2007–08 Arsenal F.C. season
The 2007–08 season was the 110th season of competitive football played by Arsenal. 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.
| 2007–08 season | |
|---|---|
| Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood |
| Manager | Arsène Wenger |
| Stadium | Emirates Stadium |
| Premier League | 3rd |
| FA Cup | Fifth round |
| League Cup | Semi-finals |
| UEFA Champions League | Quarter-finals |
| Top goalscorer | League: Emmanuel Adebayor (24) All: Emmanuel Adebayor (30) |
| Highest home attendance | 60,161 (vs. Manchester United, 3 November 2007, Premier League) |
| Lowest home attendance | 53,136 (vs. Tottenham Hotspur, 9 January 2008, League Cup) |
| Average home league attendance | 59,581 (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
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.[2] 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.[3] Arsenal played their home games at the newly constructed Emirates Stadium and drew their first game against Aston Villa.[4] After a defeat by Bolton Wanderers, manager Arsène Wenger admitted that his team were unlikely to make a serious challenge for the Premier League.[5] Despite being a young and inexperienced team, however, Arsenal reached the final of the League Cup, where they were beaten 2–1 by Chelsea.[6] 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.[7] Arsenal eventually finished fourth in the league, level on points with third-placed Liverpool.[8]
Transfers
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.[9] 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.[10] Henry commented that his decision to leave Arsenal was because of the departure of chairman David Dein and the uncertainty over Wenger's future.[10] 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.[9] Defender Matthew Connolly, who joined Colchester United on loan for a six-month period, later signed for Queens Park Rangers.[11]
Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Łukasz Fabiański was the first player Arsenal recruited of the new season.[12] Next to arrive was striker Eduardo, who signed from Dinamo Zagreb, shortly followed by French defender Bacary Sagna.[9] 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."[13]
In
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | GK | Łukasz Fabiański | Legia Warsaw | £2,000,000 | 26 May 2007 | [12] |
| 9 | FW | Eduardo | Dinamo Zagreb | £7,500,000 | 3 July 2007 | [14] |
| 55 | DF | Håvard Nordtveit | Haugesund | Undisclosed | 3 July 2007 | [15] |
| 3 | DF | Bacary Sagna | Auxerre | £6,000,000 | 12 July 2007 | [16] |
| 8 | MF | Lassana Diarra | Chelsea | £4,000,000 | 31 August 2007 | [17] |
Out
| No. | Position | Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MF | Fabrice Muamba | Birmingham City | £4,000,000 | 11 May 2007 | [18] | |
| 21 | GK | Mart Poom | Watford | Free transfer | 26 May 2007 | [19] |
| 30 | FW | Jérémie Aliadière | Middlesbrough | £2,000,000 | 19 June 2007 | [20] |
| 14 | FW | Thierry Henry | Barcelona | £16,000,000 | 25 June 2007 | [21] |
| FW | Arturo Lupoli | Fiorentina | Free transfer | 1 July 2007 | [22] | |
| 8 | MF | Freddie Ljungberg | West Ham United | £3,000,000 | 23 July 2007 | [23] |
| 9 | FW | José Antonio Reyes | Atlético Madrid | £6,000,000 | 31 July 2007 | [24] |
| DF | Ryan Garry | AFC Bournemouth | Free transfer | 6 August 2007 | [25] | |
| DF | Joe O'Cearuill | Barnet | Free transfer | 24 August 2007 | [26] | |
| DF | Matthew Connolly | Queens Park Rangers | £1,000,000 | 2 January 2008 | [27] | |
| 8 | MF | Lassana Diarra | Portsmouth | £5,500,000 | 17 January 2008 | [28] |
Loans out
| No. | Position | Player | Loaned to | Date | Loan expires | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DF | Matthew Connolly | Colchester United | 6 July 2007 | 2 January 2008[29] | [30] | |
| DF | Kerrea Gilbert | Southend United | 30 July 2007 | 3 January 2008[31] | [32] | |
| FW | Jay Simpson | Millwall | 31 August 2007 | 4 May 2008 | [33] |
Club
Coaching staff
| 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 Aug 2006
Source: Arsenal FC
Kit
Supplier: Nike / Sponsor: Fly Emirates
Home | Home alt. | Away | Away alt. | Away alt. 2 | Third | Goalkeeper 1 | Goalkeeper 2 | Goalkeeper alt. | Goalkeeper alt. 2 | Goalkeeper 3 |
Kit information
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
| Chairman | Peter Hill-Wood |
