 | Arsenal | Manchester |
| 11:15GMT | G. NevilleSheringham | Report | 79' Overmars Adams Anelka Dixon | Stadium:Old Trafford Attendance: 55,174 |
| 28 March 199829 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Sheffield Wednesday | London |
| 15:00GMT | Bergkamp 35' | Report | AthertonBarrett | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,087 |
| 31 March 199830 | Bolton Wanderers | 0–1 | Arsenal | Bolton |
| 20:00 | Cox | Report | 47' Wreh Bould 65' Keown | Stadium:Reebok Stadium Attendance: 25,000 |
| 11 April 199831 | Arsenal | 3–1 | Newcastle United | London |
| 15:00BST | Anelka 41',64' Vieira 72' | Report | AlbertBarton 79' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,102 |
| 13 April 199832 | Blackburn Rovers | 1–4 | Arsenal | Blackburn |
| 20:00BST | Gallacher 51' | Report | 2' Bergkamp 7',14' Parlour 42' Anelka Garde Petit Vieira | Stadium:Ewood Park Attendance: 28,212 |
| 18 April 199833 | Arsenal | 5–0 | Wimbledon | London |
| 15:00BST | Adams 12' Overmars 17'Bergkamp 19'Petit 54'Wreh 88' | Report | Hughes | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,024 |
| 25 April 199834 | Barnsley | 0–2 | Arsenal | Barnsley |
| 15:00BST | Ward | Report | 23'Bergkamp 76'OvermarsPetitWinterburn | Stadium:Oakwell Attendance: 18,691 |
| 29 April 199835 | Arsenal | 1–0 | Derby County | London |
| 20:00 | Petit 34' Parlour | Report | Carsley Dailly DelapSturridgeWanchope | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,121 |
| 3 May 199836 | Arsenal | 4–0 | Everton | London |
| 16:00BST | Bilić 6' (o.g.) Overmars 28',57'Adams 89'Dixon | Report | BarmbyFergusonHutchisonO'KaneOster | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,269 |
| 6 May 199837 | Liverpool | 4–0 | Arsenal | Liverpool |
| 19:45 | Ince 28',30' Owen 40'Leonhardsen 87' | Report | Stadium:Anfield Attendance: 44,417 |
| 10 May 199838 | Aston Villa | 1–0 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 16:00GMT | Yorke 37' (pen.) Draper Ehiogu Ehiogu 24' | Report | Grimandi Vieira Wright | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 39,372 |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal(C) | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 68 | 33 | +35 | 78 | Qualification for theChampions League group stage |
| 2 | Manchester United | 38 | 23 | 8 | 7 | 73 | 26 | +47 | 77 | Qualification for theChampions League second qualifying round |
| 3 | Liverpool | 38 | 18 | 11 | 9 | 68 | 42 | +26 | 65 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Chelsea | 38 | 20 | 3 | 15 | 71 | 43 | +28 | 63 | Qualification for theCup Winners' Cup first round[a] |
| 5 | Leeds United | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 57 | 46 | +11 | 59 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round[b] |
| Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
| 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 68 | 33 | +35 | 78 | 15 | 2 | 2 | 43 | 10 | +33 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 25 | 23 | +2 |
Source:[51]
Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a goalless draw againstFirst Division clubPort Vale at home, meaning the game was replayed atVale Park eleven days later. Arsenal won the replay 4–3 in apenalty shoot-out, having drawn 1–1 in extra time.[53] In the fourth round, Arsenal playedMiddlesbrough at theRiverside Stadium. Overmars scored the opening goal inside 68 seconds for the visitors and Parlour added a second to give Arsenal a commanding lead going into the interval. AlthoughPaul Merson scored in the second half for Middlesbrough, Arsenal did enough to progress into the fifth round.[54] A 0–0 draw at home against Crystal Palace meant Arsenal needed to play a fifth round replay atSelhurst Park on 25 February. Goals from Anelka and Bergkamp ensured victory for an under-strength Arsenal team.[55] Against West Ham United in the quarter-finals, Arsenal conceded the first goal whenFrank Lampard's corner kick was converted into the goal net byIan Pearce through a first-time shot. Although Bergkamp scored a penalty to equalise, Arsenal had to settle for a replay at Upton Park, which ended 4–3 on penalties after another draw.[56] A goal from Wreh againstWolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-finals meant Arsenal reached their 13th FA Cup final.[57]
On 16 May 1998, Arsenal contested the1998 FA Cup Final against Newcastle United. Without first-choice striker Bergkamp, Wenger partnered Anelka with Wreh, leaving Wright on the substitutes bench.[58] Arsenal scored in the 23rd minute; Overmars sprinted onto a pass from Petit, and used his pace to get pastAlessandro Pistone andtoe-poke the ball between goalkeeperShay Given's legs.[59] Anelka scored in the second half, from a pass by Parlour to settle the match.[59] In his post-match interview, Wenger praised the "remarkable" Overmars: "[It is] even more so when you realise that he has scored so many goals in important games that we needed to win."[60]
| 3 January 1998 (1998-01-03)Third round | Arsenal | 0–0 | Port Vale | Highbury |