| Ground (capacity and dimensions) | Emirates Stadium (60,355 / 114x71 yards) |
Updated to match played 2 Aug 2007
Source: Arsenal and Emirates Stadium
Pre-season
| 19 July 2007 Austria Tour | Gençlerbirliği | 0–3 | Arsenal | Bad Waltersdorf |
| 19:00 BST | 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' | 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' | 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 | Van Persie 87' | Stadium: Amsterdam Arena Attendance: 30,000 Referee: Eric Blom |
Premier League
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.[34]
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.[35]
August–October
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.[36] 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.[37] Cesc Fàbregas scored the winning goal against Manchester City, ten minutes before the end of the match.[38] The result was followed with what The Guardian described as a "fluent attacking display" at home to Portsmouth, on the first day of September.[39] 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.[40] Emmanuel Adebayor scored the equaliser in the second half, before Fàbregas "piloted a 30-yarder beyond Paul Robinson in the 80th minute."[40] 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.[40] A week after, Adebayor scored a hat-trick (three goals) in a 5–0 win against Derby County.[41] Van Persie scored the only goal against West Ham United on 29 September 2007 to maintain the lead at the top.[42]
Two goals from Van Persie helped Arsenal beat Sunderland 3–2 at home, on the first weekend of October.[43] Second half goals from defender Kolo Touré and midfielder Tomáš Rosický against Bolton Wanderers, gave the team a seventh straight victory in the league.[44] Arsenal played Liverpool on 28 October 2007, a match billed as the "first great test" of their title credentials.[45] 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.[45]
November–February
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.[46] In the 45th minute, Gallas inadvertently scored an own goal to give United the lead, before Fábregas equalised early in the second half.[46] 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.[46] 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".[47] A win against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 12 November 2007 brought about Arsenal's 1,000th Premier League goal, scored by Adebayor.[48] 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."[49]
"Arsenal are my favourite team right now and I think they are the best performing team in the Premier League."
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.[50] 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."[51] The team played out a 1–1 draw at Newcastle United four days after[52] and lost against Middlesbrough, ending a record of 22 league matches unbeaten.[53] Arsenal beat Chelsea 1–0 on 16 December 2007[54] and needed a late goal, scored by substitute Nicklas Bendtner to win against Tottenham Hotspur.[55] In spite of a draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day, which moved Arsenal down to second place,[56] a win against Everton helped the club move past Manchester United to the first-place spot.[57]
On 1 January 2008, Eduardo and Adebayor each scored to earn Arsenal a win against West Ham United.[58] The team dropped two points against Birmingham City,[59] but a 3–0 victory at Fulham meant that Arsenal retained their first-place status.[60] Goals scored by Mathieu Flamini, Adebayor and Fábregas helped Arsenal beat Newcastle United in the final week of January.[61] The team became the first to reach 60 points in February, after winning 3–1 against Manchester City; Wenger described the feat as "phenomenal".[62] 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.[63]
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.[64] 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.[64] 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.[64] 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.[65] Wenger after the match called for a permanent football ban on tackler Taylor; he later retracted the comment.[66]
March–May
A late equaliser at home to Aston Villa preserved Arsenal's lead at the top of the Premier League to only a point.[67] A goalless draw at Wigan Athletic, was followed by a fourth consecutive draw in the league, at home to Middlesbrough.[68] On the same day, Manchester United moved above Arsenal, who recorded a 1–0 win against Derby County.[69] 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.[70] Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea in the 73rd minute and nine minutes later scored the winner, from a Nicolas Anelka flick-on.[70] 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.[70] 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.[71] 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.[71]
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.[72] 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.[73] Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Reading 2–0 the week after.[74] 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.[75] 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."[76] Arsenal won their remaining two fixtures against Everton[77] and Sunderland by a single goal, ending the campaign four points behind champions Manchester United.[78]
Match results
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 | Martin 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 |
| 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
| 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 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
For further information on European qualification see Premier League – Competition
(C) Champion
Results summary
| 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: [79]
Results by round
UEFA Champions League
Third qualifying round
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.[81]
| 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
The club were drawn in Group H, along with UEFA Cup holders Sevilla, Slavia Prague of the Czech Republic and Romania's Steaua București.[82] Arsenal started their campaign in good stead, beating Sevilla 3–0 and followed the result with a 1–0 victory against Steaua București.[83][84] Against Slavia Prague at the Emirates, Arsenal equalled their best ever victory in a European competition, scoring seven goals.[85] 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."[85] Qualification into the knockout stages was ensured with a draw away to Slavia Prague on 7 November 2007.[86] 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.[87] 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.[88]
| 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 |
| 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) |
| 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', 2007, arsenal, season, 2007, season, 110th, season, competitive, football, played, arsenal, club, ended, their, premier, league, campaign, third, position, having, table, thirds, season, arsenal, made, into, quarter, finals, uefa, champions, league, were, elim. The 2007 08 season was the 110th season of competitive football played by Arsenal 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 seasonChairmanPeter Hill WoodManagerArsene WengerStadiumEmirates StadiumPremier League3rdFA CupFifth roundLeague CupSemi finalsUEFA Champions LeagueQuarter finalsTop 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 Home coloursAway coloursThird colours 2006 072008 09 Arsenal sold striker and club record goalscorer Thierry Henry to Barcelona in the transfer window Other departures included first team players Freddie Ljungberg and Jose Antonio Reyes to West Ham United and Atletico 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 Contents 1 Background 2 Transfers 3 Club 3 1 Coaching staff 3 2 Kit 3 3 Kit information 3 4 Other information 4 Pre season 5 Premier League 5 1 August October 5 2 November February 5 3 March May 5 4 Match results 5 4 1 Classification 5 4 2 Results summary 5 4 3 Results by round 6 UEFA Champions League 6 1 Third qualifying round 6 2 Group stage 6 3 Knockout stage 6 3 1 First knockout round 6 3 2 Quarter finals 7 FA Cup 8 League Cup 9 Squad statistics 10 See also 11 ReferencesBackground EditSee also 2006 07 Arsenal F C season 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 2 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 3 Arsenal played their home games at the newly constructed Emirates Stadium and drew their first game against Aston Villa 4 After a defeat by Bolton Wanderers manager Arsene Wenger admitted that his team were unlikely to make a serious challenge for