| 15:00 | Report | Corden Porter Snijders Talbot | Attendance: 37,471 Referee:Paul Alcock (Kent) |
| 14 January 1998 (1998-01-14)Third round replay | Port Vale | 1–1 (3–4p) | Arsenal | Vale Park |
| 19:45 | Corden 112' Tankard | Report | Bergkamp 100' | Attendance: 14,964 Referee:Neale Barry (North Lincolnshire) |
| Penalties | ||||
Porter Ainsworth Bogie  Snijders Tankard | Dixon Parlour Bergkamp Boa Morte S. Hughes | |||
| 24 January 1998 (1998-01-24)Fourth round | Middlesbrough | 1–2 | Arsenal | Middlesbrough |
| 19:45 | Baker 37' Festa 38'Merson 62' | Report | Overmars 2' Parlour 19' | Stadium:Riverside Stadium Attendance: 28,264 Referee:Mike Riley (West Yorkshire) |
| 15 February 1998 (1998-02-15)Fifth round | Arsenal | 0–0 | Crystal Palace | London |
| 14:00 | Manninger | Report | Dyer | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,164 Referee:Martin Bodenham (Cornwall) |
| 25 February 1998 (1998-02-25)Fifth round replay | Crystal Palace | 1–2 | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Gordon 26' Dyer 35', 38'Ismaël 64' | Report | Anelka 2' Bergkamp 28', 39'Platt 37'Keown 38'Upson 66' | Stadium:Selhurst Park Attendance: 15,674 Referee:Martin Bodenham (Cornwall) |
| 8 March 1998 (1998-03-08)Sixth round | Arsenal | 1–1 | West Ham United | London |
| 14:00 | Bergkamp 26' (pen.) | Report | Pearce 12' Potts 21'Lomas 23'Lampard 82' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,077 Referee: Mike Reed (Birmingham) |
| 17 March 1998 (1998-03-17)Sixth round replay | West Ham United | 1–1 (a.e.t.) (3–4p) | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Abou 40' Hartson 84'Lomas 119' | Report | Bergkamp 32' Anelka 45'Garde 51'Boa Morte 100'S. Hughes 102'Winterburn 111' | Stadium:Upton Park Attendance: 25,859 Referee: Mike Reed (Birmingham) |
| Penalties | ||||
| Unsworth Hartson Lampard Berkovic Lomas Abou | Hughes Wreh Boa Morte Garde Vieira Adams | |||
| 5 April 1998 (1998-04-05)Semi-final | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 0–1 | Arsenal | Birmingham |
| 12:00 | Williams 88' | Report | Wreh 12' Grimandi 37'Parlour 54' | Stadium:Villa Park Attendance: 39.372 Referee:Stephen Lodge (South Yorkshire) |
| 16 May 1998 (1998-05-16)Final | Arsenal | 2–0 | Newcastle United | London |
| 15:00 | Overmars 23' Winterburn 51'Anelka 69' | Report | Shearer 45' Barton 48'Howey 53'Dabizas 70' | Stadium:Wembley Stadium Attendance: 79,813 Referee:Paul Durkin (Dorset) |
Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round along with the other clubs playing in European football, and were drawn at home to First Division clubBirmingham City. The tie ended 1–1 after normal time; goals fromLuís Boa Morte, Platt andAlberto Méndez helped Arsenal win 4–1 in extra time.[61] They needed extra time the following round to beat Coventry City,[62] and in the fifth round, beat West Ham United 2–1 at Upton Park.[63] Arsenal exited the competition in the semi-finals, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Chelsea.[64]
| 14 October 1997 (1997-10-14)Third round | Arsenal | 4–1 (a.e.t.) | Birmingham City | London |
| 19:45 | Boa Morte 62',108' Platt 99' (pen.)Méndez 113'Dixon Marshall Upson Crowe 91' | Report | Hey 20' Grainger Ndlovu Wassall 83' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 27,097 Referee:Uriah Rennie (South Yorkshire) |
| 18 November 1997 (1997-11-18)Fourth round | Arsenal | 1–0 (a.e.t.) | Coventry City | London |
| 19:45 | Bergkamp 99' | Report | Burrows Haworth Shaw Williams | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 30,199 Referee:Gerald Ashby (Worcestershire) |
| 6 January 1998 (1998-01-06)Quarter-final | West Ham United | 1–2 | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | Abou 75' Ferdinand Unsworth | Report | Wright 25' Overmars 52'Grimandi Petit Vieira Winterburn | Stadium:Upton Park Attendance: 24,770 Referee:Graham Barber (Hertfordshire) |
| 28 January 1998 (1998-01-28)Semi-final, first leg | Arsenal | 2–1 | Chelsea | London |
| 19:45 | Overmars 23' S. Hughes 47'Bergkamp Grimandi | Report | M. Hughes 68' Duberry Le Saux Newton | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 38,114 Referee:Martin Bodenham (Cornwall) |
| 18 February 1998 (1998-02-18)Semi-final, second leg | Chelsea | 3–1 (4–3agg.) | Arsenal | London |
| 19:45 | M. Hughes 10' Di Matteo 51'Petrescu 53'Clarke Duberry M. Hughes Wise | Report | Adams Dixon Parlour Vieira 48' Petit 75'Bergkamp 82' (pen.) | Stadium:Stamford Bridge Attendance: 34,330 Referee:Graham Poll (Hertfordshire) |
Arsenal entered theUEFA Cup first round, having finished third in the league the previous season. They were drawn to playPAOK, a Greek club noted for hooligan problems.[65] Arsenal lost the first leg 1–0 at theToumba Stadium, with midfielderKostas Frantzeskos scoring the winner.[66] Although Bergkamp levelled the game onaggregate score 22 minutes into the second leg, a late goal scored byZisis Vryzas meant Arsenal did not progress past the first round for the second successive season.[67] Wenger later commented that he was not too unhappy about the team's exit, by saying "To be honest, the only European competition that really interests me is the Champions League".[68]