the Premier League 5 Despite being a young and inexperienced team however Arsenal reached the final of the League Cup where they were beaten 2 1 by Chelsea 6 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 7 Arsenal eventually finished fourth in the league level on points with third placed Liverpool 8 Transfers EditAt 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 9 Jeremie Aliadiere 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 10 Henry commented that his decision to leave Arsenal was because of the departure of chairman David Dein and the uncertainty over Wenger s future 10 Midfielder Freddie Ljungberg and striker Jose Antonio Reyes departed the club in July 2007 moving to West Ham United and Atletico Madrid respectively Other players Arturo Lupoli Ryan Garry and Joe O Cearuill left on free transfers 9 Defender Matthew Connolly who joined Colchester United on loan for a six month period later signed for Queens Park Rangers 11 Legia Warsaw goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was the first player Arsenal recruited of the new season 12 Next to arrive was striker Eduardo who signed from Dinamo Zagreb shortly followed by French defender Bacary Sagna 9 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 13 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 Ref21 GK Lukasz Fabianski Legia Warsaw 2 000 000 26 May 2007 12 9 FW Eduardo Dinamo Zagreb 7 500 000 3 July 2007 14 55 DF Havard Nordtveit Haugesund Undisclosed 3 July 2007 15 3 DF Bacary Sagna Auxerre 6 000 000 12 July 2007 16 8 MF Lassana Diarra Chelsea 4 000 000 31 August 2007 17 Out No Position Player Transferred to Fee Date RefMF Fabrice Muamba Birmingham City 4 000 000 11 May 2007 18 21 GK Mart Poom Watford Free transfer 26 May 2007 19 30 FW Jeremie Aliadiere Middlesbrough 2 000 000 19 June 2007 20 14 FW Thierry Henry Barcelona 16 000 000 25 June 2007 21 FW Arturo Lupoli Fiorentina Free transfer 1 July 2007 22 8 MF Freddie Ljungberg West Ham United 3 000 000 23 July 2007 23 9 FW Jose Antonio Reyes Atletico Madrid 6 000 000 31 July 2007 24 DF Ryan Garry AFC Bournemouth Free transfer 6 August 2007 25 DF Joe O Cearuill Barnet Free transfer 24 August 2007 26 DF Matthew Connolly Queens Park Rangers 1 000 000 2 January 2008 27 8 MF Lassana Diarra Portsmouth 5 500 000 17 January 2008 28 Loans out No Position Player Loaned to Date Loan expires RefDF Matthew Connolly Colchester United 6 July 2007 2 January 2008 29 30 DF Kerrea Gilbert Southend United 30 July 2007 3 January 2008 31 32 FW Jay Simpson Millwall 31 August 2007 4 May 2008 33 Club EditCoaching staff Edit This is Arsene Wenger s 12th seasons with Arsenal Position StaffManager Arsene WengerAssistant manager Pat RiceFirst team coach Boro PrimoracGoalkeeping coach Gerry PeytonPhysiotherapist Gary LewinFitness coach Tony ColbertChief scout Steve RowleyLast updated 2 Aug 2006Source Arsenal FC Kit Edit Supplier Nike Sponsor Fly Emirates Home Home alt Away Away alt Away alt 2 Third Goalkeeper 1 Goalkeeper 2 Goalkeeper alt Goalkeeper alt 2 Goalkeeper 3Kit information Edit 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 Edit The Emirates Stadium is the second largest stadium in the Premier League Chairman Peter Hill WoodGround capacity and dimensions Emirates Stadium 60 355 114x71 yards Updated to match played 2 Aug 2007Source Arsenal and Emirates StadiumPre season EditBarnet v Arsenal 14 July 2007Barnet0 2ArsenalBarnet15 00 BST Report Adebayor 18 Barazite 66 Stadium Underhill Stadium Attendance 5 091Referee Michael Russell Genclerbirligi v Arsenal 19 July 2007 Austria TourGenclerbirligi 0 3 ArsenalBad Waltersdorf19 00 BST Report Van Persie 45 65 Walcott 51 Stadium Bad Waltersdorf Stadion Red Bull Salzburg v Arsenal 25 July 2007 Austria TourRed Bull Salzburg 1 0 ArsenalSalzburg19 00 BST Janocko 75 Report Stadium EM Stadion Attendance 31 000 Arsenal v Paris Saint Germain 28 July 2007 Emirates CupArsenal 2 1 Paris Saint GermainLondon16 15 BST Flamini 45 Bendtner 70 Report Luyindula 80 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 55 106Referee Peter Walton Arsenal v Internazionale 29 July 2007 Emirates CupArsenal 2 1 InternazionaleLondon16 15 BST Hleb 67 Van Persie 85 Report Suazo 62 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 59 821Referee Mark Halsey Lazio v Arsenal 2 August 2007 Amsterdam TournamentLazio 1 2 ArsenalAmsterdam18 30 CET Pandev 40 Report Bendtner 19 Eduardo 55 Stadium Amsterdam Arena Attendance 20 000Referee Bas Nijhuis Ajax v Arsenal 4 August 2007 Amsterdam TournamentAjax 0 1 ArsenalAmsterdam21 15 CET Report Van Persie 87 Stadium Amsterdam Arena Attendance 30 000Referee Eric BlomPremier League EditSee also 2007 08 Premier League 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 34 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 35 August October Edit 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 36 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 37 Cesc Fabregas scored the winning goal against Manchester City ten minutes before the end of the match 38 The result was followed with what The Guardian described as a fluent attacking display at home to Portsmouth on the first day of September 39 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 40 Emmanuel Adebayor scored the equaliser in the second half before Fabregas piloted a 30 yarder beyond Paul Robinson in the 80th minute 40 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 40 A week after Adebayor scored a hat trick three goals in a 5 0 win against Derby County 41 Van Persie scored the only goal against West Ham United on 29 September 2007 to maintain the lead at the top 42 Two goals from Van Persie helped Arsenal beat Sunderland 3 2 at home on the first weekend of October 43 Second half goals from defender Kolo Toure and midfielder Tomas Rosicky against Bolton Wanderers gave the team a seventh straight victory in the league 44 Arsenal played Liverpool on 28 October 2007 a match billed as the first great test of their title credentials 45 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 Fabregas equalised in the 80th minute from a Hleb through ball 45 November February Edit 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 46 In the 45th minute Gallas inadvertently scored an own goal to give United the lead before Fabregas equalised early in the second half 46 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 46 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 47 A win against Reading at the Madejski Stadium on 12 November 2007 brought about Arsenal s 1 000th Premier League goal scored by Adebayor 48 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 49 Arsenal are my favourite team right now and I think they are the best performing team in the Premier League Pele November 2007 49 Late goals scored by Gallas and Rosicky at home to Wigan Athletic kept Arsenal three points clear of Manchester United in the league table at the end of November 50 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 51 The team played out a 1 1 draw at Newcastle United four days after 52 and lost against Middlesbrough ending a record of 22 league matches unbeaten 53 Arsenal beat Chelsea 1 0 on 16 December 2007 54 and needed a late goal scored by substitute Nicklas Bendtner to win against Tottenham Hotspur 55 In spite of a draw at Portsmouth on Boxing Day which moved Arsenal down to second place 56 a win against Everton helped the club move past Manchester United to the first place spot 57 On 1 January 2008 Eduardo and Adebayor each scored to earn Arsenal a win against West Ham United 58 The team dropped two points against Birmingham City 59 but a 3 0 victory at Fulham meant that Arsenal retained their first place status 60 Goals scored by Mathieu Flamini Adebayor and Fabregas helped Arsenal beat Newcastle United in the final week of January 61 The team became the first to reach 60 points in February after winning 3 1 against Manchester City Wenger described the feat as phenomenal 62 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 63 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 64 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 64 In stoppage time Gael 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 64 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 65 Wenger after the match called for a permanent football ban on tackler Taylor he later retracted the comment 66 March May Edit A late equaliser at home to Aston Villa preserved Arsenal s lead at the top of the Premier League to only a point 67 A goalless draw at Wigan Athletic was followed by a fourth consecutive draw in the league at home to Middlesbrough 68 On the same day Manchester United moved above Arsenal who recorded a 1 0 win against Derby County 69 