v
Arsenal| 16 September 1997 (1997-09-16)First leg | PAOK | 1–0 | Arsenal | Thessaloniki |
| 20:45EEST | Tasiopoulos 19' Frantzeskos 61'Zoumpoulis 71'Zafeiriou 78'Zagorakis 87' | Report | Wright 30' Adams 69'Vieira 89' | Stadium:Toumba Stadium Attendance: 42,000 Referee:Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain) |
vPAOK| 30 September 1997 (1997-09-30)Second leg | Arsenal | 1–1 (1–2agg.) | PAOK | London |
| 20:00BST | Bergkamp 22' Dixon 23'Adams 65' | Report | Vryzas 87' Tasiopoulos 37'Sidiropoulos 74' | Stadium:Highbury Attendance: 37,982 Referee:Michel Piraux (Belgium) |
In recognition of the team's achievement, Wenger was awarded theCarling Manager of the Year award,[69] saying he was "very proud and honoured" after collecting the prize.[70] Bergkamp was given the accolade of PFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow peers[71] and FWA Footballer of the Year by football writers.[72]
| No. | Pos. | Nat. | Name | Premier League | FA Cup | League Cup | UEFA Cup | Total | Discipline | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |  |  | ||||
| 1 | GK | ENG | David Seaman | 31 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2 | DF | ENG | Lee Dixon | 26 (2) | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 38 (2) | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 3 | DF | ENG | Nigel Winterburn | 35 (1) | 1 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 48 (1) | 1 | 5 | 0 |
| 4 | MF | FRA | Patrick Vieira | 31 (2) | 2 | 8 (1) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 43 (3) | 2 | 10 | 2 |
| 5 | DF | ENG | Steve Bould | 21 (3) | 0 | 4 (1) | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 30 (4) | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 6 | DF | ENG | Tony Adams | 26 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 36 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| 7 | MF | ENG | David Platt | 11 (20) | 3 | 1 (3) | 0 | 2 (2) | 1 | (2) | 0 | 14 (27) | 4 | 5 | 0 |
| 8 | FW | ENG | Ian Wright | 22 (2) | 10 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 26 (2) | 11 | 7 | 0 |
| 9 | FW | FRA | Nicolas Anelka | 16 (10) | 6 | 8 (1) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 28 (12) | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| 10 | FW | NED | Dennis Bergkamp | 28 | 16 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 40 | 22 | 9 | 1 |
| 11 | MF | NED | Marc Overmars | 32 | 12 | 8 (1) | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 45 (1) | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | FW |  LBR | Christopher Wreh | 7 (9) | 3 | 2 (4) | 1 | 1(2) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 10 (16) | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 13 | GK |  AUT | Alex Manninger | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | DF | ENG | Martin Keown | 18 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 15 | MF | ENG | Ray Parlour | 34 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 6 | 7 | 0 |
| 17 | MF | FRA | Emmanuel Petit | 32 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 44 | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| 18 | DF | FRA | Gilles Grimandi | 16 (6) | 1 | 3 (2) | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 (8) | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| 19 | DF | FRA | Rémi Garde | 6 (4) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 (4) | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 20 | DF | ENG | Matthew Upson | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 21 | MF |  POR | Luís Boa Morte | 4 (11) | 0 | 1 (3) | 0 | 1 | 2 | (1) | 0 | 6 (15) | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 23 | MF |  GER | Alberto Méndez | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 25 | DF |  SCO | Scott Marshall | 1 (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 (3) | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 28 | MF | ENG | Stephen Hughes | 7 (10) | 2 | 3 (3) | 0 | 3 (2) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 (15) | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 30 | DF | ENG | Gavin McGowan | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | FW | ENG | Isaiah Rankin | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 34 | DF | ENG | Jason Crowe | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (2) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 35 | MF | ENG | Paolo Vernazza | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MF |  LBY | Jehad Muntasser † | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | (1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Source:[1]
I don't know. I think they (Manchester United) still have a small advantage because we have to take the points with the games we have in hand and that's not easy.
I don't think they're any good of a footballing team as us; they (Arsenal) will find out points will be dropped at the end of the season – no question about that.