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 70 Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea in the 73rd minute and nine minutes later scored the winner from a Nicolas Anelka flick on 70 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 70 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 Gretar Steinsson 71 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 71 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 72 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 73 Arsenal beat relegation threatened Reading 2 0 the week after 74 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 75 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 76 Arsenal won their remaining two fixtures against Everton 77 and Sunderland by a single goal ending the campaign four points behind champions Manchester United 78 Match results Edit Arsenal v Fulham 12 August 2007 1Arsenal2 1FulhamLondon12 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 093Referee Phil Dowd Blackburn Rovers v Arsenal 19 August 2007 2Blackburn Rovers1 1ArsenalBlackburn15 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 917Referee Alan Wiley Arsenal v Manchester City 25 August 2007 3Arsenal1 0Manchester CityLondon15 00 BST Fabregas 80 Report Hamann 17 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 114Referee Chris Foy Arsenal v Portsmouth 2 September 2007 4Arsenal3 1PortsmouthLondon13 30 BST Adebayor 8 pen Fabregas 35 67 Senderos 49 Rosicky 59 Report Hreidarsson 44 Kanu 54 60 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 114Referee Mark Halsey Tottenham Hotspur v Arsenal 15 September 2007 5Tottenham Hotspur1 3ArsenalLondon13 30 BST Bale 15 Jenas 35 Chimbonda 45 Report Sagna 63 Adebayor 65 90 4 Hleb 67 Fabregas 80 Stadium White Hart Lane Attendance 36 053Referee Mark Clattenburg Arsenal v Derby County 22 September 2007 6Arsenal5 0Derby CountyLondon15 00 BST Diaby 10 Adebayor 25 50 pen 79 Eduardo 28 Fabregas 70 Report Lewis 39 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 122Referee Martin Atkinson West Ham United v Arsenal 29 September 2007 7West Ham United0 1ArsenalLondon15 00 BST Bowyer 16 Noble 29 Report Van Persie 13 Flamini 58 Eboue 90 4 Stadium Boleyn Ground Attendance 34 966Referee Alan Wiley Arsenal v Sunderland 7 October 2007 8Arsenal3 2SunderlandLondon12 00 BST Van Persie 7 80 Senderos 14 Report Jones 4 48 Wallace 25 Chopra 27 McShane 90 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 098Referee Rob Styles Arsenal v Bolton 20 October 2007 9Arsenal2 0BoltonLondon15 00 BST Fabregas 20 Toure 68 Rosicky 80 Report Diouf 20 McCann 21 Nolan 71 Davies 87 Campo 90 1 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 59 442Referee Mike Riley Liverpool v Arsenal 28 October 2007 10Liverpool1 1ArsenalLiverpool16 00 BST Voronin 5 Gerrard 7 Mascherano 55 Carragher 90 Report Rosicky 51 Toure 64 Fabregas 80 80 Stadium Anfield Attendance 44 122Referee Howard Webb Arsenal v Manchester United 3 November 2007 11Arsenal2 2Manchester UnitedLondon12 45 GMT Fabregas 40 49 Gallas 90 1 Report Evra 16 Hargreaves 26 Gallas 45 1 o g Ronaldo 82 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 161Referee Howard Webb Reading v Arsenal 12 November 2007 12Reading1 3ArsenalReading20 00 GMT Gunnarsson 85 Shorey 87 Report Flamini 44 Adebayor 52 Hleb 78 Fabregas 80 Stadium Madejski Stadium Attendance 24 024Referee Rob Styles Arsenal v Wigan Athletic 24 November 2007 13Arsenal2 0Wigan AthleticLondon15 00 GMT Gallas 72 83 Rosicky 85 Report Brown 15 Granqvist 53 Bent 72 Heskey 73 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 126Referee Peter Walton Aston Villa v Arsenal 1 December 2007 14Aston Villa1 2ArsenalBirmingham17 15 GMT Gardner 14 Bouma 37 Carew 56 Young 87 Report Flamini 23 Adebayor 32 36 Gallas 55 Stadium Villa Park Attendance 42 018Referee Chris Foy Newcastle United v Arsenal 5 December 2007 15Newcastle United1 1ArsenalNewcastle upon Tyne19 45 GMT Barton 41 Given 59 S Taylor 60 Beye 72 Report Adebayor 4 Diarra 45 Sagna 63 Stadium St James Park Attendance 50 305Referee Mike Dean Middlesbrough v Arsenal 9 December 2007 16Middlesbrough2 1ArsenalMiddlesbrough13 45 GMT Downing 4 pen O Neil 26 Rochemback 57 Tuncay 73 Report Toure 50 Clichy 52 Rosicky 90 5 Stadium Riverside Stadium Attendance 26 428Referee Howard Webb Arsenal v Chelsea 16 December 2007 17Arsenal1 0ChelseaLondon16 00 GMT Adebayor 22 Eboue 35 Gallas 45 2 Flamini 63 Fabregas 90 6 Report Terry 30 Lampard 30 J Cole 67 Ben Haim 74 Mikel 84 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 139Referee Alan Wiley Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur 22 December 2007 18Arsenal2 1Tottenham HotspurLondon12 45 GMT Gallas 38 Adebayor 48 Bendtner 76 Report Boateng 60 Berbatov 66 67 Tainio 70 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 087Referee Rob Styles Portsmouth v Arsenal 26 December 2007 19Portsmouth0 0ArsenalPortsmouth19 45 GMT Lauren 56 Diop 81 Report Eboue 60 Stadium Fratton Park Attendance 20 556Referee Steve Bennett Everton v Arsenal 29 December 2007 20Everton1 4ArsenalLiverpool17 15 GMT Cahill 19 Arteta 84 Report Bendtner 24 74 Eduardo 47 58 66 Clichy 68 Adebayor 78 Fabregas 86 Flamini 87 Rosicky 90 3 Stadium Goodison Park Attendance 39 443Referee Martin Atkinson Arsenal v West Ham United 1 January 2008 21Arsenal2 0West Ham UnitedLondon15 00 GMT Eduardo 2 Adebayor 18 Report Cole 23 McCartney 64 Noble 90 2 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance Chris FoyReferee 60 102 Arsenal v Birmingham City 12 January 2008 22Arsenal1 1Birmingham CityLondon15 00 GMT Adebayor 21 pen Hleb 55 Report Kapo 39 O Connor 48 Ridgewell 55 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 037Referee Phil Dowd Fulham v Arsenal 19 January 2008 23Fulham0 3ArsenalLondon15 00 GMT Report Adebayor 19 38 Clichy 66 Rosicky 81 Stadium Craven Cottage Attendance 25 297Referee Peter Walton Arsenal v Newcastle United 29 January 2008 24Arsenal3 0Newcastle UnitedLondon19 45 GMT Hleb 20 Adebayor 40 Flamini 72 Fabregas 80 Report N Zogbia 35 Owen 73 Cacapa 80 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 127Referee Mike Riley Manchester City v Arsenal 2 February 2008 25Manchester City1 3ArsenalManchester12 45 GMT Fernandes 28 Petrov 62 Elano 89 Report Adebayor 9 88 Eduardo 26 Stadium City of Manchester Stadium Attendance 46 426Referee Andre Marriner Arsenal v Blackburn Rovers 11 February 2008 26Arsenal2 0Blackburn RoversLondon20 00 GMT Senderos 4 Adebayor 90 1 Fabregas 90 1 Report Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 049Referee Steve Bennett Birmingham City v Arsenal 23 February 2008 27Birmingham City2 2ArsenalBirmingham12 45 GMT Martin Taylor 3 McFadden 28 90 5 pen Report Walcott 50 55 Gallas 90 5 Sagna 90 5 Stadium St Andrew s Attendance 27 195Referee Mike Dean Arsenal v Aston Villa 1 March 2008 28Arsenal1 1Aston VillaLondon15 00 GMT Gallas 30 Bendtner 90 3 Report Senderos 27 o g Barry 80 Osbourne 90 2 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 097Referee Mark Clattenburg Wigan Athletic v Arsenal 9 March 2008 29Wigan Athletic0 0ArsenalWigan16 00 GMT King 71 Sibierski 76 Report Bendtner 25 Gilberto 61 Stadium JJB Stadium Attendance 19 676Referee Rob Styles Arsenal v Middlesbrough 15 March 2008 30Arsenal1 1MiddlesbroughLondon17 15 GMT Toure 86 Eboue 90 5 Report Aliadiere 25 Wheater 27 O Neil 80 Mido 88 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance Mark HalseyReferee 60 084 Chelsea v Arsenal 23 March 2008 31Chelsea2 1ArsenalLondon16 00 GMT J Cole 32 Ballack 34 Drogba 72 81 73 Report Eboue 5 Sagna 59 Stadium Stamford Bridge Attendance 41 824Referee Mark Clattenburg Bolton v Arsenal 29 March 2008 32Bolton2 3ArsenalBolton15 00 BST M Taylor 14 43 Davies 45 1 Diouf 54 Report Diaby 31 Fabregas 44 Toure 45 1 Gallas 62 Van Persie 68 pen Samuel 90 1 o g Stadium Reebok Stadium Attendance 22 431Referee Chris Foy Arsenal v Liverpool 5 April 2008 33Arsenal1 1LiverpoolLondon12 45 BST Bendtner 54 Eboue 67 Report Riise 30 Crouch 42 Pennant 54 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 111Referee Phil Dowd Manchester United v Arsenal 13 April 2008 34Manchester United2 1ArsenalManchester16 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 985Referee Howard Webb Arsenal v Reading 19 April 2008 35Arsenal2 0ReadingLondon12 45 BST Adebayor 30 Gilberto 38 Report Kitson 28 Bikey 58 Sonko 70 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 109Referee Peter Walton Derby County v Arsenal 28 April 2008 36Derby County2 6ArsenalDerby20 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 003Referee Andre Marriner Arsenal v Everton 4 May 2008 37Arsenal1 0EvertonLondon13 30 BST Bendtner 77 Report Lescott 28 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 60 123Referee Alan Wiley Sunderland v Arsenal 11 May 2008 38Sunderland0 1ArsenalSunderland15 00 BST Collins 54 Report Walcott 24 Clichy 82 Stadium Stadium of Light Attendance 47 802Referee Keith Stroud Classification Edit Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation1 Manchester United C 38 27 6 5 80 22 58 87 Qualification for the Champions League group stage2 Chelsea 38 25 10 3 65 26 39 853 Arsenal 38 24 11 3 74 31 43 83 Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round4 Liverpool 38 21 13 4 67 28 39 765 Everton 38 19 8 11 55 33 22 65 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first roundSource Premier LeagueRules for classification 1 points 2 goal difference 3 number of goals scored For further information on European qualification see Premier League Competition C Champion Results summary Edit Overall Home AwayPld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD38 24 11 3 74 31 43 83 14 5 0 37 11 26 10 6 3 37 20 17Source 79 Results by round Edit Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738GroundHAHHAHAHHAHAHAAAHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAResultWDWWWWWWWDDWWWDLWWDWWDWWWWDDDDLWDLWWWWPosition47621111111111111121122111111232333333Source 80 A Away H Home W Win D Draw L LossUEFA Champions League EditMain article 2007 08 UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round Edit Main article 2007 08 UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds Third qualifying round 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 Fabregas 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 81 Sparta Prague v Arsenal 15 August 2007 First legSparta Prague 0 2 ArsenalPrague19 45 BST Husek 9 Kulic 17 Report Fabregas 25 72 Flamini 38 van Persie 45 2 Hleb 90 2 Stadium Generali Arena Attendance 19 586Referee Luis Medina Cantalejo Spain Arsenal v Sparta Prague 29 August 2007 Second legArsenal 3 0 5 0 agg Sparta PragueLondon19 45 BST Rosicky 8 Fabregas 82 Walcott 84 Eduardo 89 Report Kulic 29 Repka 51 Husek 87 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 58 462Referee Frank De Bleeckere Belgium Group stage Edit Main article 2007 08 UEFA Champions League group stage Group H 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 82 Arsenal started their campaign in good stead beating Sevilla 3 0 and followed the result with a 1 0 victory against Steaua București 83 84 Against Slavia Prague at the Emirates Arsenal equalled their best ever victory in a European competition scoring seven goals 85 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 85 Qualification into the knockout stages was ensured with a draw away to Slavia Prague on 7 November 2007 86 Defeat against Sevilla at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium was Arsenal s first loss since April 2007 ending a run of 28 matches undefeated in all competitions 87 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 88 Pos Teamvte Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification1 Sevilla 6 5 0 1 14 7 7 15 Advance to knockout stage2 Arsenal 6 4 1 1 14 4 10 133 Slavia Prague 6 1 2 3 5 16 11 5 Transfer to UEFA Cup4 Steaua București 6 0 1 5 4 10 6 1Source RSSSF Arsenal v Sevilla 19 September 2007 1Arsenal 3 0 SevillaLondon19 45 BST Fabregas 28 Adebayor 49 Van Persie 59 Eduardo 90 2 Report Dani Alves 74 Keita 85 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 59 992Referee Peter Frojdfeldt Sweden Steaua București v Arsenal 2 October 2007 2Steaua București 0 1 ArsenalBucharest20 45 CET Marin 18 Rada 32 Report Adebayor 15 Van Persie 76 Stadium Stadionul Steaua Attendance 12 807Referee Terje Hauge Norway Arsenal v Slavia Prague 23 October 2007 3Arsenal 7 0 Slavia PragueLondon19 45 BST Fabregas 5 58 Flamini 11 Hubacek 24 o g Walcott 41 55 Hleb 51 59 Clichy 52 Bendtner 89 Report Volesak 71 Stadium Emirates Stadium Attendance 59 621Referee Stefano Farina Italy Slavia Prague v Arsenal 7 November 2007 4Slavia Prague 0 0 ArsenalPrague20 45 CET Tavares 41 Svec 47 Krajcik 72 Pudil 84 Report Diarra 52 Denilson 82 Stadium Stadion Evzena Rosickeho Attendance 18 000Referee Bertrand Layec France Sevilla v Arsenal 27 November 2007 5Sevilla 3 1 ArsenalSeville20 45 CET Crespo 21 Keita 24 span, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library, article, read, download, free, free download, mp3, video, mp4, 3gp, jpg, jpeg, gif, png, picture, music, song, movie, book, game, games. |